As August rolls in, Golden Gate Park gears up for Outside Lands 2024, set to bring the city together from the 9th to the 11th in between our foggy avenues. Headliners like The Killers and Sturgill Simpson promise electrifying performances. Tyler, the Creator exited in June and was replaced by Sabrina Carpenter. Here’s the lineup.
Outside Lands isn’t just about the music; it is a celebration of Bay Area food and culture. We’ll see typical drinking experiences return like Wine Lands and Beer Lands alongside newer ones like the Dolores tent, which is an open-air dance club dedicated to celebrating the queer and trans communities. Inside will be performances by FAKE and GAY, SF Oasis, and Hard French, including acts like Isabella Lovestory, Willow Pill & Yvie Oddly, and Brown Angel and Vin Sol.
The crowd at Outside Lands is not exactly your sophisticated bunch. We see more than 200,000 attendees roll in annually for the festival, so expect lines, cluttered walkways, and questionable porta-potties. Now there’s also self-driving cars that tend to make traffic jams.
There are ways to enjoy OSL alone, chief among them downloading the Outside Lands app. Many reviews tell us it’s buggy, but as our writer told us last year: “I was able to map out what artists I wanted to see, what food I wanted to eat and where it was, keep up to date with notifications from the organizers,” she said. “For a solo-goer this is a necessity, since you have to make all the decisions alone.”
OSL pioneered culinary and drink excellence for festivals globally since launching in 2008. Today its themed sections include the returning Cocktail Magic, which features our pioneering local talent, as do the 96 local restaurants serving more than 700 dishes. Last year, almost all of those creations came from minority- and female-led restaurateurs and chefs.
You can get married at Outside Lands?
Want to tie the knot at a music festival? OSL’s got you covered.
Whether you’re planning a wedding or recommitment ceremony, Outside Lands will outfit you with an officiant, photographer, pre-ceremony lounge, drink tokens, and special seating for guests, all guided by a dedicated concierge. Inspired by San Francisco’s botanical charm and civic skyline, the City Hall experience at Outside Lands creates moments amid festival festivities.
This addition also honors the 20th anniversary of the Winter of Love, marking the historic same-sex marriages at San Francisco’s City Hall. Part of the proceeds from these ceremonies will support Lambda Legal, championing LGBTQ+ civil rights.
No more SOMA tent
A preview of the new SOMA experience setup.
Another Planet announced that this year’s festival will replace the popular SOMA tent with an open-air dance party in Marx Meadow. The new setup eliminates the tent and long lines, offering an expanded dance space where festival-goers can enjoy top-notch house and techno music under the sun and stars.
Additional acts include Victoria Monet, the Grammy-winning Best New Artist. The Last Dinner Party — a British indie rock band that features all female and non-binary members — will also take the stage. Additionally, the iconic Grace Jones, who last performed in the Bay Area at Oakland’s Fox Theater in 2022, will headline.
The Postal Service continues its anniversary tour, making a return to the Bay Area after their show at the Berkeley Greek last fall. The band was formed in 2001 as a casual collaboration between Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello, known for his work as Dntel.
And there are many other performances.
Are you coming?
As Outside Lands 2024 draws near, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is set to come alive with a diverse mix of music, culture, and community. Whether you’re dancing under the stars at the new open-air SOMA dance space or celebrating a milestone moment at City Hall, it’s going to be an interesting year in the park.
Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.
The Bold Italic is a non-profit media organization, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. Donate to us today.
OSL 2024 Lineup
