Outside Lands Festival

Outside Lands has a way of making Golden Gate Park feel like the city’s backyard party—if your friends happened to be some of the most interesting musicians around. The festival’s sprawl is legendary, but it’s the details that keep locals coming back: a wine tent that actually pours bottles you’d seek out, food stalls that skip the usual festival fare for real-deal Bay Area favorites, and a crowd that’s as likely to debate the merits of a new synth act as they are to queue for a vegan donut. The lineup always throws a few curveballs, so you’ll stumble into something unexpected between the headliners. If you’re the type who likes to wander, Outside Lands rewards curiosity, whether you’re chasing a jazz set in a redwood grove or discovering a pop-up comedy set tucked behind a food truck.