By Maya Agarwal and Olivia Foster, Staff Writers
// With upwards of 200,000 people attending the three-day festival, Outside Lands draws people together under the summer sun to enjoy music, food, and bonding. Upon entering the concert, Bay Area participants see the iconic Golden Gate Park windmills and hear music floating around them. San Francisco food vendors around the park produce sweet or savory notes that linger throughout.
Outside Lands is an annual August music festival that takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park where some Acalanes students spend their final days of summer listening to live music and getting a taste of diverse cuisine. Outside Lands offers a local version of music festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza that draws an Acalanes crowd to enjoy music closer to home.
The festival began in 2008 and has since hosted big names in the music industry, such as Metallica, Radiohead, Tyler the Creator, and Lizzo. Viewers from across the Bay Area spend their days roaming the green polo fields and navigating the festival to find their favorite vendors.
This year, the Outside Lands headliners were SZA, Greenday, and Post Malone, making up only three of the over 70 artists who performed. The festival attracted students because of its impressive program this year.
“I bought [a ticket] because I saw the lineup and I recognized a lot of the artists. Also, my sister went in 2019 and we went together so I thought it would be really fun,” senior Michelle Dwinell said.
Outside Lands also brings together families and friends to celebrate the concert experience.
“I decided to buy tickets to Outside Lands so I could go with my friend… and also because I love the headliners featured this year, and I actually knew and liked quite a few of the smaller artists,” senior Chloe Quintella said.
Throughout the day, at least four acts play simultaneously across stages Lands End, Twin Peaks, Sutro, and Panhandle. Attendees found the Outside Lands app, created in 2019, to provide helpful information regarding showtimes and the ability to personalize daily schedules.
“I used [the app] a lot to see the times of the artists and when someone starts [be]cause sometimes the artists would play at the same time where they’d be overlapping. So if we wanted to stay for part of one show and then go see another one… we wouldn’t miss anything,” Dwinell said.
Among the many artists performing at Outside Lands 2022, was Jelani Aryeh. Acalanes graduate, Maverick Fabela, performed with Jelani this year.
“I’ve been playing with Jelani for maybe a year, so normally we just get a call from his managers and they’re like, ‘Oh Jelani got an opportunity to play at Outside Lands’ and then we just let them know if we’re available, and then we play the show,” Fabela said.
At Acalanes, Fabela participated in and benefitted from multiple music programs, including Jazz Band.
“It was a nice community and the music program as a whole really helped prepare me for more the rigorous side of music and… learning how to be a good person…Jazz Band definitely helped keep me on track for showing up on time and being prepared and knowing my stuff before we play,” Fabela said.
In addition to its stages, Outside Lands hosts various food and merchandise businesses, such as food trucks and vendors. These include Wine Lands, Beer Lands, Eco Lands, Bubble Tea Party, Outside Grounds, and the Sunset Lounge.
“Outside Lands has amazing food, and it was super fun getting to try food from a bunch of different vendors I otherwise wouldn’t have known about,” Quintella said.
Overall, the festival provides the opportunity for strangers to connect through their shared love of music, helping to create a positive community.
“[My favorite part is] just the experience of being at a music festival. You meet a lot of new people and it’s a lot of people coming together and just enjoying music. And also just the vibe,” Dwinell said.
Photos by Jemma Teran, Online Arts Editor