San Francisco (KGO) — It's a festival unique to San Francisco: On Friday, Golden Gate Park kicks off its 16th annual “Outside Lands,” featuring some of the biggest names in music.
“The Killers, Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone doing a country set, which they've never done anywhere before, and Sturgill Simpson,” Outside Lands co-founder Allen Scott said.
Aside from the performances, attendees will also be able to enjoy a wide range of the best food and drink the city has to offer.
And this year, among other new things, they're replicating San Francisco City Hall so you can actually get married there.
“Believe it or not, people are signing up to exchange vows. If I had proposed to my spouse of 20-some years at a music festival, I wouldn't have gotten married. It's different for everyone,” said Phil Ginsburg of the city's Department of Recreation and Parks.
Outside Lands 2024: A look at road closures for the three-day music event in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park
Organizers expect up to 75,000 people to descend on Golden Gate Park each day over the weekend, and say the increased attendance will provide a major economic boost to the city as a whole.
Mayor London Breed said that beyond the revenue the festival brings to the city, Outside Lands has helped establish San Francisco as a major entertainment hub in the country.
“When people come here and have these great experiences, it really lifts our city and people take that home with them,” Breed said.
But outside Golden Gate Park, not everyone is as excited.
Over the years, the festival has faced backlash from many local residents over the behavior of some of its attendees.
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“He has no respect for the cleanliness of the neighborhood, he throws trash everywhere and relieves himself in front of my driveway,” said Mandy Cook, who lives nearby.
Cook said while he supports the festival overall, the cleanup afterwards can be a nuisance for local residents.
Cook said that while things have improved in recent years, he believes there is still room for improvement.
“I think they could do a bit more, like hire more cleaners to clean up after people leave,” Cook said.
Since its inception, Outside Lands has contributed more than $1 billion to the local economy.
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