This year has been witness to a concerted effort among music festivals to be more inclusive with their lineups, offering festivalgoers considerably more diversity than ever before. One of those strides has been in the inclusion of female headliners especially. It’s a notable trend we saw find root in Coachella’s decision to make Beyoncé its first black female headliner last year before that plan was actualized this year.
It was seen in the now cancelled FYF Fest’s applauded lineup that included headliners in Janet Jackson and Florence +The Machine, and that same energy has bled over into San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival. While fans who were planning to go to FYF have gotten their refunds, they may consider spending their cash in The Bay as Outside Lands is offering up a lineup that also includes Florence and headliner Jackson.
Now, the show will expand its lineup with the new addition of Janelle Monae, whose recent coming out and Dirty Computer album have offered up a new depiction of black women in music. In addition to Monae, the festival adds Chicago spitter Saba to the mix alongside Billie Eilish and Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers.
While the trend is new, Outside Lands has been quietly leading the pack for a decade. It’s an easy thing to do when situated in a locale as diverse and colorful as San Francisco and we’re looking to see how this precedent impacts the booming festival business as things continue to progress. Outside Lands Festival takes place this year August 10-12 in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park.