The 15th year of Outside Lands has come to a close. The sold-out event drew 75,000 people to Golden Gate Park each day, with headliners like Lana Del Rey sending chills to their fans through the foggy air.

For many, it’s the most highly anticipated weekend of the year, a chance to frolic in the park with friends while taking in a musical buffet of old favorites (Foo Fighters) and trending indie darlings (Wednesday). But as with any event, it’s not without a few issues that could use improvement. 

We’ve put together a list of SFGATE staffers’ favorite moments from the fest, along with a few things we’d like to see change next year.

An abridged version of his record-breaking “Big Steppers Tour,” Kendrick Lamar’s Outside Lands headlining set Friday achieved a rare feat: an hourlong (and some change) performance that let Mr. Morale himself run through a decade’s worth of awe-inspiring singles while still preserving the artistic ambitions of the stage show he toured last year. It really could have lasted twice as long and been just as powerful. But it played phenomenally for everyone who went to Outside Lands: For casuals, it was a chance to turn up; for the devout, it was a compendium of what makes Kung Fu Kenny the greatest rapper alive — really. — Joshua Bote

The SOMA tent’s closure on Friday and Saturday was a huge disappointment, but at least the structural issue seemed to be dealt with in a responsible manner. The broader issue was that even when the tent was open, long lines made a quick trip to the dance floor impossible (literally 1,000 people must have been in line for the outdoor iteration on Sunday). Thankfully, the locals-only Dolores and bigger-name Music Den stages filled that void, allowing casual dance music fans a chance to let loose between bands. Let’s hope they’re back next year. — Dan Gentile

One of the best-kept-secret shows of the weekend came from Nashville singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy — aka Sophia Regina Allison — who played a gorgeous, intimate set at lunchtime Sunday to a small but adoring crowd. Between playing The Independent on Saturday night and performing on the Sutro stage Sunday night with her full band, she took to the tiny Toyota Den stage alone to play a sweet solo set that included fan favorites “Circle the Drain” and “Shotgun.” Outside of the brief moment of panic when Allison told the crowd she was allergic to bees as one circled her guitar, the show was a lovely, relaxing start to the first sunny day of the weekend. — Andrew Chamings

In years past, I’ve always entered on the Fulton Street side of the park, which is typically a rude awakening to the sardine-packed festival environment. Depending on when you arrive, it can take a half hour out of your day. But this year, I found the Lincoln Street entrance to be a downright breezy experience by comparison and the clear choice when it comes to entering the festival. — Dan Gentile

Maybe I’m just a sucker for a saxophone played through a delay pedal, but Brooklyn’s Crumb was everything I’m looking for in a creative rock band. No-wave knuckle dragging across keyboards, vocals sliced into a robotic stutter and fuzzed-out guitars all added up to one of the best sets of the weekend. — Dan Gentile

Lil Yachty played at the Lands End stage shortly before Megan Thee Stallion, attracting a large crowd at the festival’s main stage. However, a brief intermission with occasional synth music left me confused. I couldn’t tell if something had gone wrong or if the rapper was just creating an extra-lengthy transition. Lil Yachty also took the pause right after a few hyped songs, including “Yacht Club” and “Broccoli,” which left me hanging — which happened a few more times in the rock portion of the set — but maybe that was the point. — Madilynne Medina

For the past few years, the Bay Area’s master turntablist scratch DJs, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, have featured at Cocktail Magic, one of the smallest stages at Outside Lands. Led by the legendary DJ Q Bert, the Skratch Piklz’s daily sets at 6 p.m. invariably made you bob your head to the hip-hop beats while shaking your booty nonstop. On Friday, Q Bert traded beats and created new sounds with longtime DJ companion Shortkut. Saturday, the Piklz made turntablist magic with Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5. The set included Cut Chemist mixing with his elbows at one point. To bring it home, Del the Funky Homosapien joined the Piklz with a surprise appearance Sunday, rapping to the crowd’s delight. It was the perfect way to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which occurred last Friday. — Douglas Zimmerman

Outside Lands has some of the worst set conflicts I’ve seen in the many music festivals I’ve attended. When set times were released, festivalgoers flooded the OSL Instagram with frustrated comments of people forced to choose between Janelle Monáe and K-pop phenoms Aespa. The schedule could’ve been balanced with more well-known artists spread throughout the day or even throughout the evening. One of the worst set conflicts had to be between Kendrick Lamar and Zedd, both big names who put on amazing shows. — Madilynne Medina

One thing you don’t necessarily expect at a music festival is karaoke. But that’s exactly what I found while walking between the festival’s two main stages when I stumbled across Grand Artique. Grand Artique bills itself as an art collective focused on “immersive magic through innovative design and meticulous building.” With a popup tent and ringmaster performers, Grand Artique’s Outside Lands installation felt like an old-time circus, the kind you could have run away with around a century ago. Except that when I walked by, a festivalgoer was singing “Dreams” by The Cranberries. Along with karaoke, the installation featured face painting, jump rope competitions and a trading depot. Given that the rest of the festival was dominated by Gen Z culture, it was a nice respite to feel like you were in 1923 instead of 2023 for a few moments. — Gabe Lehman

Outside Lands does an admirable job of booking local acts — especially with the addition of the Dolores stage — but all too often, Bay Area stars are relegated to the opening time slots. Consolidating acts like Sour Widows and La Doña onto a stage of their own would allow late arrivals a chance to experience more local sounds, especially for patrons less plugged-in to the midday Gen Z bookings. — Dan Gentile

Grass Lands has come a long way since its confusing debut at the festival in 2018 — when a technicality meant the purchase or consumption of weed wasn’t actually allowed in Golden Gate Park. This year’s field was a bounty of all things cannabis to buy and imbibe, from the pre-rolled paradise to the curated vape world booths. (The line for real joints looked far more popular than their electronic counterparts this year.) Dozens of festivalgoers took advantage of the “consumption areas” where corn hole and other lawn games were provided for those enjoying the grass. — Andrew Chamings

Outside Lands does an admirable job with its water stations, which is what makes Liquid Death’s appeal so confusing. The beverage is served in a tallboy can adorned with Ed Hardy-esque artwork, so you’d be forgiven for thinking it was beer or even a flavored seltzer. Maybe that’s part of the appeal, but one can of Liquid Death, available throughout Outside Lands for nearly $6, is just plain water, the same stuff that’s available for free. With its catchy tagline — “Murder your thirst” — Liquid Death is a testament to the power of marketing. If you take the most basic ingredient on earth and dress it up in a fun can and serve it overpriced to trend-seeking and dehydrated festivalgoers, you can turn a heck of a profit! Many have tried to take down the absurdity that is Liquid Death, but judging by the brand’s ubiquity at Outside Lands this year, none have succeeded. — Gabe Lehman

Maybe it’s my age showing, but one of the biggest draws of festivals these days for someone in their late 30s is checking off a bucket list act who may be on their last legs or catching an act you won’t see anywhere else. Listening to Interpol tear through their classic 2002 album “Turn On the Bright Lights” was a joy for me, but adding a vintage headliner like Paul Simon would be a nice bone to throw to festivalgoers who have stuck with Outside Lands as some gray hairs start to show. — Dan Gentile

I’ve never been to a festival with food as delicious as Outside Lands. Though it was pricey, I wasn’t expecting any different going into the huge Bay Area music festival. Some of my standout favorites were the Aperol spritzes, Taiwanese rice bowls from Piglet & Co., Curry Up Now’s samosas, Suppenkuche’s German pretzels, and all the churro stands spread out throughout the park. — Madilynne Medina

Although it could be said about any element of life in San Francisco (or music festivals in general), the first thing that most people mention in conversations about Outside Lands is just how expensive it is. After fees, a single-day ticket amounts to almost $300. Add in two meals, a couple of drinks, transportation, and maybe a T-shirt or locker (at a ridiculous $30 per day), and you’re easily pushing $500 for a single day of entertainment. As a champion of music in San Francisco, I want to give Outside Lands a full-fledged endorsement, because it is a fantastic experience. And the $400 Eager Beaver weekend pass is a nice option for festival super fans willing to buy a ticket without knowing the lineup. But the reality is that the expense makes it a tough sell to most music fans (and all the more reason to celebrate Hardly Strictly). — Dan Gentile

Adoring doesn’t even begin to describe Lana Del Rey’s fan base Friday night. Aside from Blackpink at Coachella, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many fans wearing a band’s T-shirt in one place. Thankfully she didn’t disappoint, delivering an emotional set that still has “Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” stuck in my head. — Dan Gentile