Outside Lands Festival

This festival is really the only festival I’ve been to in California that is a suitable replacement for Coachella. I decided last year after attending that I would try to make it every year to Outsidelands instead of to Coachella, and I plan to stick with that.
Although food options are not like coachella’s, they are definitely up there on the list. The art is also second only to coachella, and there is only one other music festival I’ve been to that consistently has better lineups (aside from coachella), and that was in New York.
I love that it’s in Golden Gate Park and that it’s so vast and green. I wish it wasn’t so cold, but that’s San Francisco for you!
Though the crowd here isn’t great, it is nowhere near as bad as the crowd at coachella, and for that, I’m thankful.

I went to OSL 2015 and had a great time! Overall the lineup was really bad compared to Lolla. The 2016 lineup isn’t great either. I just seem to hate their headliners. HOWEVER if you dig thru the lineup and listen to the small bands, there are a lot of good ones out there. I had a lot of fun at Ryn Weaver’s & The Revivalists’ sets, and got to meet the latter and Misterwives!!! Super sad that I didn’t know George Ezra did a meet n greet too! :(
The best part about the festival is how the vibe is so chill. I think it’s because that SF weather is chilly (in a good way), people don’t get annoyed by the heat. My fave was the little area in the woods where you were not allowed to use digital devices. I went every day and napped in that little tent, and listening to Royal Jelly Jive perform in there was absolutely pleasant! Choco lands was also fun. One thing I hated though, was how the porta pottie on Sunday night was… uhhhh… you don’t wanna know, and some dude peed facing the crowd! I SAW AND RAN AWAY.

Look at all of these people!!! 2015 OSL
Those few words were a clear understatement of a festival that I easily looked at as the best of times for everything surrounding it and the experience, however at times it became unenjoyable, not due to the organizers themselves, but in response to its inevitable growth.
This years festival was bigger than life in some respects, with the GIANT Ranger Dave installations (statue, golf) around the festival grounds.
The usual Outside Lands weather was absent, with 80 degree weather the first day, giving it more of a generic feel than in past years… and a bunch of sweating. Festival organizers have no control of that, however the usual mystique Of the fog rolling in, is part of what has historically given the festival character.
This was the third Outside Lands since 2012, and the second time that I was able to experience it with a companion (2013 was virtually a solo mission) that petered out the last day.
Attending festivals, is enjoyable in being at the event itself. Coachella and Outside Lands have been destination events for me. With that said, the lineup for Outside Lands was underwhelming in light of the past few years. 2012 gave me Foo Fighters for the first time in my life, and 2013 offered the reunited Nine In Nails in the outside incarnation of their Twenty Thirteen Tour. And the missed 2014 with Kanye West. Headliners Elton John, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Kendrick Lamar, and acts like D’Angelo who appeared after missing the 2013 incarnation, were artist that I had seen before and did not inspire me as past lineups have. Unfortunately, this year many acts had set times that conflicted with each other, more so than past years. Mumford opening was eclipsed by D’Angelo’s performance with support by friend Joi Gilliam (oft mentioned on this blog) now a resident of Los Angeles after being unappreciated by Atlanta. The Black Keys rated higher for me than seeing Kendrick Lamar, though I skipped his uninspiring 2012 Coachella performance. Sam Smith was conveniently scheduled prior to Elton John, while Axwell v Ingrosso was in conflict. Though I have seen Elton twice, I had to see his performance. After the long weekend, sitting in the VIP section at the Lands End stage in exchange for standing in the VIP mob around Twin Peaks was an easy choice. Seeing Atlanta wall and street artist Greg Mike represented heavily was a great positive. For what the music festival is, the amount of local artists on the lineup was not a positive regarding the musical choices. Also, at the cost of VIP, having the VIP area limited to Lands End and Twin Peaks is not worth the money. There should be VIP viewing at all stages, and express entry into The Barbary (which I have yet to attend) and the Heineken House (Dome). The Bison Bucks were a terrible addition as well.
In addition to the increased crowds (Friday looked like the previous’ years Sundays in attendance) there was an over abundance of the Bro contingent. Smashing beers, yelling out to each other, looking corny in their tank tops (or no shirts), flip-​flops, and straw hats… everywhere you turned there was a Bro. It’s not enjoyable to watch Chet Faker perform, with the Bro next to you screaming for him to perform his cover of BlackStreet’s «No Diggety» during the entire performance. Or the Bro’s conversing on the necessity to see D’Angelo…and to fuck seeing Mumford & Sons, but know none of his music.
The peace I remembered from past Outside Lands, was only to be seen early on Saturday… the Bro’s were not awake yet. Those were times to chill in VIP, go to Wine Lands, the Heineken House, etc. but when the Bro’s and the crowds woke up… it was an uncomfortable experience. How’re conundrum, how do you return to past times? You don’t…you just adapt.
In the end, I had extremely enjoyable moments, but there was much I could have done without. The lows are not enough to end my attendance of the festival. I «hated» getting in late and missing SZA, life happens. I would also suggest that organizers look at auctioning off some of the past years art installations, especially with some appearing to be poorly cared for, and the general crowded feeling with the art. A tremendous positive were the friends and experiences surrounding Outside Lands, coupled with staying in the city, and not at the airport.
Highlights:
Top artist:
The Black Keys — though they did not, and never play «Sister,» the last show of their Turn Blue tour. My connection with their music, coupled with the amazing performance of course helped make them the true highlight of the festival.

This review is for OSL 2013. Yeah, I know a bit overdue.
Bought my tickets during the «eager beaver» sale. I think they were under $ 250 (including fees) at the time for all three days. Super cheap than what it is nowadays…
This was my first multiple day festival. I was always used to all day festivals like Live 105 BFD or Warped Tour during my teen years — so I didn’t know how exhausting it would be for three days.
There’s tons of stuff to do besides seeing the many many bands here. You can get free swag at almost every booth, and I think some places were giving free samples of food. I remember getting free ben and jerrys every day and I think the chipotle tent was giving out free food. There are plenty of food booths too. Maybe too many!
I took advantage of the free stuff they gave out at the festivals. From t-​shirts to tote bags to stickers, I’m a hoarder. I remember one of the days there I won a free OSL 2013 blanket ($ 50 value) thanks to the esurance wristbands I was scanning/​checking in with almost by the hour every day at OSL. I had a choice of $ 50 worth of food at OSL or the blanket. Of course I took the damn blanket.
From what I remember we were allowed to bring outside food but we had to make sure our water bottles were empty. Security gets pretty lax during the duration of the festival tbh…
My friend and I took both public transportation and drove here as well for the three days. Public transportation is a freaking pain leaving the festival every night!!! Almost every bus would be packed like sardines. Getting their wasn’t too bad since everybody was coming into the festival at different times. I think after one day of public transportation, we decided to just drive to and from. I would imagine parking would be a bit of a pain, but my friend and I got there pretty early every day so we were fine. I don’t think we had to pay either for parking since it was just on some residency street parking. In 2013, über and lyft didn’t exist so I don’t know how that would work.
In 2013, the lineup was great! NIN, RHCP, YYYs, Hall & Oates, Sir Paul McCartney, Vampire Weekend, Zedd, Kaskade to name a few. Previous years were better but I was never able to go before then.
I have yet gone to another OSL since my first and only time in 2013. My reasons being: 1. Prices are ridiculous now. 2. Line up is okay. but not for the prices. 3. I’ve seen a lot more affordable festivals since then outside of the Bay Area with the same lineup if not better.
The festival is held at GG Park so there’s tons of space for people to roam around — make sure to wear comfy shoes/​boots. Your feet will get dirty and not to mention cold if you wear flimsy sandals/​flats/​shoes. And holy crap I cannot stress enough to wear layers. IT’S SF FOR GOODNESS SAKE, NOT COACHELLA. I’ll see so many people in silly summer get-​ups and it’s freezing the entire day. Layer up people!
Also, please do your part and throw your damn garbage away. I remember leaving RHCP’s set and the entire field was covered in crap. Sure, there’s a nightly clean up crew for it but holy shit I’ve never seen such a place layered in trash. I hope that 2014 and 2015 got better with that.
I’m from the Bay Area so if I were to go to another OSL, I would just volunteer at the festival for free admission… I applied last year but spots filled up real quick! Maybe this year I’ll get lucky.

From the music to the artwork, I had a blast at my first Outside Lands experience! My friend and I went on Sunday and caught the following sets: James Bay, Nate Ruess, Ryn Weaver, Odesza, Sam Smith, Elton John and Axwell^Ingrosso. Each stage was packed, every performance was on point and it was obvious that everyone was having a great time. :) Awesome festival vibe overall!
Some highlights of the day:
— Performances — Obviously, the music was the best part. :) Bring a blanket to sit on, grab a beer (or two!) and enjoy some great sets.
— Outsider Art — It was sweet being able to see the artists doing their craft and catching the finished product at the end. I love that they display all the work from the previous years.
— Refillable Water Stations — So convenient and beats paying for another water bottle. Also, high five for being green. ;)
— Festival Food — How can you say «no» to loaded waffle fries?!
Some lowlights of the day:
— Trash — As others mentioned, the trash situation at the end of the day was very disappointing. :(You were literally sitting/​walking around in other peoples’ trash. I bet the post-​festival cleanup was a nightmare.
— Portable Toilets — I feel like they underestimated the number of porta-​potties that they needed.
— Dust — With so many people traveling from one stage to another, dust was blowing around everywhere! Not fun when it’s getting all over your clothes, in your eyes and in your food.
— To the teens who snuck in alcohol in ZIPLOC BAGS — please.
In terms of transportation, we took Lyft Line there and back and didn’t have to worry about finding parking. Only downside was the post-​festival ride home — with surge prices, a ride that’s normally $ 8 ended up being about $ 40, in addition to a 45 minute wait. :(
For future festival goers, you want to keep in mind that SF is known for its wind and cool evenings. When the sun started setting, the temperature started dropping as well and I felt a little bad for all the people walking around in tanks, crop tops, etc. I also wouldn’t want to walk around in open-​toed shoes because the combination of dust, trash and dirt can get kind of messy at the end of the day.
Depending on next year’s lineup, I’d love to come out to Outside Lands again! :)

This was my first time at Outsidelands and was impressed with the layout we got to experience Chocolands, Beer Lands, Wine Lands, numerous food trucks and vendors (all great).
The location is perfect, transportation is easy, the weather was wonderland the only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars is the timing and overlap of big names and the distance between stages made it hard to see everyone. Maybe just stagger the times a little more and it would be perfect.

4.5 stars! Take me back! Music festivals are just never long enough & Outside Lands was no exception.
I’ve been to 3 other music festivals & Outside Lands stands out for several reasons. The location is cool. Literally. Lol! Coachella & other summer music festivals are hot! It was nice to come to Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park… be surrounded by trees & wear layers. This festival was also chill. (Noticing a pattern here.) The vibe was more laid back & I liked how it wasn’t too crowded.
This festival was HUGE! When you walk into Coachella, you can see everything. At Outside Lands, there were paths leading to other stages & lands. It was fun to explore & walk around, but it also took awhile to get from 1 stage to another. My favorite part about the festival was all the different lands. Wine Lands, Beer Lands, Choco Lands, Cheese Lands, & Bacon Lands. I loved indulging in all the different lands. Just be prepared to spend quite a bit of money. There was also A TON of food. A lot of it wasn’t a healthy option, but I’m from San Diego & this was a great opportunity for me to try a lot of SF food in 1 area. They also have cocktails that were well worth it. Craft cocktails that were tasty & large. I also checked out The Barbary, which is a comedy tent. Great spot to hang out between concerts. I also appreciated all of the artwork around the festival.
I took away ½ a star because I’d like to see more music in their lineup. They had a great lineup this year, but would just like to see more. Everything else was really fun to checkout, but it is a music festival after all. This festival has grown a lot over the last few years so I know it will only get bigger & better. Thinking of coming back next year!

Things I loved:
The lineup– what an unbelievable collaboration of talent. Elton John, Mumford and Sons, Sam Smith, Cold War Kids, Billy Idol, Black Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Odesza, Hot Chip, and so many more. The sound quality was excellent for an outdoor setting.
There was a small «eco lounge» near the Panhandle stage that had comfy hammock chairs and AC. If you visited between 4 and 5pm you could enjoy a free Sierra Nevada beer!
Muni offered free, direct shuttles each night heading toward the Civic Center. If you were quick enough to push your way onto one, could endure the tightly packed crowd, and kept pulling the «stop requested» cord while crossing your fingers that the driver would make an unplanned stop, you would have successfully avoided the mass exodus stampede and 200% surcharge on Über and Lyft! Score!
Things I didn’t love:
This event was painfully oversold and the main stages were not large enough to accommodate some of the over pouring crowds. With the park landscaping, some of the stages were very small and narrow.
Trash! What a disappointment. There were compost/​recycle bins available, but not enough of them. Most people resorted to tossing their cups and water bottles on the grass. I wish I would’ve taken a photo; it’s hard to comprehend the level of disrespect from attendees. It was also disgustingly dusty. Perhaps it would have been beneficial to send a water truck through the grounds to spray down the dust before the crowd arrived; I left with filthy shoes each day.
Not enough restrooms! More people attended this event on Friday alone than Burning Man’s annual attendance, yet there were likely 75% less sani-​huts at OSL. Sani-​hut lines were long, at least 15 people behind each toilet at all times, no matter which area you visited. The average wait was 15−20minutes. Most people were unable to wait in these long lines and chose to relieve themselves behind the strip of toilets. Sani-​huts were not maintained frequently enough to keep up with the high demand; most were filthy without toilet paper.
Food/​drink prices (this is a given). The event has a no re-​entry policy with strict standards for bringing in food and drink, thus forcing you to purchase nearly everything at the venue. The bag check upon entry was sloppy and ineffective; I saw people easily sneaking in entire bottles of wine. I will compliment the selection– OSL brought in an impressive variety of vendors, but prices were even higher than the usual SF markup. For example, a half cup serving of macaroni and cheese $ 7, a small serving of tater tots infused with bacon bits $ 10, 1 slice of cold pizza $ 8, and a small eggplant sandwich on a pesto ciabatta roll $ 15. There was an exciting variety of craft beers sold at $ 8 for a regular and $ 10 for a large, which looked to be nearly the same size cup as the regular.

I liked the venue. It was gorgeous with the fog and the trees and grass. The stages and layout was great. It never bottlenecked anywhere as far as crowds go. It was walkable and only dusty in a couple areas.
I was disappointed with the Heineken tent and how long the line to get in was. I was hoping there was a house music area available at all times.
The food was amazing! «Porcini doughnuts» from Rich Table took the cake! Second favorite was «you Say Potato slice» from Escape from New York Pizza. Third was «crispy maple Brussels sprouts» from The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen and fourth was the «chicken Parmesan sandwich» from Stones Throw.
Transportation:
* My group and I took Bart from Orinda to the civic center stop to muni to 25^th st. and Fulton. It took 1.5 hours.
* Finding street parking was a 45 minute ordeal on Sunday at 11:30 am. My boyfriend and I found a spot on Funston Ave. and Anza St.
Female Attire (Comfort):
High top chucks, bandana, sunglasses, layers, (shorts/​stretchy pants, tank top, flannel button up, light jacket, gloves), festival belt.
Bring:
Cash, plastic water bottle, camera, string backpack.

SAM SMITH!!! WOO.
He was my main reason to buying a 3-​day to OSL. And he did not disappoint.
Mumford & Sons
Tig Notaro (hysterical)
The Black Keys
Lindsay Stirling
ELTON JOHN
Nate Ruess
& so many others!
This was my first time at the festival, and I have to say it was pretty amazing. I pretty much just went with the flow and had a great time. My only concern was the potty situation, but what can you do? Nothing really. So that is just a minimal complaint. My friend and I bought 3-​day shuttle tickets for $ 45. I think that was our most genius idea for the whole weekend. Everything was super organized and we barely had to wait in a line to grab a shuttle.
Depending on the line-​up, I’ll probably be back next year.

This was my third year attending this festival and overall it’s always been a great experience. Every year it gets better and better (as in food, water stations, plastic waste). This year Camelback sponsored so attendees can refill water for free instead of buying plastic water bottles. Almost everything is decomposable, the cups, plates, utensils, which is great. The food is pricey and a lot of these vendors are cash only.
Saturday is usually the day a lot of people attend the festival so be prepared for long lines and huge crowds.
The vibe is really chill. Those of you who want to dress like Coachella, be prepared to have a sweater or jacket handy because fog will roll in and it does get windy. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking around a lot.
Overall enjoy the food, the art, the music, the people.

I love Outside Lands! The music, the food, the wonderful chilly SF weather and the fact that I live 4 blocks away and can walk home are all my favorite parts about this festival.
Some things they need to fix…
For the love of GOD, get a new beer sponsor! Who in their right mind drinks Heineken?! By day 3 I could barely choke it down. Why not get a middle of the road beer, something everyone can get down with? Bud light? Coors? Anything!!!
I don’t think they really planned the right bands at the right stages. Kendrick Lamar wasn’t at the main stage. Are you nuts? Don’t you know the kind of crowd he draws? It was mayhem and the Twin Peaks stage was wayyyy too small for that many people. Same with the DJ Mustard and Odesza crowd. Some people I’ve never even heard of were at the main stage. Get your shit together, OSL.
Other than that, I love OSL and can’t wait to return in the years to come!

I am sorry to say it, but I was not that impressed with OSL. Don’t get me wrong, there were some amazing things about it: the lineup was great, the food vendors were awesome, and I really enjoyed all the «lands». You can tell that a lot of thought went into the preparation of this festival, and it definitely showed. I was surprised with pricing as well: craft beers for $ 9-​$ 10? Not too bad of an upcharge and it is appreciated. My favorite part was getting there on Friday morning and checking everything out before the masses got there.
But this is the problem: there are too many people in too small of a space. WAY too many people. And not only that, but the actual people who attended (the majority, obviously because some people were very nice) were annoyingly immature. I am sorry to say it.
Out of the three stage areas, I would have to say that the main one was the only one that was bearable simply because it was so big. Good luck trying to find your way around the rest. I am not one at a festival to have to get to the front of the crowd or demand a bubble of area all to myself; I know it is not practical at any festival that you attend. But when you are standing and can barely see the artist because you are so far back and there are still people who are yelling at you to move out of their way and literally pushing you, it takes away from the experience. I would not recommend taking your family here and felt bad for the people who tried. Even though they preach that it is an all age event, it is not suitable.
My biggest issue with the festival though was the lack of respect with trash. By the end of the day, you were walking through basically a garbage can because people did not have the decency to walk their cans and whole plates of food to the trash and instead dropped it on the floor for someone to step on. It was disgusting and I felt bad for the people working the event that could not go 5 seconds in the same spot without having to reach down again to pick something up. They could definitely use more trash areas. Along with that, those were some of the worst porter potties I have ever seen. I am not sure if they cleaned them before each day which was a big disappointment.
With the amount of tickets that they have sold and the profits that are being made, I just would have hoped some of the fundamental things were mediocre, especially with the amount of money that is being spent by each individual who attends.
Overall, I am glad that I was able to at least experience it once, and appreciate all the artists that attended.

This festival was such a great experience! I am from LA and it was great to experience the SF vibe.
I definitely recommend coming to this festival at least once in your life! People are so chill and so many beautiful people in SF!
The food is also great! They offer a lot of unique food great for everyone’s taste. They also offer vegan food, and gluten free so they really try to cater to everyone.
The weather is great unlike other music festivals, the weather is crazy hot.
Loved this festival and will try to come back again in the future !!!

This was my first year at Oustide Lands and it did NOT disappoint! I LOVED IT! I honestly am already missing it. I went two days (Sat & Sun) and also had VIP tickets. The lineup was amazing! Outside Lands is not just about music, but they have tons of activities /​different lands (Wine, Beer and Choco) to visit. Because it was my first time, I have compiled a list of tips for all you first timers reading reviews about OSL.
VENUE:
The venue is at Golden Gate Park, meaning that you are fairly close to the ocean. It does get cold and I did experience a bit of a drizzle when I was there. The park is HUGE! YOU WILL DO LOTS OF WALKING. I really like the size of the venue because it was fun to explore different regions of the park and its also easy to get away from the crowds and just chill. Although most of the stages are on grass, the park does have dirt walkways/​paths in between stages and when there are huge crowds going to the same stage, lots of dirt/​dust will be kicked up. I didn’t think it was that unbearable but if you are sensitive to these things, I suggest either bringing something to cover your nose/​mouth or just use whatever you’re wearing.
WHAT TO WEAR/​BRING:
This is San Francisco and you are next to the Golden Gate bridge, so don’t expect a 100 degrees desert. It is a bit chilly, but I didn’t think it was unbearably cold. MUST: WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. I wore a dress with knitted tights (like those thick tights) and a light cardigan one day and wore high waisted shorts, thick tights, crop top and cardigan the next. I was not cold during the day, but it did get chilly at night. Honestly, if you are bouncing in the middle of the crowd, you will not feel cold. I was literally sweating during the closing acts from all the body heat and movement.
So what I recommend bringing to OSL is:
— BACKPACK
— SWEATER/​SOME FORM OF LONG SLEVE GARMENT or EXTRA SWEATER IF YOU ARE TAKING THE SHUTTLE OR BUS because it will probably get cold while you are waiting for your transportation. I got away with a cardigan both nights and felt fine, but then again I did drive to OSL so getting in and out of the park was a breeze for me and I was in a warm car. I did drive past the the lines for the shuttle/​buses and they were pretty long.
— BATTERY PACK or if you don’t have one PHONE CHARGER W/​USB OUTLET
There are areas where there are outlets (NRG house near twin peaks) but who wants to sit there and wait for your phone to charge? Battery packs are most convenient because you can just stick your phone in your bag and charge it while you jam to music.
— WATER BOTTLE
OSL allows you to either bring factory sealed water bottles or your own refillable water bottle. What is so awesome this year is that they had FREE water refills!
— HAND SANITIZER /​TISSUES
After eating all of that delicious greasy food (well, depends on what you get), you probably want to wash your hands and this is were hand sanitizer comes in handy! Also, I didn’t have to use the porta potties because I had a VIP pass, but my friends had GA and said to bring tissues/​toilet paper because those porta potties can run out.
— CASH, CASH, CASH, CASH, CASH
PLEASE BRING CASH. DO NOT FORGET TO BRING CASH. REPEAT: BRING CASH. The majority of the food venders ONLY ACCEPT CASH. They do have ATMS, but there are lines and fees and WHO WANTS TO DEAL WITH THAT NONSENSE. One food item at OSL usually in the $ 10 range, Beer is $ 8-​$ 12, Cocktails are $ 12 – 16, Wine is $ 8 – 16. This is an estimate and prices may change but you can probably use this as an estimate of how much cash to bring.
EXPERIENCE:
— MUSIC: This was an AWESOME music festival. I am a rap/​hip-​hop gal and although there was maybe 4 rap acts in total for Sat & Sun, I had so much fun listening to other genres of music. What is great about this festival is there is a huge variety and there is something for everyone! IT DOES GET CROWDED FOR POPULAR ACTS.
— FOOD: WOW! There was so much different types of food! It aint just about that standard concert hot dogs and nachos here, NOPE! There literally was SO MANY different types of food and also there were vegetarian options and some vegan options as well!
— ACTIVITIES: In the main stage area, there are so many companies with their own booths that offer a variety of activities to do, such as free tattoos, face painting and so on. Trust me, if there’s no one you want to watch at a certain time, there are things to do.
VIP:
I did have VIP tickets so this is what you get for VIP:
— VIP ENTRANCE: SUPER FAST– no wait to get in!
— BATHROOMS. YAY TO NO PORTA POTTIES. (bad news: VIP bathrooms only located by the main stage– that was a huge bummer)
— PRIVATE LOUNGE AREA: comes with private food vendors and bars. Tents are nice to get away from the cold.
— PRIVATE VIP VIEWING AREAS: Only available at two stages but I thought this was pretty worth it because you can get really close to the stage if you’re there early enough and no one is shoving or pushing so thats great!

I had A BLAST at Outside Lands 2015. Even though I’m a Bay Area native, this is my first time at this festival as the price has always deterred me in the past (nearly $ 400 for general admission to the three day festival). I only attended one day of the festival this year, as I decided pretty last minute that I wanted to go since I wasn’t originally planning to attend this festival because I attended Coachella back in April of this year. This review is going to be an evaluation of the Outside Lands festival itself and a comparison of the festival to Coachella, since the two festivals are the two big festivals of California. First of all, I LOVED the music at Outside Lands. I went on the last day of the festival and I had the pleasure of listening to the sets of DJ Mustard, Odesza, Sam Smith, Elton John, and Axwell & Ingrosso. The festival has three main stages (Twin Peaks, Lands End, and Sutro), and two smaller stages laced in between. Also can I just comment on how awesome it is that the stages are named after SF landmarks? As if music wasn’t enough, Outside Lands also has comedy shows and cooking demonstrations to add some variety. The festival is also divided into different types of «lands» — Choco Land, Wine Lands, Cheese Lands, Beer Lands — that made this festival a foodie dream come true! I swear I spent half the festival just trying to eat everything. The festival hosts gourmet food from SF classics such as Kara’s cupcakes and Humphrey & Slocombe, just to name a couple, and there were so many other delicious food items that I wish I had attended the full three days so I could have eaten everything I wanted to.
Now for the negatives: the festival was incredibly overcrowded and it has hard to get anywhere without being mobbed. The festival is housed in Golden Gate Park, which is not an open park as it has many trees and enclosed areas, and the festival areas were set up in those enclosed areas as a result. I was mainly concerned that I would miss a whole section of the festival because I simply couldn’t find it (and I almost did miss Choco Lands!) My other issue was that the festival ran out of items fairly quickly — for example, I wanted to buy the Wine Lands labeled wine glass, but they had sold out it on the second day of the festival. They also ran out of their merchandise items extremely quickly as well — I really wanted to buy the Outside Lands blanket, but those sold out so fast! Even some of the food had run out quickly, and I got the sense that the festival had underestimated the amount of people in attendance.
Comparison to Coachella: Both festivals are around $ 400 for general admission for all three days, but Outside Lands allows you to buy individual days while you can only buy all three days for Coachella. Coachella is actually worth more for your money, because Coachella has more stages (six main stages plus other smaller stages) while Outside Lands only has five stages in total, three of which are main stages. Coachella also runs for a longer period (from 11am each day to after midnight) while Outside Lands is only from noon to 10pm each day. There are also twice as many artists who perform at Coachella than at Outside Lands, and many of them are extremely well known. So music wise — Coahella wins, hands down. In terms of layout, Outside Lands is actually a bigger area, but because of many enclosed areas, it is hard to navigate. Coachella is a completely open layout so you will never have to worry about missing an area. So layout wise — Coachella wins again. However in terms of food and drink and variety of entertainment, Outside Lands is the winner because there are so many more exciting options for food at Outside Lands and the festival also has cooking demos and comedy shows.
Overall, I love both of these festivals! I already bought my ticket for Coachella 2016, and when Outside Lands tickets go on sale, I will be buying my three day pass for 2016 as well.

My first and most likely last Outside Lands experience.
I was very fortunate to have received 3-​Day VIP passes through a vendor.
However, I WOULD NOT PAY full price ($ 700/​3-​Day Vip pass) for this event.
Why? The line-​up was terrible. Honestly, out of those 3 days, there was only one artist I wanted to see – Sam Smith. All the other artists were just meh or I have never heard of. Sam Smith was AMAZING live.
Alright, down to the nitty, gritty details.
From an event planning POV: WOW, ⁵⁄₅ stars for execution. This is an EXTRA large scale event, and they were very attention to details. I appreciate and applaud the show management team! Flawlessly executed.
Food/​Drinks: There were so many selections and it was a great feature for guests attending all 3 days. You can try all the different foods and drinks w/​o getting bored. There were lots of healthy options and of course guilty pleasures :) My favorites were the following: spicy tater tots, 21^st Amendment watermelon beer, Chairmen bao, and Custard cart. I love the concept of bring a nalgene water bottle, and the Camelbak station provided free water refill stations. Very eco friendly!
VIP: Alright, is it worth the premium? Hmm, that’s a tough call. I honestly wouldn’t mind forking out the extra $$ IF the line up was better. If you don’t like large crowds or mosh pits, this is the place to be. The two main stages (Land Ends and Twin Peaks) have VIP areas. Land Ends have a VIP hospitality area, and it was pretty neat. They have sofas, tents, cabanas, and luxury portable bathrooms.

Ok, this is comparing my experience in General Admission (GA) when we went in 2012 to VIP 2015.
Overall (both GA & VIP)
— Only a few ways to get in and out. Logistically it’s not the greatest.
— Food seems to have gotten even better over the years and it’s great to see some great restaurants start to represent and bring it! There’s SO many options ranging from full on carnivore to vegan (although this was not as plentiful). Also, much better than any type of festival food I’ve gotten in the last.
— you could go here dressed like its Coachella. But that would be just a bad idea. It may work out for you during the day, but when the fog rolls in, you’re screwed unless you bought one of those $ 50 blankets they sell at the merch booths. But hey, more power to you if you wanna wear next to nothing!
— parking is expensive if you wanna park in the park. If you have a motorcycle or a scooter, that’s the best way of getting here. Otherwise Über, Lyft, Cab, Bus, whatever is better than parking.
— it’s gets filthy nasty at Lands End. People strew their trash here especially as the day wears on and people get more drunk.
— don’t ever try to take a short cut by a path that has bathrooms. Bad idea.
— if you have a chance, check out the Barbary! It’s a nice reprieve from the craziness of walking around everywhere.
— be prepared to walk! I logged about 6 mi/​day average. That’s cool with me.
— if you have access issues (like wheel chair, crutches) make sure to notify staff to help you out. Some of the terrain just isn’t that friendly to people on wheels/​crutches.
— Presidio Stage is back! Loved it!
— there are so many little fun books and crannies like mini golf near Wine Lands, the digital detox campground, Choco lands, and beer/​wine lands.
GA:
— if you don’t care about anything but the music and are all about the music, surviving the crowds, getting in the crush and just getting down and dirty, this will definitely be your option. It’s also the cheapest way to experience the event. But hey, you’re here for the music, right?
— Entrance lines are long and ridiculous. We waited almost an hour to get in and that was around noon. Yea…
— bring a picnic blanket. It beats sitting on the grass that often has beer, joint/​cig butts, bird poop on it lol
VIP:
— expensive… but you don’t think about that when you have a lot of these perks…
— entrance line almost seemed WAY too short and easy. It was a breeze getting in. Security seemed cool too.
— you’re greeted with a nice entrance area, tents with couches and VIP concessions, although all of them were cash only.
— the bathrooms are also way nice — flush toilets with running faucets.
— there are stands right by the Lands End stage so you don’t need to be trying to brave it in the crush.
— VIP wristbands can help you jump the lines into the Barbary and the Heineken Tent. Awesome!!!
— only Lands End and Twin Peaks have VIP areas. Boo! We wanted to see some acts in Sutro and some other stages and it sucked. Just too crazy.
So overall, VIP just makes it much more comfortable to spend an entire day here. We would definitely go again, but only VIP. Food is great and the acts are pretty great too! Just expect to walk a lot, bring layers, blanket, lots of cash and you’re good to go!

I’ve been here a couple yrs in a row before I don’t think they wanted me coming anymore.
I saw some really great acts there was always a great place too charge my phone.
I chilled with the guy from philz coffee.
He seemed to like me.
One crazy problem could be when you wanna see two different bands that are playing at two different areas, it becomes an ooh no situation or else you get a headache going from one place to the next.
The bands are pretty good.
I saw Tom JOnes and I also saw the rapper Atsmophere here.
They’ve got Kanye this yr, blah who cares .
They’ve got Billy Idol tho, yay for that guy.
THen I tried some pot brownies from a basket this girl who was wearing a red riding hood outfit was selling.
OH man the night was off from then on.
I had a little, an then I am like ah Idk not feeling nothing so then I had more and more and whoa it was felt.
The sidewalk was going up and down up and down and I was feeling all kinds of people faces to see if they were real.

I feel like the lineup keeps getting better and better for OSL. Whenever I think of OSL I always remember seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ set in 2013, which was phenomenal given that it was the only time I have seen them live. Beyond that they have been bringing a lot of great acts and its in GGP which is nice. However, you are in SF so a light jacket is required. I’ve never felt like I was freezing at OSL, but it does get nippy (expected).
One of the great things about OSL is that you can take your drinks or your food (we’ll get to the food in a second) anywhere with you on the festival grounds. Coachella only allows drinks in specified beer garden areas. Also there are more people with blankets sort of chilling out towards the back as they wait for their next set. OSL, being in the Bay Area, has become incredibly foodie, they have a food and beer lineup that is almost as important as the music lineup. The food is absolutely amazing with stands from various local restaurants and food trucks. Definitely NOT what you think of when you think of typical festival food. Not only is the food great, but a ton of breweries around the Bay Area all come together to one convenient location (beer lands) so you can sample/​discover as many types of beers as you desirel. For this reason, the food/​drink are not cheap by any means. However If you are paying 10 bucks for a plastic cup of beer at least you have quality/​variety to choose from as opposed to just getting two options. The food has been something I look forward to at OSL each year. Particularly the arepas.
One thing I am not a fan of is the fact that there are very few entrances. To get into the fest, ou have to constantly walk right by it to find the line. More entries would be great. Another thing is the fact that you can’t camp for OSL. I feel like camping is such a big part of the festival experience. After the last set everyone just trickles out. It works perfectly for me because I live a couple of blocks away, but for those who do not i could imagine that camping would be cool (although maybe cold).

2015 will mark my 4^th consecutive Outside Lands. I was hooked after the first year and it just keeps getting better. I’ve never been a festival person, but as a native San Franciscan, they just totally nailed the feel and spirit of my beloved City.
The food, the wine, the music — all exemplary year after year.
I’ve never experienced the transportation problems personally as I’ve always either lived in the Richmond or crashed with friends there. Sorry — if you don’t have a friend you can crash with within walking distance of the Park, you’re really not a San Franciscan. I pity the fools trying to get back to the Mission after this show.
We’re not Coachella — nor, as best as I can tell, are we trying to be. It isn’t warm after 4 p.m. so rock that hippie child sundress at your own peril. But still, come on out and give it a shot. At dusk when the sky becomes heavy with fog and smoke, and one of your personal idols takes to the stage to deliver earth scorching live music. .. and you pat your belly-​full of gourmet treats. .. and see the smiles plastered on every face as far as the eye can see. .. you’ll thank me.

Being among the shrinking minority of people who don’t do the whole music festival thing, I opted to just drop off my roommates at the park and grab a sandwich with my old pal Sean C on Sunday ⁸⁄₁₀. Then it turned out he had an extra ticket to OSL, so he half twisted my arm to tag along.
I thought I knew what to expect from Outside Lands, which is what made me shy away all these years: girls in booty shorts and crochetted crop tops, shivering in the breezy, mid-​50s SF weather, people freaking out on drugs, loud music everywhere so you can’t really hear any bands, overpriced beer /​food, and basically a fluster cuck of people all throughout the park, all up in your bizznas. But (most of) my assumptions were wrong, y’all!
I must say I was pleasantly suprised at what the day turned out to be: more open space than I thought there would be, vendors with yummy, but overpriced food, lots of bands I wanted to see live but didn’t even know it, the sun showing it’s face in the sky (and sunburning my shoulders), more silly than slutty outfits, and general good vibes all around.
It seems that once you lose your friends, it’s pretty much you against the world, which I found out the hard way when my phone died at the final show of the evening, The Killers, who rocked it. I didn’t feel that weird being alone, as there were so many effing people everywhere, dancing, singing, etc.
An awesome experience, espcially for free. Don’t know if I would shell out the $ 200+ if I didn’t know the line-​up beforehand, but that’s just me.

Outside Lands was amazingly awesome!
Besides being a musical festival, they have a variety of delicious food booths to try out — especially if you are planning to stay there all day wandering the lands! You need some food to keep yourself going!
Skip Tom’s belly burger and Malaysian Curry Chicken Nachos at Azalina’s! Señor Sisig burrito is a must here, but the wait was up to an hour for one! They serve up Prop Chicken, Rosamunde Sausage, Wise Son’s Sandwiches, Straw Doughnut Burgers, kettle caramel popcorn, fennel cakes, pizza and just about everything here! It’s like eating throughout SF with food booths!
My all time favorite land to roam around in, was the Wine Lands! I loved the variety of wines! I taste tested the Scharffenberger bubbles, robust Mordecai Banshee red wine, smooth Ghost Pines red blend and Cannonball rose! It was wonderful!
They have Beer booze lands for the beer lovers at heart!
TIESTO was playing for fun day Sunday! It was splendid!
The grand music, tasty food selections and hipster crowd, made it a superb event to be at!
Ah-​Maz-​Ing! You can say that again!