Mayor Lurie Outlines Safety, Transportation Plans for Outside Lands Weekend

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today outlined public safety, traffic, and transit plans the city has put in place to help tens of thousands of San Franciscans and visitors safely enjoy Outside Lands weekend. Ahead of the iconic festival taking place August 7-9, the city is working across the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD), Department of Emergency Management (DEM), San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)—in partnership with event producer Another Planet Entertainment—to ensure approximately 75,000 daily attendees can safely and easily travel to and from the festival in Golden Gate Park.

Outside Lands represents one of several major events bringing visitors to San Francisco and driving the city’s economic recovery. The city is on track for record-breaking tourism numbers in 2026, after the Bay Area successfully hosted six FIFA World Cup matches this summer, the Super Bowl in February, and NBA All-Star Weekend last year. Those events together were projected to generate $1.4 billion in regional economic impact. Music has also played a key role in the city’s comeback, with last year’s “Summer of Music” drawing nearly 500,000 attendees to Golden Gate Park and creating $150 million in economic activity over three weekends. Mayor Lurie has also announced free concerts in Golden Gate Park and Crane Cove Park, along with the return of SF Music Week and the launch of SF LIVE, the citywide online events calendar for arts and entertainment.

“After last year’s Summer of Music brought nearly 500,000 people to Golden Gate Park and $150 million in economic activity for our local businesses and our city, Outside Lands is back—supporting our restaurants, hotels, and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Lurie. “San Francisco’s parks are the most beautiful in the country, and Outside Lands lets us show them off with incredible music. My number one priority is making sure everyone can enjoy the festival safely with minimal disruptions for neighbors, and our city departments and outside partners are ready to deliver a safe, fun experience for everyone.”

PUBLIC SAFETY

As for any large event, the safety of residents and visitors is the city’s top priority. Festival attendees are encouraged to:

• Plan ahead and allow extra time for travel, security screening, and crowd exit after each day's shows
• Use designated pickup and drop-off zones rather than flagging vehicles curbside
• Stay alert near street closures, transit routes, and shared bike/scooter lanes

SFPD and the San Francisco Fire Department will maintain an elevated presence in and around Golden Gate Park throughout the festival, including foot, bike, and traffic patrols along key corridors and pedestrian crossings. Additional emergency medical staff will be onsite at Outside Lands, and city agencies will work closely with festival organizers on crowd management, entry and exit flows, and emergency response planning.

“SFPD will be out in full force keeping the event attendees and neighbors safe during Outside Lands,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “There will be high police visibility and staffing to respond to any incident that might occur. We ask event attendees to look out for one another. If you see something, say something.”

Emergency Alerts

Festival attendees can sign up to receive any emergency notifications during the weekend through AlertSF. To receive emergency alerts and important safety updates related to Outside Lands, attendees can text OUTSIDELANDS (one word) to 888-777.

Visitors can also follow San Francisco's official Visitor Safety WhatsApp channel for emergency information and safety updates. Additional visitor safety tips are available online at sf.gov/visitorsafety. Emergency information will also be shared through the Another Planet Entertainment event app and website, as well as on official city and partner agency communication channels throughout the weekend.

“Large events like Outside Lands are successful because of the strong partnerships between city agencies, event organizers, and our transportation partners,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, DEM Executive Director. “We encourage everyone to plan their transportation in advance, sign up for emergency alerts before heading to Outside Lands, and use official event and city information throughout the weekend.”

Community Hotline

Neighbors can call Another Planet Entertainment’s dedicated Community Hotline at 415-965-8001 for any questions or concerns throughout the festival. The hotline will be staffed from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Thursday, August 6, and then from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM during the three days of the festival.

“We’re excited to welcome music lovers from near and far to Golden Gate Park for three days of world-class performances, incredible food, inspiring art, and so much more,” said Sarah Madland, RPD General Manager. “We’ve been working closely with Another Planet Entertainment and our city partners to ensure a safe, smooth, and memorable experience for everyone. Live music has long been part of Golden Gate Park’s story. It brings people together, strengthens community, and fills our parks with energy and excitement.”

EXTRA MUNI SERVICE AND TRAFFIC PLANS

The SFMTA and Another Planet Entertainment work together every year in preparation for Outside Lands to maximize transit options for approximately 75,000 daily attendees. In addition to extra Muni service to and from Golden Gate Park, attendees can take advantage of taxi stands, passenger loading zones, and Lyft Bike valet.

“Muni is ready to move thousands of Outside Lands concertgoers safely and reliably,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “We've added extra service on key lines and routes, deployed additional staff to keep stations and stops running smoothly, and are working closely with SFPD on traffic and pedestrian safety. With this many people coming into the park, we want people to allow for extra time and ask for the community's patience as we expect heavier crowds on transit and slower traffic on nearby streets, especially around arrival and departure times.”

Muni Service

Extra Muni service will operate before and after the festival each day, in addition to regular Muni service on the N Judah and 5R Fulton Rapid:

• 5X Fulton Express service will operate from Golden Gate Park to the Civic Center BART station between 9:00 PM and midnight or until crowds clear.
• The N Judah will run extra trains on its route between 3:00 PM and midnight.

In addition, the following routes operate in the festival area and will run their usual schedules:

• The 7 Haight/Noriega, 28 19th Avenue, 29 Sunset, and 44 O'Shaughnessy serve areas of Golden Gate Park and may be subject to crowds.
• The 38 Geary and 38R Geary Rapid routes, which are four blocks north of the Fulton Street and 30th Avenue entrance to Golden Gate Park, can also serve as alternative options for travel to and from the event.

Outside Lands wristbands are good for all-day Muni tickets except for cable cars. To board a Muni train or bus, attendees must show their wristband to the station agent or operator.

Street Closures

Neighbors choosing to drive in and around the festival zone will encounter street closures or restricted access to help reduce congestion and ensure access for Muni and emergency vehicles. Due to anticipated crowd sizes, concertgoers and neighbors should allow for extra travel time after each day’s concerts.

Vehicle access to the park will be limited beginning Thursday, August 6, at 8:00 PM and ending Sunday, August 9, at 11:00 PM, including all roads on the west side of the park from Transverse Drive to the Great Highway.

During these times, the following entrances to the park will be closed to the public:

• On the north side of the park:
  • Transverse Drive at Crossover Drive
  • JFK Drive at Transverse Drive
  • 30th Avenue
  • 36th Avenue
  • 43rd Avenue (Chain of Lakes)
  • 47th Avenue
  • The Great Highway at JFK Drive
• On the south side:
  • MLK Drive at Crossover Drive
  • 25th Avenue
  • Sunset Boulevard at Irving Street
  • 41st Avenue (Chain of Lakes)
  • MLK Drive at Lincoln Avenue

Taxi Stands

Temporary taxi stands will be in place from 9:00 AM on August 7 through 2:00 AM on August 10 at the following locations:

• Fulton Street between 24th and 25th avenues
• Fulton Street between 28th and 29th avenues
• Irving Street between 26th and 27th avenues
• Larkin Street between Hayes and Grove streets (taxi shuttle service to festival)

Passenger Pickup and Drop-Off Areas

The pickup and drop-off areas for other vehicles, including ride-hail vehicles and private charter buses, are:

• Outer Sunset, south side of Golden Gate Park:
  • North side of Irving Street, between 25th and 27th avenues
• Outer Richmond, north side of Golden Gate Park along Washington High School:
  • North side of Balboa Street, between 30th and 31st avenues
  • West side of 30th Avenue, between Balboa Street and Anza Street

Biking

Free self-park bicycle areas will be available during festival hours in the eastern and southern parts of the festival site (see map below). Lyft Bike will have designated stations on JFK Drive just east of Transverse Drive, near the North Gate festival entrance, and on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, just east of the South Gate festival entrance. Onsite bike valets will help bikeshare users park their bikes and find a bike for the journey home.

Parking and Driveway Access

Parking will be extremely limited. The SFMTA will respond to blocked driveway and sidewalk access complaints via 311 and the 311 app.

The San Francisco Transportation Code allows residents to park in the street and block their own driveway provided the driveway does not serve more than two tenants. Vehicles may never be parked on the sidewalk. During Outside Lands, the SFMTA will enforce blocked driveways on a complaint basis.

Autonomous Vehicles

City partners have worked in close coordination with autonomous vehicle operators to reduce congestion in dense, high-foot traffic zones around the festival grounds. The following guidelines will apply for autonomous vehicles around the festival area:

• Zone 1: Autonomous vehicle pickups and drop-offs will be restricted around the festival perimeter in the area bounded by Balboa Street to the north, 20th Avenue to the east, and Kirkham Street to the south during peak entry and exit hours each day of the festival, 10:00 AM to 12:30 AM.
• Zone 2: Autonomous vehicle pickup and drop-off restrictions will expand to high-density areas beyond Zone 1, which includes areas bounded by Geary Boulevard to the north, Stanyan Street to the east, and Kirkham Street to the south during peak entry and exit hours each day of the festival, 8:00 PM to 12:30 AM.

Autonomous vehicle riders will see available pickup and drop-off locations in their respective phone apps.

More information about Muni service and traffic impacts, including street closures, is available online at sfmta.com/osl. Attendees can also sign up for real-time Muni service alerts through the SFMTA's Email and Text Subscriptions page.