Outside Lands 2025 Brings Bay Area Queer Magic Back to the Dolores Stage
San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival has always been more than just a music event — it’s a celebration of the city’s cultural heartbeat. And nowhere is that pulse felt more viscerally than at Dolores’, the beloved open-air dance space dedicated to uplifting the Bay Area’s queer and trans communities. Returning to Golden Gate Park this year, Dolores’ is poised once again to be one of the festival’s most joyous, unapologetic, and electrifying spaces.
Named in honor of both Dolores Park’s legendary LGBTQ+ history and the spirit of fearless self-expression, Dolores’ is more than just a stage — it’s a statement. This isn’t a corporate-branded tent or a generic dance floor. It’s a homegrown tribute to San Francisco’s radical queer past, present, and future, celebrating the DIY venues, art collectives, and nightlife renegades that have kept the city’s spirit alive.
This year’s programming sees the return of three local nightlife powerhouses: FAKE and GAY, OASIS ARTS, and Polyglamorous, each curating a day of pulse-pounding beats, high-camp performances, and fierce community energy.
Dolores’ has always been a place to discover your new favorite DJ or get unexpectedly floored by a drag performance that leaves you gasping. This year is no different. Friday kicks off with FAKE and GAY’s expertly curated club chaos, while Saturday belongs to OASIS ARTS — expect theatrical drag, avant-garde pop, and a few wildcards the OASIS crew is keeping close to their sequin-covered chests. Sunday wraps with Polyglamorous, delivering a day of deep grooves, house anthems, and disco reverence.
Festivalgoers can look forward to appearances from Chase Icon, the internet’s favorite pop diva turned clubland sensation, and Father Figure, whose genre-blurring sets are as emotional as they are body-moving. Pop legend Rebecca Black is set to deliver one of the most joyfully irreverent sets of the weekend — yes, that Rebecca Black, and trust, she’s a queer icon now.
Add in DJ sets from Fcukers, high-drama drag showcases, and a crowd that’s as much a part of the show as the performers themselves, and you’ve got a weekend-long party that embodies everything Outside Lands — and San Francisco — stands for.
And because the party never really stops, Dolores’ is also hosting a special Pride Weekend pre-party, Bay Area Pride Amplified, at The Independent on Saturday, June 28th. It’s the perfect excuse to kick off your festival weekend early with a night of hometown heroes and queer nightlife royalty. Tickets are on sale now — don’t sleep on it.
If you’ve never danced under the sun at Dolores’, this is your year. It’s the place where San Francisco’s radical queer roots meet its future, where every bass drop is a little act of rebellion and every outfit is a moment. All are welcome, and everyone leaves a little more fabulous.
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