Festivals Music
Outside Landshas been a destination for music fans from around the world for more than a decade. Set in the west end of San Francisco’s picturesque Golden Gate Park, the fog-shrouded music festival is known for showcasing icons and upstarts alike.
Among the stars who have performed on the festival’s main stage, amid the century-old canopy of trees on the Polo Field, since the festival started in 2008 arePaul McCartney,Elton John,Neil Young,Janet Jacksonand Radiohead. But in recent years, Outside Lands has been a launchpad for younger acts that often graduate from afternoon sets on side stages to headline status. If you’re not yet familiar with Wet Leg, 100 Gecs, the Marías, Kim Petras and Benny Sings, Outside Lands will probably make a fan out of you before the weekend is over.
The three-day outdoor event was postponed a few times in 2020 because of the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, before making its return over Halloween weekend in 2021. This year, promoters are eager to bring the full in-person experience back to the parkin its usual summer slot, Friday-Sunday, Aug. 5-7.
Beyond the music, Outside Lands is known for offering a variety of attractions, from art installations, pop-up dance venues, a section devoted to cannabis connoisseurs, an array of local food vendors, and countless sponsored cabanas offering haircuts, organic produce, phone charging stations and other distractions to keep the festival’s 75,000 daily attendees on the move.
When and where is Outside Lands 2022?
The Outside Lands festival is set to return to Golden Gate Park on the first weekend of August, with six stages spread across the Polo Field, Hellman Hollow, Speedway Meadow and Marx Meadow. Festival gates open at 11 a.m. each day, and music starts at noon with a strict curfew of 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5-6, and 9:40 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.
Outside Lands 2022: S.F.’s premier music festival prepares for a foggy comeback
How to live stream Outside Lands 2022 for free
Who’s playing Outside Lands 2022?
Bay Area punk iconsGreen Day, rapper Post Malone and Grammy-winning singer SZA are among the headliners for the 14th annualOutside Landsfestival.
More than 90 artists are on this year’s lineup, including Wet Leg, Kali Uchis, Rina Sawayama, Polo & Pan, Pusha T, Dominic Fike, Mac DeMarco, Kim Petras, Parcels and Washed Out.
“We are ecstatic to unveil this year’s lineup, which is one of the most dynamic and diverse we’ve ever had,” Allen Scott, co-founder of Outside Lands and president of concerts and festivals at Another Planet Entertainment, said in a statement.
Other popular acts on the bill include Weezer, Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Disclosure and Mitski.
The festival will keep at least one element from last year’s event: theSoMa Tent. Inspired by the iconic dance clubs inSan Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, the pop-up space is expected toreturn withninehours of performances each day.
Among the headliners in the tent are San Francisco DJ Claude VonStroke, German house and techno DJ and producer Dixon, and Los Angeles producer Tokimonsta, alongside acts like Avalon Emerson, J. Worra, Major League DJz, Ellen Allien and more.
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How do I get to Outside Lands?
Leave your car at home. Parking in and around the festival is extremely limited — if not impossible — and chances are good the weekend will end with you retrieving your vehicle from the impound lot.
If you can’t walk, grab an electric scooter, ride a bike or take public transportation. The N-Judah Muni Metro and the bus lines 5-Fulton, 7-Haight/Noriega, 28-19th Avenue, 29-Sunset, 31-Balboa and 38-Geary will get you close enough to the festival site in Golden Gate Park.
While BART doesn’t offer direct service to Golden Gate Park, festivalgoers can take BART and transfer to Muni. It plans to run regular service until around midnight during the three days of the festival.
Outside Lands offers free on-site bicycle parking. There’s also ashuttle servicefrom the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for those arriving via BART. The cost starts at $24 and goes up to $60, plus fees, depending on the tier of service. The shuttle fee does not include admission to the festival, and your festival pass does not count as a shuttle ticket.
What are the COVID-19 safety protocols?
Following the lead of other major U.S. concerts, festivals and sports events, Outside Lands has dropped its COVID-19 requirements for 2022. “However, for the safety of everyone, we highly recommend that all attendees are vaccinated and boosted, and we highly encourage everyone to mask up when unable to distance from others,” Another Planet says on the festival website, noting that the protocols may change under mandates from city and state officials.
What’s the vibe?
Outside Lands is different from other large-scale festivals such as Southern California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Lollapalooza in Chicago, not only for its lineups but for its geography. Set in a gorgeous expanse of green near San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, the festival is almost always blanketed with fog before the sun goes down. Then the temperature dips low enough to leave the T-shirt-wearing masses queuing up for ponchos and blankets as the headliner takes the stage. The overall mood is very chill — by every definition of the word.
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What are the food and drink options?
Some of the Bay Area’s buzziest new restaurants will be serving food at the Outside Lands, joining the largest food lineup the three-day summer event has ever offered. There will be 90 restaurants, 35 wineries and 30 breweries on site.
Newcomers to the festival include popularEast Bay restaurantsDaytrip,Wahpepah’s KitchenandJo’s Modern Thai, as well as San Francisco’s Quik Dog and pandemic pop-up Sandy’s, known for its New Orleans-style muffuletta sandwiches. Native American restaurant Wahpepah’s Kitchen plans to serve up kickapoo chili and fry bread tacos, whilePan-African soul food pop-up the Bussdown, also new to the festival this year, will bring jerk chicken rice bowls and mac and cheese with Geechee-style prawns.
Meanwhile, 73 restaurants are expected tomake a return appearance at Outside Lands, from Richmondquesabirriahit El Garage (namedone of the best five dishesto eat at the festival last year) to wood-fired pizza favorite Mozzeria.
Wine Lands, the festival’s wine-focused tent, plans to feature 10 new wineries, including natural wine producers Es Okay and Eco Terreno. Beer fans can also quench their thirst with a choice of several returning Northern California favorites — including Almanac Beer Co., Discretion Brewing and East Brother Beer Co. — plus breweries new to the festival this year such as Santa Cruz’s popular Humble Sea Brewing Co. and Sonoma’s Golden State Cider.
Outside Lands 2022: the festival’s 5 must-eat dishes
What happens after the festival?
Once the music stops in Golden Gate Park this year, fans at the annualOutside Lands Festivalcan keep the party going with several after-hours shows at intimate venues throughout the city.
Among the artists scheduled to play the 2022 Night Shows are singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, who will play an acoustic set, indie rocker Mac DeMarco and the Russian feminist punk outfit Pussy Riot.
The scheduled after-hours performances also include sets by Washed Out, Ashe, Tokimonsta, Best Coast, Franc Moody, Anna, Anna Lunoe b2b J. Worra, Cassian, Michelle and L’Rain. These artists are set to play at small venues across San Francisco, including the Independent, Rickshaw Stop, Bimbo’s 365 Club and more. See the full list of shows and venues using the festival app or website.
Fans who bought tickets to the festival have first dibs on passes to the night shows. For a complete schedule and ticket information, visitsfoutsidelands.com/night-shows.
Outside Lands announces night shows for 2022, including a Russian punk band and a Phoebe Bridgers acoustic set
Before you go
Outside Lands can feel a little overwhelming, so technology can help.
Download the official Outside Lands mobile app for the latest festival updates, a detailed map of the grounds, and a friend-finder function.
Need to know whether you can bring your cat to the festival? The latest clear bag policy? Where to find an ATM? How late the box office is open? Take your questions over to the Outside Lands website, which features a comprehensiveinformation page, as well as other vital details.
Festival promoters said attendees can expect the same robust security measures they saw at Outside Lands in the past, including metal detectors at the gates, double-perimeter fencing and armed police officers patrolling the grounds.
Where can I see the most up-to-date Outside Lands schedule?
There will be print schedules available at the information booth on the Polo Field on the days of the festival. But your best bet is to check the full lineup and schedule on the Outside Lands mobile app and the festival website, which will be updated in real time throughout all three days.
Outside Lands Festival 2022 releases set times: Do you choose SZA or Phoebe Bridgers?
Friday, Aug. 5
SZA
Phoebe Bridgers
Lil Uzi Vert
Disclosure
Oliver Tree
The Marías
Dayglow
Purple Disco Machine
Hiatus Kaiyote
Washed Out
Ashe
Role Model
Anna
Best Coast
Duckwrth
Rostam
Ameme
Faye Webster
Sampa the Great
Lido Pimienta
Del Water Gap
Ellen Allien
Inner Wave
DJ Seinfeld
The Beths
Major League DJz
Odie
Cory Henry
India Jordan
PawPaw Rod
The Blssm
Spellling
Saturday, Aug. 6
Green Day
Jack Harlow
Kali Uchis
Polo & Pan
Rina Sawayama
Mac DeMarco
Local Natives
Claude VonStroke
Larry June
Parcels
Tokimonsta
Sam Fender
Franc Moody
Empress Of
Zoe Wees
Anna Lunoe
KennyHoopla
Maxo Kream
Robert Glasper
Cassian
Benny Sings
J. Worra
Thuy
Michelle
Wilderado
Joplyn
The Emo Night Tour
L’Rain
Perel
Sunday, Aug. 7
Post Malone
Weezer
Illenium
Mitski
Dominic Fike
Pusha T
Mt. Joy
Kim Petras
100 Gecs
Surf Mesa
Dixon
Wet Leg
Baby Tate
The Backseat Lovers
Amber Mark
Pussy Riot
Avalon Emerson
Griff
Briston Maroney
Barry Can’t Swim
Tyla Yaweh
Glaive
Petey
DJ Minx
Jelani Aryeh
Cassandra Jenkins
Unusual Demont
Forester
Tre’ Amani
Absolute
MPHD b2b Tiffany Tyson
Outside Lands 2022: Friday-Sunday, Aug. 5-7. $175-$4,699. Golden Gate Park, S.F.www.sfoutsidelands.com
Aidin Vaziri
Aidin VaziriAidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
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