By the time I hit the festival gates, the fog had already swallowed Golden Gate Park, bass thumping through the mist like a heartbeat. The air was sharp and salty from the ocean, laced with the smell of garlic fries and sweet treats. This wasn’t just another weekend — it felt like stepping into a little world built entirely for music, strangers, and magic.

I was more than ready to join the festivities at the 17th Outside Lands in San Francisco.

The Main Music Hits and Misses for All Three Days

This is why I went. With a lineup featuring Doechii, Hozier, Tyler the Creator, Doja Cat, and Gesaffelstein, it was impossible to resist.

Doechii was the undeniable standout. Her high-energy set drew one of the weekend’s biggest crowds, and when she performed “Nosebleeds,” celebrating her recent Grammy win, and the viral hit “Denial Is a River,” the energy was electric. We sang together, we jumped, we screamed — the kind of collective joy I chase at festivals.

Doja Cat, though, didn’t quite land for me. Coming after Doechii’s high-voltage set, her performance felt more like a placeholder than a highlight. I’ve seen her before at Coachella, where she had a massive stage, multiple backup dancers, and a fully realized vibe — and I was expecting that same energy here.

Gesaffelstein delivered a completely different experience — mysterious, calculated, hypnotic. I stumbled into the front row, where the masked DJ commanded the stage under strobing lights, his silhouette slicing through the fog. Feeling the bass thrum through the ground, watching the crowd behind me, and soaking in the electric air, it felt like all of Outside Lands was in sync on that stage.

After running from Gesaffelstein to Tyler, the Creator, I was able to witness his set full of pure vibes. It was unforgettable, pulsing with energy and full of surprises. He played a lot of his new material, freshly released from his latest album “Don’t Tap the Glass,” giving die-hard fans a chance to hear it live for the first time. Between the playful stage antics, colorful visuals, and infectious beats, Tyler turned his performance into a full-on experience.

Hozier did not disappoint. Singing along with thousands of fans under the foggy San Francisco sky was a spectacular experience. His voice sounded just like it does on his records — rich, soulful, and effortlessly commanding. Every note landed with the kind of precision that makes you forget where you are and just lose yourself in the music.

Then there was Ludacris. After his May 2025 Tequila Fest stop in Fresno, he transported me straight back to my high school prom days. When he dropped Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” the crowd went feral. Was I hoping Bieber would walk out? Absolutely. Was I disappointed he didn’t? Not at all — Ludacris more than made up for it.

My one big regret: missing Role Model’s surprise guest, Troye Sivan, for “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” The New York Times has reported that Role Model has brought out Kate Hudson, Bowen Yang, and Natalie Portman at other shows — so I should have known something special was coming.

Outside the music, notable appearances included San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Smosh’s Shane Topp and Courtney Miller, influencers, and thousands of fans all sharing the same muddy grass.

That’s the Outside Lands charm: big names and regular people melting together in the same crowd.

City Hall at Outside Lands

Yes, people actually get married here. Some couples meet at the festival, get engaged, and then come back to say “I do.”

Brynn Hardcastle, the organizer, was inspired by her own Riot Fest wedding in Chicago in 2023. “I really wanted to bring that same opportunity to our Outside Lands community,” she said.

She started the tradition last year with 21 weddings and this year saw 19 ceremonies with one vow renewal.

I met Sarah and Alexander Benko, a California couple who wanted their wedding to be “as far from traditional as possible.” They even posted an open invitation on Reddit, drawing dozens of strangers to celebrate with them. “We were also looking for a way to give back with our wedding,” Alexander told me.

“The fact that it goes toward social rights, and that San Francisco has that history, means a lot to us,” Sarah said. A donation of the proceeds from City hall ceremonies at the festival are donated to Lambda Legal, a legal and education fund for LGBTQ+ civil rights.

They met seven years ago while working in Zion National Park. Under a plant filled arch at the festival, they kissed while strangers cheered (even by some Fresnans who spoke to me in the crowd) — a love story with its own soundtrack, perfectly in tune with the festival itself.

For those interested in booking a 2026 Outside Lands ceremony, you’ll need a festival wristband and will get to choose from a several packages, but a professional photography team will capture it all.

I assure you, the team behind it all is well coordinated, even within all of the wildness and beats surrounding the outdoor chapel.

The Non-Musical Fun

Outside Lands wears its activism on its sleeve. Near the pro-LGBTQIA+ Dolores Stage, the Working Families Party set up a booth with free nail art, a photo station, and merch alongside conversations about their platform.

The grassroots political party focused on advancing working-class interests — with glitter as part of the toolkit.

Volunteer Mackensye Powell said she was “celebrating glitter over greed.”

“Come out here, have fun, eat the rich, eat good food, dance the night away,” she told me. “Everyone is so themselves here. We want that same thing in society — believe in yourself, share love, share beauty. That’s what we’re doing.”

Other standouts included the Nerds and BeatBox booths, which offered unique interactive experiences for festivalgoers.

At Nerds, attendees could sample the brand’s well-known Nerds Gummy Clusters, turning the booth into both a sweet treat stop and a photo-worthy hangout.

Just steps away, BeatBox amped up the scene with music and neon glow, turning its booth into a party disguised as promotion.

Each activation added another layer to the festival’s playful, inclusive energy.

And of course, the food vendors were everywhere. Whatever you craved, it was there — from falafel wraps to vegan tacos, some of the best festival eats I’ve had in years.

I can only hope they return next year since that falafel wrap saved my life. But I’ll leave it to the food specialists to really tell the full story.

The Friends You Make Along the Way

This is the only festival where I prefer to go solo. Outside Lands makes strangers feel like friends — even elevator acquaintances, like the two people I met at my hotel who became my festival crew.

Sure, there were younger people drinking too much and causing scenes, but most people were just there to be happy together.

Many of the people I met are ones I look forward to seeing again next year. There are Reddit threads and Discord groups for solo attendees, but you don’t need them — just walk around and sing with strangers. I was even gifted a Labubu figurine mid-scream during Doechii’s set.

For one weekend, you belong to a place that doesn’t care where you’re from — just that you showed up.

Why It Matters to Fresno

We talk a lot about what Fresno doesn’t have — big-name concerts (though DogDaze is coming), nightlife, and a festival culture that pulses in cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.

Maybe that’s why trips like Outside Lands matter so much.

It’s just a three-hour drive — close enough to be convenient, far enough to feel like stepping into another world. For a few days, you can see artists who don’t tour here, breathe cooler coastal air, and let the noise of everyday life fade into music, fog, and crowds.

For Fresnans, it’s more than a festival. It’s proof that a different pace of life exists right up the road, that it’s OK to leave home for a little while, and that adventure doesn’t have to start with a flight.

It’s a reminder that culture, spontaneity, and magic are accessible if you’re willing to drive a few hours and step outside your usual routines.

On Monday morning, I woke up and headed back to Fresno. The fog was gone, the traffic was back, and the festival wristband still clung to my wrist — a small, stubborn reminder that for one weekend, I had been somewhere else entirely, and that world was waiting for me again next year.

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