San Francisco’s Outside Lands music festival made a tremendous stride in inclusion earlier this year, announcing its first female headliner in the form of the legendary Janet Jackson, but as it turns out, that was only the first step to expanding its commitment to fielding a diverse lineup.
While the festival already included a strong lineup that surfaced women and hip-hop artists with The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine and groups like The Internet, NERD, and Chvrches near the top of the flyer, today the festival added even more diversity with the inclusion of newly-minted queer icon Janelle Monae and cerebral Chicago rapper Saba to its 2018 lineup. Other new additions to the lineup include alternative rap band Hobo Johnson And The LoveMakers and electropop singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish.
For the past 10 years, Outside Lands festival has been one of the leading festivals of its kind in curating both the live experience of its diverse array of talent and in highlighting local culture and commerce by featuring San Francisco restaurants — it was was one of the first festivals to do so when it started back 2008. The 2017 iteration of Outside Lands was highly regarded as one that put fans’ enjoyment above all else. With 2018’s expansion into providing more diverse options musically, it may continue to grow in acclaim as it grows its fanbase to include fans who have long been thirsty for new options that reflect their experiences.
Outside Lands 2018 runs from August 10-12 in San Francisco’s scenic Golden Gate Park. Tickets are available online.
