Outside Lands returned this past weekend for its “Sweet 16,” and even as the surrounding city of San Francisco changes every year, Golden Gate Park remains a safe haven for some incredible music.

Looking around at the park’s breathtaking surroundings and otherworldly beauty, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve entered a different universe when arriving at Outside Lands — after all, the park has its own climate compared to the city at large (this was my sixth Outside Lands and I still have no fucking idea how to dress for it). The surreal atmosphere pairs perfectly each year with the music, and 2024 was no different.

This year’s edition featured headlining shows from The Killers, Sabrina Carpenter (who filled in for Tyler, the Creator after the rapper backed out of the fest in June), and Sturgill Simpson, plus a special Sunday night country set from Post Malone. It was, of course, Chappell Roan who really headlined this festival, as many attendees and Amazon livestream viewers can attest — but more on that later.

As with any festival, each year has a slightly different feel. The draw of the headliners and marquee acts is reflected in the festival’s crowds and overall density; last year felt on average more crowded each day, whereas this year, Sunday (Chappell’s day) was one of the most highly-attended festival days I’ve ever seen, period. There were some new features and experiences and some slight changes to the formula, but for the most part, Outside Lands is a festival that just keeps on delivering. Here’s what we saw at Golden Gate Park last weekend.

Trading the Rave for the Rodeo

Even with the arrival of Goldenvoice’s new electronic-centric Portola festival to the Bay Area, Outside Lands has spent the last several editions embracing electronic music as a core tenet of their identity. ODESZA headlined last year to an enormous crowd, Illenium performed a major sub-headlining set the year prior, and a brand new SOMA stage was introduced to offer an all-electronic destination.

For 2024, they could have cashed in once again on San Francisco’s dedicated electronic audience and provided another headlining turn from a DJ — Skrillex just curated an entire stage at Lollapalooza, and Fred again.. just headlined the fellow Superfly-produced fest Bonnaroo. But this year, electronic music felt more in the periphery as a new genre became an unavoidable focal point: country music.