Outside Lands Returns for 2024

by Norm deVeyra

The Bay Area’s Premier Music Festival Returns

Outside Lands, the annual Bay Area music fest, returns next month boasting an outstandingly diverse lineup. The 3-day event will take over Golden Gate Park and see 200,000+ music fans trekking the fields to catch nearly a hundred acts from up-and-coming- artists like Aussie Dance group, Confidence Man, to millennial rock mainstays, The Killers. The event has become a tradition and the standard bearer for large music events in the Bay Area.

Lands End Stage at Outside Lands 2023 Music and Arts Festival in Golden Gate Bridge Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Alive Coverage/ Outside Lands)

So as folk prep their hydro packs and dust off their festival dance moves below are the 5 big questions I’ve been pondering as we approach the 2024 edition.

Just How Large Will Chappell Roan’s Crowd Get?

There’s no bigger 2024 pop music story than the triumph and ascension of the Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan. Whether you think she’s the Gen-Z Gaga or something else entirely, there’s no doubt her Sunday set will be highly anticipated and highly attended. She packed out Boston Calling back in May and forced Bonnarroo to upgrade her to a larger stage just last month. So where does she land at OSL? A golden hour spot at Twin Peaks with the crowd stretching past the Panhandle Stage? Or is she destined for Land’s End right before Sturgill?

Will Sabrina Carpenter Be Headliner Ready?

The same questions for Chappell might also apply to the other pop girlie of the moment in Sabrina Carpenter. There’s perhaps an even bigger spotlight on the Disney actress, turned pop star for her first ever headliner spot; stepping in to handle the Saturday headliner duties after Tyler, the Creator bowed out last last month. As the announcement was made my immediate question was does she currently have the discography to sustain the festival positioning?

There’s no doubt ‘Espresso’ has been inescapable and her follow up single, ‘Please Please Please’, has only built upon the earlier track’s success, but two songs don’t make an hour and a half long set unless she pulls a Kendrick Lamar and plays it 5 times. She’ll need a few new tricks up her sleeve. Might we hear some new tunes from her up-coming album, Short n’ Sweet that releases at the end of August?

Will OSL’s Big Bet on Country Pay Off?

Seeing Sturgill Simpson at the top of the Sunday lineup might have been an oddity at first glance. Was there a mix up with Hardly Strictly? But on a second look the addition of the outlaw country singer legend is a refreshing shake up to the same old, same old of modern festival lineups. One that has a strong spiritual kinship to the early days of OSL. Simpson certainly wouldn’t have been out of place next to Tom Petty and The Heart Breakers in 2008 or sharing the bill with Neil Young in 2012.

But if you aren’t completely sold on Ranger Dave trading in his ranger hat for cowboy boots, perhaps Post Malone will be that transitional figure to bridge the pop and country divide.

It’s only been a couple of years since Posty’s own headlining appearance at OSL, but this time out he’ll be rocking a country set in anticipation of his own country album, F-1 Trillion, releasing a week later on Aug 16th. Might we see a surprise special guest appearance from Post’s ‘I Had Some Help’ collaborator, Morgan Wallen, to cap off the single’s chart topping run?

Does SOMA (Literally) Hold Up This Year?

One of the newer and nicest additions in recent years has been the SOMA tent. The house and techno centered “stage” nestled deep in Marx Meadows suffered a set back last year as attendees partied a little too hard inside damaging the tent structure. Delays and the eventual closing of the tent forced a pivot to an outdoor setup. Now for this year’s event the outdoor setup has been made permanent and I think it’ll be all for the better. Eliminating entry lines and frustrations and focusing on immaculate vibes. I’m certainly looking forward to hanging out in the new and improved SOMA.