Outside Lands 2023: A Celebration of Music, Art, and Culture for the San Francisco Bay Area

Outside Lands 2023 was a spectacular festival that was an unforgettable experience for music lovers.

The festival, which took place from August 11th to August 13th in San Francisco, featured a diverse and impressive lineup of artists, ranging from pop legends such as Lana Del Rey, to hip-hop stars such as Kendrick Lamar, to EDM sensations such as Odesza.

Coming back for their 15th iteration of the festival, Outside Lands had a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility, with initiatives such as The Mission (previously named Eco Lands), which highlights a specific cause every year, and Inside Lands, which provided access and opportunities for those who could not make the festival in person. Outside Lands continuously finds ways to support the arts and promote artists across all genres and fame.

The highlight of the festival was undoubtedly the EDM scene, which was vibrant and exciting, featuring a mix of the biggest names in the industry as well as emerging talents. 

On Friday, the festival showcased a variety of EDM genres such as Evan Giia’s dance-pop vocals to DJ Diesel’s (AKA Shaquille O’Neal) Moshpit inciting dubstep. Energy at EDM sets was high as crowds at Disco Lines even broke the SOMA Tent floors. At night, EDM lovers could indulge in a set from Zedd at the Twin Peaks stage. There, Zedd played classics such as ‘Spectrum’ as well as hot tracks currently circulating in the EDM scene such as John Summit’s ‘Where You Are’.

On Saturday, Outside Lands went international as they featured artists from France (L’Imperatrice), Switzerland (Nora En Pure), and Australia (FISHER). Each artist provided their own voice, drawing in packed crowds interested in discovering new sounds. While Nora En Pure, and FISHER are household names in the EDM community, L’imperatrice was a breakout star, hypnotizing the crowd with their nu-disco and French pop music.

Finally, on Sunday, there were not too many artists from the EDM scene, festival goers were buzzing with excitement over Odesza. Known for their intricate set design and live drum line, Odesza drew in fans who camped out all day to get a prime location to see their show. Unfortunately for some, the San Francisco fog had other plans later in the night when the smoke from fireworks mixed with the fog to block the view for many. Still, for those who were able to see past the dense fog, Odesza’s choreography, pyrotechnics, and visuals left them with an unforgettable set- and the perfect ending to a weekend filled with music, art, and culture.

Featured image courtesy of Alive Coverage