The fog might have been thick, but the energy at Outside Lands 2025 was even thicker. Another year, another epic music festival that proves San Francisco knows how to party – even when Mother Nature decides to turn the Golden Gate Park into her personal cloud playground.

Big Freedia absolutely owned the stage with her latest album “Pressing Onward”, bringing the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus along for a performance that was less concert and more spiritual awakening. Her track “Church” – with its rebellious lyric “We don’t need a preacher to go to church” – felt like a queer anthem that perfectly captured the festival’s inclusive spirit.

Queer Joy Takes Center Stage

Rebecca Black, our newly minted queer icon, strutted onto the stage with backup dancers sporting cheeky “Cunting Season” camo tanks, turning her performance into a celebration of authentic self-expression. Her declaration of a “beautiful sea of gay” wasn’t just a statement – it was a mood.

Bay Area Legends Represent

Anderson .Paak brought serious hometown pride, bringing E-40 on stage and dramatically declaring San Francisco needs “a song for the city”. The Twin Peaks Stage became a love letter to Bay Area musical excellence, with .Paak promising future collaborations that’ll make local music fans lose their minds.

While the fog might have been relentless, the festival’s spirit was anything but gloomy. From FINNEAS’s pop brilliance to Hozier’s politically charged performance, Outside Lands 2025 proved once again why it’s not just a music festival – it’s a cultural moment.