Jaeden Pinder
View all posts by Jaeden Pinder August 10, 2026
Julian Casablancas of the Strokes and Charli xcx Alive Coverage for Outside Lands Whether you were a newbie or a longtime attendee at this year’s Outside Lands, everyone would likely agree that the San Francisco fête remains one of the United States’ best independent music festivals. Outside Lands once again took place against the breathtaking backdrop of Golden Gate Park, and was led by a stacked lineup featuring Charli XCX, the Strokes, PinkPantheress, and Turnstile at the top of the bill, plus must-see performances by the xx, Clipse, Geese, Jade, Tinashe, and more.
During the 2026 edition, several artists made special cameos during each other’s sets: Audrey Hobert dropped in on a set by her brother Malcolm Todd not long after her own performance across the grounds, Lucy Dacus invited Julien Baker to duet on a fan-favorite track, Charli popped in at the Strokes’ show for the crossover moment of the weekend, and Leon Bridges and Tycho played surprise slots at the intimate, woodsy Duboce Triangle. Even under hazy skies, the crowd generated enough body heat from moshing and dancing to last into the winter.
Here are the best sets Rolling Stone caught at Outside Lands 2026.
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They Are Dead, They Are Gone, Charli XCX Forever
Image Credit: Lea Garn* Charli XCX is going really hard for her Music, Fashion, Film tour, and Outside Lands got to experience the second-ever full show of the era, following her appearance at Lollapalooza. There was a little something for every one of Charli’s angels. Her hyperpop statements were there in the pandemic-era freak-out “Pink Diamond” and Pop 2 favorite “Track 10”; Brat’s most frenetic bangers were featured in a mid-show act; her baroque Wuthering Heights tracks provided something of a respite; and, flanked by a gaggle of backup dancers, she gave fans lots of quasi-choreography that recalled her Crash tour. The crowd head-banged and roared along to Music, Fashion, Film’s most fried-out vocals with ardor, even when the bass threatened to swallow up everything in its wake on the night’s standout, “Camera.” Charli ended her rock-heavy show by creating a living painting with her dancers (think a Renaissance mural, if it was blocked at CBGBs) as filmmaker David Cronenberg’s refrain that “no one lasts forever” echoed across the grounds. For those in the audience, the motto became Charli XCX forever.
