Festivalgoers who were seeking some sun couldn't catch a break this year at Outside Lands, but most of the artists liked our natural air conditioning and moody fog, and the three-day festival closed things out with another round of great sets.
While Outside Lands 2025 felt just as lively and massively packed as usual, with the familiar sightings of the Real Teenagers of Marin County (and SF, and Oakland/Piedmont, etc.), there was something about the energy of it all that felt a little more sober and subdued than usual. But maybe I just missed the pockets of chaos when they happened — and there did seem to be multiple mosh pits in the crowd for BigXthaPlug on Sunday.
The entirely foggy Day 3 kicked off with a rousing, totally incredible set by festival favorite Big Freedia, whose latest album Pressing Onward was just released on Friday, and features sweeping, gospel-inspired music. She was performing with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, who lent their considerable voices to songs like "Church," which includes the lyric, "We don't need a preacher to go to church."
Retro soul singer Mayer Hawthorne put on both a mid-afternoon main stage set and a DJ set over in the new Duboce Triangle area nestled at the edge of the woods.
And FINNEAS, aka Finneas O'Connell, aka Billie Eilish's older brother and producer, thrilled his fans with his own brand of hummable, intelligent pop, performing on the main stage Sunday afternoon.
Newly minted queer icon Rebecca Black put on a cheeky and very fun set with the help of two male backup dancers who were wearing camo tank tops that said "Cunting Season" on them. Black spoke from the stage about her yearslong dream of performing at Outside Lands. And, she said, "You all look beautiful out there. A beautiful sea of gay."
Both Bleachers and Glass Animals got the Polo Field dancing, warming them up for Hozier — who got pretty political during his closing set but in a very thoughtful way.
The showier closing set was at the other side of the festival grounds, with Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals closing out the Twin Peaks Stage, and bringing on Bay Area legend E-40 to perform his hits "Tell Me When to Go" and "I Don't Fuck With You." Paak also made E-40 "promise" to collaborate with him soon, saying of San Francisco, "We need to make a song for the city."
Below, more photos from Day Three. Also, check out our writeups for Day One and Day Two.
Previously: Outside Lands 2025 Day One: Doechii Slayed, Beck Fans Swooned
