San Francisco

San Francisco Braces for Hundreds of Thousands of Music Fans For Outside Lands

Thousands of music fans are making their way to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this weekend for the 10th annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, a three-day celebration that is now among the largest such events in the country.

Metallica, The Who and Gorillaz are among the headliners for the festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday, and draw an estimated 210,000 people.

On top of more than 100 musical acts spread out over the weekend, the festival will also feature comedians, a DJ dome, and food and drinks from more than 80 local restaurants, 40 wineries and 30 breweries.

With over 70,000 people expected each day, organizers of the festival are taking many safety precautions. 

"Safety is our number one priority," said co-producer of Outside Lands, Rick Farman. "We're working with local law enforcement to make sure we have the latest techniques and doing everything we can to keep everyone safe." 

A portion of the proceeds from Outside Lands ticket sales will benefit the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The festival has raised roughly $20 million for the city department in previous years, according to organizers

In past years, the three-day concert has generated more than $60 million, organizers say. 

In addition to directly donating money to benefit Golden Gate Park, the festival will also host an area called Eco Lands, which will feature several environmental, charitable and non-profit organizations, such as Oxfam, the Surfrider Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union along with many more to share information with attendees.

Residents of the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods are being advised that there will be several road closures in Golden Gate Park, and organizers have set up a community hotline for residents to call with any concerns or issues having to do with the festival. Concert-goers should expect a large number of San Francisco police officers and security companies patroling the park.

Festival-goers are being strongly encouraged to take public transit to Outside Lands. San Francisco Municipal Railway will be running extra buses, while a pre-paid shuttle service between the park and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in downtown San Francisco is also available.

Single day tickets range from $149.50 to $345, while three-day passes are sold out.

More information can be found at www.sfoutsidelands.com or by calling the community hotline at 415-965-8001, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the festival.

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
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