Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA — August 7-9, 2026

As Outside Lands approaches nearly two decades in Golden Gate Park, the city of San Francisco was captivated yet again by a variety of high-energy and moving performances, delicious local eats, and fun festivities between sets – all within eighty gorgeous acres of green in the heart of SF. In true San Francisco-fashion, it was an overcast weekend, and festival-goers were rather reluctantly met with local city legend “Karl the Fog.”

Faouzia, a viral Canadian and Moroccan singer-songwriter, was the first to kick things off on the main stage at “Lands End.” The singer set the tone for Friday, showing off her emotionally honest lyrics blended with modern pop – followed by some spellbinding sets by the likes of Chezile, Durand Benarr, Wet Leg, Sierra Ferrell, GloRilla, and Labrinth. The highlight of Friday’s performances, however, was one that had the city of San Francisco waiting eagerly in the grasp of the fog. As one of, if not the most anticipated headliners of the weekend, Charli xcx closed out the first night of OSL with a massive, sweaty bang. The stage set showcased a giant speaker which towered over the singer and her dancers, who delivered a palpably magnetic performance. To sweeten the deal, the pop-icon made it rain panties. Literally. By the end of the night, the crowd was left drenched in sweat, undies, and post-365-party-girl-blues.

Saturday’s Haute & Freddy and Wunderhouse both notably gathered a crowd early on, foreshadowing what would become the busiest day of the festival. Midday-highlights and trending siblings, Audrey Hobert and Malcolm Todd majorly kept Saturday’s momentum, capturing the hearts of many in the crowd by bringing their signature charisma to each respective performance. At the end of Todd’s set, fans made a sprint across the concourse to catch Ethel Cain’s medley of hauntingly heartfelt tunes, complimented by a stage set which worked to solidify the presence of the listener in a thorn-ivy world of their own. And speaking of charisma, Djo’s performance instantly displayed a lively intention through light-hearted jokes and candid crowd interaction. At the end of Saturday, The Strokes delivered a signature blend of light design as enchanting as their choruses, holding the audience under a spell until fully maximizing the crowd’s good energy with a legendary cameo. Charli xcx would make a second appearance at the festival Saturday night, coming out to support the band for “Take It or Leave It.”

Starting off Sunday with an early Death Cab For Cutie set was the perfect thing to get everyone back on track for the final day of the festival. Despite another day of cold weather, people were warming up for some big acts later that evening. The “Twin Peaks” stage was taken over by three back-to-back R&B powerhouses consisting of Destin Conrad, kwn, and Mariah the Scientist. Fans were then left with a tough decision between the legendary electronic duo Empire of the Sun or the viral solo project of Maria Zardoya (The Marias), Not For Radio. Both had beautiful set designs and choreography that kept fans engaged and left for wanting as the allotted time was up. Announced just an hour before its start time, a surprise set by Grammy award-winning artist Leon Bridges was announced at the “Duboce Triangle.” As time counted down to the last headliners, the crowd was split between three different artists, each of a varying genre, each in a different corner of the festival. Baby Keem brought hard-hitting punchy production to “Twin Peaks,” Rüfüs Du Sol brought an electric buoyancy to “Lands End,” Death Cab For Cutie ran back classic alternative rock sounds known and loved by many back around to “Sutro.”

New and beloved acts alike, one couldn’t help but feel enticed to enjoy every moment of their time at Outside Lands 2026. It was made clear that the festival was looking to really show out and bring plenty of fun surprises for everyone in attendance. Overall, it seems like Outside Lands was on their “A” game to bring another fantastically curated weekend back to the Bay Area for another year.

Words & Photography: Evan Twiford