BEYOND THE NOTES
August 4, 2025 | Brianna Gonzalez Ulloa
I've never been the kind of person who willingly dives headfirst into the chaos of massive crowds, muddy fields, and overpriced festival food. Yet here I am, staring down my first music festival: Outside Lands.
For the uninitiated, Outside Lands is an iconic three-day music, food, and arts festival nestled in the sprawling greenery of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Since its debut in 2008, it’s hosted a staggering lineup of artists ranging from Radiohead, Janet Jackson and Paul McCartney to Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, and Tame Impala. It's a festival with history, and in recent years, it’s become a cultural pilgrimage site for the Bay Area and beyond.
All of which sounds magical until you remember you’re attending in the land of fog and flannel.
San Francisco in August is notorious for its deceptive weather. Early mornings promise silver veils of fog draping over Golden Gate Park, creating a dreamy (and perhaps chilly) stage for what's about to unfold, before burning off into a tentative sunshine that might feel like summer if you squint hard enough. From all the information I could scour—otherwise known as doomscrolling TikTok at 3 a.m.—I’ve managed to piece together a collage of what to expect: a kaleidoscopic blend of laid-back NorCal energy, micro-celebrity sightings, and the inevitable moment when your phone dies halfway through the day.
The lineup feels almost too on-the-nose for my taste, like my Spotify Wrapped was fed into an algorithm and spat back a three-day schedule. Friday is stacked with heavy hitters like Doja Cat and John Summit, but I’m especially excited to see Doechii, an electric performer whose genre-blurring confidence has been quietly reshaping the space she occupies. And then there’s The Emo Night Tour, a DJ-led, scream-your-heart-out celebration dedicated entirely to early-2000s hits, including Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance. A surprise guest band will also take the stage, performing live covers to bring the event’s nostalgic angst to life.
Saturday leans into moodier territory with Wallows and Gracie Abrams, capped off by Tyler, the Creator’s headlining set. Tyler’s new album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS, deserves special mention given the recent no-phones-allowed listening party. It is incredibly likely the multifaceted genre-blending artist will perform at least two songs from said album, that being, “Sugar On My Tongue” and “Big Poe.” There is a good chance he’ll pull from his 2024 album, CHROMOKOPIA, as well, with songs like “St. Chroma” and “Like Him.” And, if we’re lucky, “See You Again,” a fan favorite and still one of his most beloved tracks, might just round out the night.
Sunday’s set is arguably the most soulful: Bleachers, Glass Animals, and Hozier. Because, of course, Hozier is closing on Church Sunday. Few artists could follow two days of noise and chaos with that kind of spiritual gravity, but if anyone can make a crowd of thousands fall silent in a collective, it’s him. If the setlist gods are kind, “Francesca” will make an appearance.
And while the big names are easy to obsess over, I’ve also got my eye on the underrated gems: Los Menor3s for some reggaetón flair, Matt Champion for his post-Brockhampton evolution, and Artemas, whose rising catalog might just make him the sleeper favorite of the weekend.
Food-wise, Outside Lands is no slouch. I’ve already mapped out my high-priority stops. First: El Garage, a Latinx and woman-owned spot born from two sisters and their mother’s birria recipe. Quesabirrias, birria ramen, and pink totopos? Say less.
The Golden Coop will be my go-to for its crispy, fast, and festival-friendly Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken. Hayz Dog promises a gourmet twist on the classic hot dog. Then there's Humphry Slocombe, a cult-favorite San Francisco ice cream shop known for its bold, boozy flavors. I’ll be taste-testing their legendary Secret Breakfast Sundae, which combines bourbon caramel and cornflake crunch. And Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos? Exactly what they sound like. With its handheld ice cream treats decked out with colorful toppings and dipped in chocolate shells, my digestive tract is in for a whirlwind.
Still, for all the obsessive list-making and hype-fueled prep, I feel like I’m at the precipice of disaster. My suitcase is still half-empty. My wardrobe hinges on a single mini-skirt. And emotionally, I’m somewhere between Pinterest-level confidence and full-on logistical collapse. The realization that no amount of preparation can fully account for what happens once you're dropped into the middle of something this big, this loud, this alive, has finally set in.
That might be the point though. I just turned 21, and Outside Lands, like your twenties, isn’t something you can master. You step into it, and from there, figure it out along the way. There’s no dress rehearsal for being one of tens of thousands in a somewhat cold, somewhat muggy, park, chasing good music, cheap thrills, and overpriced food. You just go.
Outside Lands—with all its contradictions: the heritage and hype, the indie and mainstream, the $9 matcha and $400 wristbands—feels uniquely suited to a time in life when certainty is scarce and the possibilities are endless. It is overwhelming, yes, but strangely grounding. Unlike the family members who ask: what do you plan to do after graduation? Or, are you dating anyone, mija? The festival doesn’t expect you to have answers or plans. You show up and find something real in the noise.
So, if you see a girl scarfing down a Cookie Dough Sando taco, probably lost, and likely dancing her heart out, come say hi. I’ll be there, figuring it out in real time. And I’ll report back with notes, stories, photos, and hopefully both shoes.
Until then, I’ll see you in the fog.
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