Big Freedia, Bleachers, and Rebecca Black Own the Final Day of Outside Lands 2025
By Sunday morning, the festival haze had fully set in. Three days in Golden Gate Park always feels like both a marathon and a dream, and Day Three was no exception. The Polo Field and the surrounding stages carried a mix of exhaustion and anticipation, the kind of energy that only comes when everyone knows the end is near. What followed was a day that proved Outside Lands still saves some of its biggest surprises for the final stretch, with moments of community, chaos, and catharsis that made the trek worth it.
SF Gay Men’s Chorus with Big Freedia: Lands End
By the third afternoon, I felt like Outside Lands had stretched into day 300, but I rallied just in time to catch the tail end of a collaboration I did not want to miss. The SF Gay Men’s Chorus was on the Lands End stage with Big Freedia, and together they gave the Polo Field a jolt of joy.
The crowd was thinner than I expected, which meant you could walk right up to the barricade and really feel every melody. The Chorus added rich texture, their harmonies turning the open field into something close to a cathedral. Big Freedia stood at the center of it, her voice booming, playful, and commanding. Instead of chasing spectacle, they gave us something grounded and real.
What struck me most was how the pairing shifted her music. Usually Freedia is all bounce, bass, and call-and-response chaos, but here, her vocals met the sweep of choral arrangements. It felt ceremonial, even tender at points, especially when the set closed with an a cappella rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” sung in honor of Whitney’s birthday that day. The voices carried across the field like a prayer, both joyful and reverent.
Freedia also spun DJ sets later at the Dolores stage, but this collaboration felt like the better fit. It was less about a club vibe and more about community. For me it was the perfect way to start the day, the kind of set you stumble into thinking it will be a warm up and leave realizing it was the highlight you did not know you needed. A true happy accident.
Mayer Hawthorne: Lands End
The Polo Field on day three brought an unexpected treat: Mayer Hawthorne on the Lands End stage. Nearly 20 years after touring with Amy Winehouse, he has grown into one of America’s most consistent bandleaders, carrying Detroit’s tradition of soul, funk, and R&B with style.
In the daylight, with trees framing the field, his set played like a tribute to the city that raised him. The band was tight, full of expert musicians who built every song into a living groove. Hawthorne directed them like a conductor, sliding into falsetto, locking into bass lines, and smiling as the crowd bounced along. Hearing him dip into “The Walk” and “Her Favorite Song” reminded me how effortlessly he blends retro soul with modern wit.
What made the set work was how unforced it felt. After two days of hip hop and pop spectacle, Hawthorne’s hour of steady soul felt refreshing. It was music you could dance to or simply let wash over you, and either way, it gave more energy back than it demanded. The Polo Field, still filling up for the evening, briefly felt like a community block party.
Hawthorne may never chase superstardom, but his influence lingers. He reminds me a little of Mark Ronson in the way he slips between frontman and behind the scenes architect, building songs for himself and for others. You may not always know you are listening to him, but his fingerprints are there. Sometimes the most lasting thing is not the hype but the groove that stays with you.
Catriel y Paco Amoroso: Sutro Stage
The Sutro Stage is always a sanctuary at Outside Lands, tucked into trees that make the music feel closer. On day three it hosted one of the weekend’s most eclectic sets: Catriel y Paco Amoroso, the Brazilian duo whose Tiny Desk earlier this year exploded on TikTok and YouTube. Their live show took that same color and chaos and scaled it up.
From the start, it was clear this was more than a verse-chorus-verse routine. The set flowed like theater, skit- like exchanges bleeding into songs, conversations folding into beats, moments that looked unscripted but landed with precision. Sung mostly in Portuguese, the lyrics were projected in English subtitles on the jumbo dual monitors, a simple move that made the crowd lean in instead of tune out.
On stage, Catriel and Paco fed off each other like a hip hop duo, pacing, shouting, leaning into exaggerated gestures instead of choreography. The chaos made sense. The pit jumped in pogo formation for what felt like entire stretches, and from the hill, you could watch waves of energy ripple outward. Their visibly queer fan base was especially loud, loyal, and locked in.
What made the set stand out was how joyfully unpredictable it was. The music swerved between Latin, Brazilian funk, Caribbean textures, hip hop, and something closer to performance art, all stitched together with abandon. It did not feel like a calculated festival set. It felt like an experiment that worked.
I had to leave halfway through, but even in that time they left a strong impression. Outside Lands is often heavy on rock and hip hop, and Catriel y Paco Amoroso brought a different pulse altogether. Their theatrical energy, their fearless mix of styles, and the devotion of their fans made the Sutro grove feel like its own world. If you get the chance to catch them in a smaller venue, do it. For the festival, they were an injection of color that arrived just when the weekend needed it most.
Bleachers: Lands End Stage
By Sunday afternoon the fog had finally lifted off the Polo Field and Bleachers stepped onto the Lands End stage like they were born for it. I had been waiting for this one. I missed their Bay stop in 2024, which hurt because their self-titled album was one of my favorites of the year. Seeing them here in broad daylight felt like getting a do-over.
They kicked things off with “I Am Right on Time” and from there it was anthem after anthem. “Modern Girl” had the crowd moving, “Everybody Lost Somebody” hit with weight, and “Chinatown” rolled out like a postcard from the boardwalk. The band sounded sharp, with two saxophones driving the arrangements into full-blown American rock ‘n’ roll. Jack Antonoff’s guitar was one of the clearest, most commanding tones I have heard on the Polo Field.
Then came the antics. A fan lobbed up a potato, and Jack turned it into a whole bit: signing it, passing it around to the band, then tossing it back. He got the entire field to climb up on each other’s shoulders, one person after another popping up until the crowd looked like a human skyline. Later he called for mass crowd surfing, and somehow the audience pulled it off in waves, polite chaos stretching all the way back.
The most touching moment came when Jack brought out his dad, Rick, to join for “How Dare You Want More.” It was loose and sweet, and watching his dad stay on the side filming for the rest of the set said everything about the family thread running through this band.
Antonoff himself looked like someone you would pass on the subway without a second glance. White T-shirt too big for him, Levi’s dad jeans, buzz cut. But onstage he became a live wire. One moment leaping off the drum riser, the next kneeling on the stage floor, the next grinning at the crowd as if he could not believe they actually surfed the way he told them to. Sometimes the earnestness flirts with corny, but it works because he throws himself into it without holding back.
For me, Bleachers is Antonoff at his best. More than producing pop mega-stars, this is where he feels like himself: messy, exuberant, and built for the live moment. On Sunday they turned the Polo Field into a sea of shoulders and bodies moving together, a reminder that sometimes the simplest bands create the loudest joy.
Jorja Smith: Twin Peaks Stage
By late Sunday afternoon, the festival felt nearly wrapped, and the Twin Peaks stage was swallowed in mist and wind sharp enough to steal your resolve. Into that chill stepped Jorja Smith, the U.K. singer whose breakout “Blue Lights,” along with collaborations with Drake and Kendrick Lamar, had me excited enough to trek across both the grounds and the cold.
She opened with “Try Me,” followed by “Blue Lights,” “Addicted,” and “Feelings.” It was a string of moody, introspective tracks that matched the fog more than fought against it. I was waiting for a spark, something like “The One” or “Come Over,” to break through, but the energy stayed low and the weather only made it feel heavier.
Her band was dialed in, especially the percussionist, whose rhythms cut through the haze, but the set lacked warmth. The outfit did not help either. A heavy dark denim pantsuit that was probably meant to project power instead read as stiff and dated, and it did not suit her or the moment.
I had left Glass Animals earlier, even though their music has never been my favorite. They were putting on a big, engaging show that held the field’s attention, and in hindsight I should have stayed. I was looking forward to Jorja as a highlight of the day, but her set never took off. Her voice was pristine, yet the performance never found its lift.
I left halfway through. Jorja’s talent is undeniable and I know what she is capable of, but this was not the right place or time. She is better suited for a theater or late-night slot where her subtlety can land instead of freeze.
Rebecca Black: Outside Lands, Day Three
By early evening on Sunday, I was cold, tired, and debating whether to just call it. Jorja Smith had been a letdown, and the night’s headliner, Hozier, was never going to be my thing. Then I realized I had not been to the Dolores stage all weekend, and Rebecca Black was scheduled for a DJ set there. I missed her Sutro performance earlier in the day, but I knew from covering her at Portola and from putting her on the January 2025 cover of OFM that she never phones it in. A queer dance party sounded like the right way to end the festival.
The Dolores tent was packed, disco ball spinning, bodies spilling out into the open air. I started at the edge and slowly moved forward, inch by inch, until I found myself at the front. Queer crowds always know how to make room, and this one was no exception.
Rebecca worked the decks with the same charm she brings to her live sets. She bounced between house, hyper-pop, and glossy pop edits, dropping in girly anthems and Top 40 nods that had the crowd squealing in recognition. She grabbed the mic every so often to hype the room, not too much, just enough to feel like a hostess who knows exactly when to pour the next round. Her fans knew every build and drop, and the energy inside that tent was warmer than anything outside in Golden Gate Park.
It was joyful, unapologetic, and perfectly queer. By the end, I realized I did not need anything more. Rebecca Black closed my Outside Lands with the exact kind of release the weekend needed. She has become one of those artists I would see in any setting, live or behind the decks because she understands how to build a room and keep it glowing.
Closing Thoughts on the Festival
Outside Lands 2025 was a success. The weather was milder than usual; Friday might have been the best single day I have ever had at a festival, and the weekend balanced newer curiosities with familiar favorites. More than anything, it still feels surreal that one of the world’s best music festivals happens fifteen blocks from where I live. Until next year.
