Don’t freak out, but Outside Lands is less than a month away. 

Doja Cat, Hozier, and Tyler, the Creator, are set to headline this year’s music festival, the biggest event of San Francisco’s summer calendar. Once again, the three-day event, which starts Aug. 8, is  expected to draw nearly 250,000 people to Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field.

With approximately 80 acts playing on four stages, concessions from dozens of local bars and restaurants, plus the first curated cannabis experience of any major North American festival, the sheer scale of Outside Lands is daunting. Don’t be that guy who’s stuck behind a long line of people waiting for crawfish beignets while your favorite act is performing halfway across the park. With a little planning — and some flexibility — you don’t have to miss a thing. 

Outside Lands has four ticketing tiers, available for one day or all three. Most people go with general admission wristbands ($235 for one day, $539 for three). One step up is GA+ ($349 for one day, $799 for three), which grants expedited entry, dedicated lockers, and access to a lounge with nicer restrooms. 

VIP passes ($569 for Saturday or Sunday; Friday and three-day wristbands are sold out) are a big leap up, offering dedicated entrances and viewing areas closer to the stages, plus extra food and drink options. Finally, for the high-rollers, there’s the ultra-luxe Golden Gate Club ($2,369 for one day, $5,299 for three), which comes with  a private skydeck, concierge service, and access to all the night shows.

Undeniably, VIP status has its appeal, but the real energy is out in GA. And no matter what wristband you’re wearing, you’re still paying for those drinks. 

Know the music, fam. It’ll make the experience better. We know you’re well-acquainted with headliners Doja Cat and Hozier, but even the biggest festival-head has something new to discover on a bill with roughly 80 acts in a variety of genres. 

Fans put together comprehensive Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music playlists to give a feel for the entire weekend’s roster. You can even find them broken down by day or by stage. (As ever, the Outside Lands subreddit is your friend for keeping everything straight.) Be aware: These playlists can run 60 hours or longer.

They aren’t cool, but they are necessary. Outside Lands prohibits backpacks unless they’re made of transparent plastic. Fannypacks and purses are OK if they’re small (no more than 6 by 8 by 3 inches). Empty hydration packs (like a CamelBak) are also permitted as long as they hold less than 2.5 liters and contain no more than one extra compartment. 

Don’t wait. Target will run out!

There will be nowhere to park. We repeat: There will not be anywhere near the festival to park unless you’re lucky enough to find an enterprising Sunset resident charging top dollar to use their driveway. 

Don’t ride-share, unless you’re willing to pay obscene surge prices and wait in long traffic jams caused by overwhelmed robot cars. 

Ride your bike! The festival installs rows of secure bike racks along JFK Drive.

Or take a train or bus. Muni rolls out extra service for the weekend. The N Judah is usually the fastest way downtown. But if you’re taking the 5 Fulton and are not completely wiped, consider walking west toward the ocean to pick up a bus with fewer people on it. 

Layers, y’all. Sure, the festival gets the occasional fog-free day every few years, but few things can kill a buzz like San Francisco’s cold and damp. This is never truer than during the headline performance at 9 p.m. on the Lands End stage, when you’re 10 blocks from the ocean, facing west into the wind-driven mist. 

You can always snag a branded blanket or a hoodie, but the merch tent line moves slowly — and sizes may sell out.

The 2025 lineup is strong, and there’s always a temptation to plot out the entire weekend in advance. Putting aside the joy of spontaneity, build in some wiggle room for meals, meeting up with friends, restroom breaks, and travel. The walk  from the Sutro to the Twin Peaks stage can take 20 minutes, especially when a crush of people is moving in the same direction.

If your spirits are flagging, spending even 10 minutes under the disco ball at the LGBTQ-programmed tent Dolores’ may give you the energy to keep partying for hours.

You might never have heard of them, but the up-and-coming artists who take the stage at 1 p.m. are likely to give the audience everything they’ve got, knowing this could be their big break. Some may become superstars like Chappell Roan — so you can brag that you saw them way back when, from only 50 feet away.

Plus, showing up early will mean shorter lines for everything and a better chance of snagging a locker, which are usually gone by 2 p.m. on Friday.

Or at least watch other people take the plunge! One of the grandest experiences at Outside Lands is “City Hall,” where couples with festival wristbands can pay for an extra matrimonial package under a floral arbor, with a photographer, drink vouchers, dedicated guest seating, and a registered officiant who presides over a 15-minute ceremony. At its debut last year, 20 couples tied the knot, bringing delight to passersby and, one hopes, eternal happiness for each other.

This year, Outside Lands has 13 official night parties from Thursday to Sunday at venues across town and in Oakland. They’re mostly aimed at people who aren’t attending the festival — plus anyone with superhuman stamina — and are a great opportunity to see acts as varied as Thundercat (Aug. 8 at the Independent), Midnight Generation (Aug. 9 at Rickshaw Stop), and Floating Points (Aug. 10 at the Fox Theater).

These are just the shows that have been announced, of course. Keep your ear to the ground and sign up for texts from your favorite venues, and you may find yourself at a last-minute secret set.