Amidst a vibrant forest of green, industrial stages lined with flashing neon lights rise from the ground. Venturing into the park, people of all ages come together to eat, dance, and celebrate music. Every year, music-lovers flock to Golden Gate Park to experience San Francisco’s Outside Lands.
This year, the festival took place from Aug. 11 to 13, featuring headliners Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters and Odesza. Outside Lands began in 2008, and 2023 marked its 15th anniversary.
According to ABC News, this year’s festival had a record turnout, selling over 250,000 tickets.
Tickets were hundreds of dollars, with prices ranging from $199 for a one day pass to $929 for a three day pass.
“My friends and I wanted to buy tickets, but they were just too expensive,” junior Julianna Thornborrow said.
However, the day the festival started, Thornborrow got a pleasant surprise.
“[My friends and I] were gifted free tickets right before the festival, so we went on Saturday and Sunday,” she said.
With nearly 100 performers each year, Outside Lands offers a variety of performances with many different types of music, allowing festival-goers to experience new music and witness some favorites live.
Thornborrow waited in the crowd for over an hour to see her favorite performer Lana Del Rey. She ended up watching her performance up close.
“I got to be third row to the front, so I was extremely close, which made it a super fun experience,” Thornborrow said.
Junior Dahlia Saffouri said she only went for one day because she wanted to see her favorite rapper: Kendrick Lamar.
“There were lots of people fighting for spots, since everyone wanted to get to the front of the [general admission] section,” Saffouri said. “If you really want to get to the front of someone’s performance, you have to get there before their set starts.”
At Kendrick Lamar, Saffouri waited for over an hour in the middle of the crowd in order to get a good view of the stage. However, Saffouri said she wishes that she had planned her day better, getting to some performances earlier than she did.
Saffouri said that at Outside Lands, service can be spotty, so it’s better to be prepared than to be stranded without a plan.
“It’s helpful to mark down where people were and what time they were performing,” she said.
Senior Cairo Osman agrees that it’s best to plan your day in advance in order to stay healthy and have a good time.
“If you want to go next year, you should bring a camelback for water and eat a big meal before,” Osman said.
Additionally, Outside Lands provides festival goers with over 100 food vendors from across the Bay, according to the Outside Lands website.
“One day I had a burger, and another time I had tacos. They were both pretty good,” Osman said.
Osman’s favorite part of the festival was watching Odesza perform on Sunday night.
“They had some cool lights, and everyone in the crowd was hyped up,” Osman said.
Overall, Osman said he had a positive experience at the festival.
“I think everyone should go to Outside Lands. It was a great experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life,” Osman said.
