Organizers for the annual Outside Lands Music Festival have revealed the lineup for its 2026 return to Golden Gate Park, and while headliners include Charli XCX, RÜFÜS DU SOL and The Strokes, queer fans already know where to look.
The three-day festival runs Aug. 7 through Aug. 9 and marks the event’s 18th year in San Francisco. Nearly 90 acts are slated to perform, with organizers noting the lineup is subject to change. Loyalty presale and Chase cardholder presale tickets go on sale March 3 at noon, followed by general sales on March 5.
Beyond the marquee names, this year’s bill boast names that you’re sure to see in any essential gay pregame playlist. Here are the queer and LGBTQ-friendly artists poised to make Outside Lands 2026 one of its most fabulous editions yet.
Charli XCX
Fresh off a culture-shifting era that blurred the line between club kid grunge and pop dominance, Charli XCX arrives at Outside Lands riding sustained momentum. After turning “brat” into a summer brand and headline shorthand, she’s continued to expand her influence through global festival runs and most recently, a successful mockumentary called the “The Moment.”
Charli’s relationship with LGBTQ audiences runs deep. She’s always been a fierce advocate and friend to the community, even frequently collaborating with queer talent such as Christine and the Queens and Troye Sivan (have you been living under a rock? you should know this!)
Trixie Mattel
When Trixie Mattel steps behind the DJ booth at Outside Lands, she won’t just be filling a slot, she’ll be importing the gayest party Golden Gate Park is sure to ever see. What began as pandemic-era livestream mixes has evolved into a globe-spanning dance event, complete with costume changes, pre-recorded visuals and tightly curated pop edits. The show is structured, but the goal is simple: give people a few hours to unplug and move.
She proved she can scale that energy in October 2025, when she opened for Chappell Roan on the “Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things” tour in Pasadena. Her high-impact DJ set, often featuring local drag performers, set the tone for massive, sold-out Los Angeles–area crowds and quickly became a highlight of the night. If that run is any indication, San Francisco can expect a charged performance built for a festival field: part spectacle, part dance marathon, fully pink.
Tinashe
From her burst onto the scene with “2 On” in 2014, Tinashe has been a showstopping force in the R&B sector of music. Since then, she has quietly built one of the most consistent catalogs in modern R&B-pop. Independent and self-directed, she’s spent the past few years refining her sound while maintaining direct control over her visuals and touring.
Her recent projects lean into sleek production and sharp choreography, the kind of performance built for a festival stage (you better be ready to do some body rolls to “Nasty!”) Tinashe has long embraced her queer fanbase, and that loyalty tends to echo loudly when the bass hits. With Disco Lines also on the lineup, could we potentially see a surprise performance of Disco Lines iconic remix to “No Broke Boys?” Only time will tell!
Ethel Cain
There are festival sets, and then there are experiences. Ethel Cain became a cultural force with 2022’s Preacher’s Daughter, a Southern Gothic epic threading together religious trauma, doomed romance and American myth with operatic intensity. The album lingers long after it ends (If you haven’t driven to PCH with your windows fully down blasting “American Teenager,” I HIGHLY recommend doing so. It’ll breathe new life into your veins). As a trans artist and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Cain’s presence on stage carries an added weight and representation, making her Golden Gate Park performance a beautiful representation of love and allyship.
Her recent prequel project, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, only deepened the lore, bringing fan-favorite tracks like “Dust Bowl” and “Nettles” into official release and onto stages nationwide. Live, those songs expand beyond their recordings. Backlit in haze, Cain often appears less like a frontwoman and more like the ghost of her own mythology, her vocals cutting through the dark with startling clarity. Already a record-setter as the first openly transgender musician to land a top 10 album on the Billboard charts, Cain’s presence at Outside Lands promises a performance that’s both epic and essential for LGBTQ+ fans.
JADE
JADE is also bringing her high-octane pop skills to Golden Gate Park, and she’s doing it with a clear sense of purpose. After the split from the iconic pop group, Little Mix, she stepped into solo stardom with That’s Showbiz Baby, a dazzling blend of Motown, disco, synth-pop, hyperpop, and Y2K-era hooks (seriously, y’all need to listen to the full album, don’t sleep on JADE!). Beneath the sparkle lies sharp critique: predatory contracts, impossible standards for women, and the music industry’s relentless pressures. At Outside Lands, JADE gets to showcase all of her artistry, and hopefully she starts to get the recognition and praise she deserves in the states!
But the spectacle isn’t the only thing she brings. JADE has long used her platform as a pop icon to uplift LGBTQ+ communities. From celebrating trans lives at her BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend solo debut, complete with a custom tartan outfit featuring Trans Pride colors, to calling out anti-LGBTQ+ behavior in the industry, she has consistently aligned her art with advocacy. Whether leading pro-trans chants at festivals or challenging silence from fellow pop stars, Jade’s commitment to queer visibility is as electrifying as her live shows. Combined with her signature choreography and flawless vocals, her Outside Lands set promises to be an unforgettable experience.
Durand Bernarr
Durand Bernarr is bringing his electrifying vocals and infectious energy to Outside Lands after a milestone year that cemented his status as a rising force in R&B. Fresh off winning his first Grammy for BLOOM (go check out his iconic acceptance speech, it’ll put a smile on your face), Bernarr has proven that his artistry is as magnetic as it is technically brilliant. Born and raised in Cleveland, he honed his craft in church choirs, on stage at Karamu House Theatre, and even open mic nights, cultivating a blend of gospel-infused soul and contemporary R&B that feels both intimate and grand.
Bernarr’s performances are rooted in authenticity and joy, with a commitment to uplifting the Black and LGBTQ+ communities that has become central to his narrative. Critics celebrated his Grammy win as a burst of Black queer pride, while fellow artists and fans alike hailed it as a collective triumph. Expect that same charisma at Outside Lands: a set that blends flawless vocals, gospel energy, and high-octane showmanship, leaving a lasting impression well beyond the Golden Gate Park stage.
Destin Conrad
Destin Conrad is bringing his heartfelt, genre-blurring R&B to Outside Lands after a whirlwind rise in 2025. Just months after releasing his debut album Love on Digital, Conrad followed up with wHIMSY, a jazz-inflected project that showcased his versatility and earned him a Grammy nomination for best progressive R&B album. Known for his smooth vocals and candid lyricism, he’s proven that his artistry goes far beyond his early viral fame on Vine, where playful sketches and singing clips first introduced him to millions of followers.
Representation drives Conrad’s music. From videos like “Kissing In Public” to his full-length releases, he foregrounds queer love and authentic storytelling, filling a space in pop and R&B often left empty. “I just want to make sure that I put myself forward as my authentic self as much as possible,” he told New Wave Magazine.
Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus brings her signature introspective indie rock to Outside Lands, blending stripped-back textures with emotionally resonant storytelling. Known for her acoustic-driven songwriting, Dacus has carved a space for intimate, vulnerable performances that explore love, connection, and self-discovery. Her solo albums, including Forever Is a Feeling, and her work with boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, showcase her talent for crafting rich harmonies and candid lyrics that linger long after the last note.
Dacus’s artistry is inseparable from her identity as a queer musician. Openly queer and committed to authentic storytelling, she foregrounds love and vulnerability in ways that resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences. In 2025, she confirmed her relationship with bandmate Julien Baker, and the couple now live together in Los Angeles, sharing both personal life and creative inspiration. Her songs often emerge from reflective moments on the road or at home, and that intimacy carries through her live performances. At Outside Lands, fans can expect a set that balances acoustic warmth with emotional intensity, celebrating queer love and connection as powerfully as Dacus’s songwriting itself.
A Festival With Range
Outside Lands 2026 also features The xx, Baby Keem, Turnstile, Empire of the Sun, Dijon and dozens more. Death Cab for Cutie is scheduled to perform both an early afternoon and evening set.
Organizers expect to release the daily schedule closer to August. With more than 200,000 attendees each year, the festival has become a cornerstone of San Francisco’s live music calendar.
Golden Gate Park may be known for fog, but come August, it’s likely to glow.
