Top Five Reasons Outside Lands Is Better Than Coachella

Coachella was fantastic! Camping makes the festival even more enjoyable for me, and I liked having a Standing Room 100 tent -- full standing room for the first time in EIGHT Coachellas for me, and let me tell you, it makes a difference to not have to hunch over to go in and out after a few days of 12 hours of walking/standing! I found it here www.standingroomtents.com

The people I meat at Coachella are possibly the best people I've ever met. Everyone is just so damn chill! Even the 16 year old kids are super chill, some kids in the crowd gave my friend their water during the massive body mushing/ pre heat stroke right before Justice. There's just this sense of community that I just have never seen anywhere else. Best experience ever. As for OL this will be my first sumer going, but I won't even try to compare it to Coachella because I know it can't beat it and this will just make me sad.

Less thugg hop at OSL = WINNING.  But 'Tallica is a turnoff.  Amadou and Mariam is the can't miss set.

Both these festivals are lame.  Just a bunch of hipsters and bands we have seen in the last couple years a million times. Lightning in a Bottle you have my vote

Ok no, whose idea was it to get Metallica to headline....... 

They're both for sheep.

It's true that the food selection is much better at Outside Lands, but the lines in my experience for food are also longer at Outside Lands (in their defense, this is a reflection of quality and the fact that the weather is more conducive to eating). Also the food trucks at Outside Lands are out of the way. At Coachella, even when I was waiting in line for food, I could still see music from a distance.

In any event, it's a trade off. They're both great festivals on the whole with advantages and flaws.

Stupidest thing I have ever read. Outside Lands is in August and ends at 10:30pm or 11pm so you only get one hour of darkness. Coachella is in April and goes until 1:30am so you get 6 hours of darkness. This makes Coachella 6times better than Outside Lands.

Water is free at Coachella to Refill Bottles; or $2 Bucks.  Coachella Weekend One was in the 70s during the day all weekend.  I was actually interested in reading this article to find insightful reasons and differences in the festivals.. but seems like there are lots of reasons here that don't really support your argument.  Anyways, I'm a supporter of music festivals no matter the genres so I'm sure it will be a blast regardless!

Went to Coachella, pretty sure that's a picture of the turntables getting set up for Company Flow and not the actual show. Lame.

Coachella is an over all exhausting experience, and I related to a number of your woes. However, Outside Lands plays it SO safe, they seem to want to please everyone without pleasing them too much. No risks are taken. But maybe that's why I like the lineup better than coachella this year.

you'll see me at both next year for jeannoir.com though

WIth respects to those who are creating venues so other to enjoy, seems a bit classless to have to put one down to prop up the other.  I will be attending both this year and they are both great venues in their own way.  If you have to put one down, just shut and don't go.

I have been to both events and Coachella blew Outsidelands out of the water. the environment was better not the mention the total lack in organization at Outsidelands. Coachella may have been more expensive but you walk away feeling changed and more experienced. plus the food selection at Coachella is amazing!!!! the only thing negative about Coachella was the heat but i got a great tan from that so over all I'd say if you had to pick one then Coachella. 

the only reason i would attend Outsidelands again would be to see Stevie Wonder. 

Erika I freaking love you

One word BONNAROOOOOOOOOOOO!

also, Outside Lands lets you bring in your own water! that is HUGE. (also, not sure if food is officially oked by OL but i'e always gotten away with bringing it in. however, even if it's not technically allowed, the food at Outside Lands kicks Coachella's scant selection any day. and of course, OL is in San Francisco, automatically making it the clear winner.

was contemplating outsidelands...but after reading this article, as well as the comments, i'm rethinking my decision. it sounds like OL is for Snobs & Labelers. both of which are lower than any "bros" or "hipsters" because atleast those two "labels" have nothing but a good time.

Go to both every year...have a great time at both..love both!!! Why even compare?!!! Two diff vibes. I had a kick ass time at Coachella this year, both w/e's...I agree, camping makes for an awesome experience!! But I steadfastly say, OL is my fav! But I am just a lil rocker girl who loves music festivals..besides Coachella, last summer, in a 2 wk period, I then hit L.A. Rising, Lolla, KanROCKsas and OL...all diff (tho shared some acts) but I had a kick ass time at all!!!!! But, I have excitedly waited for OL since the day after, last year! :) Music is supposed to unite us, not draw lines in the sand! But yes, can't beat San Fran, can't beat OL! :)

yeah but whose idea was it to get lame skrillex

Not comparable at all, as said above: camping vs. noncampingAlso, what's with the hate OL? You're both here to provide joy to thousands of people...and you both do! Where does the negativity come in?

You must be kidding with this article. First and most importantly, the Coachella line-up blows away Outside Lands, every year. There will be nothing at OL this year even close to as entertaining as Radiohead or Dr. Dre's set. Not to mention, check out the undercard - Coachella kills OL for indie acts. Second, to say getting from stage to stage at Coachella requires "less of a trek" is a huge understatement. Good luck seeing more than 4 or 5 full sets at OL in a day - by about 4 or 5:00 the routes between the various "meadows" gets so congested you can hardly walk. At Coachella you can easily see 8 and still have time to relax.  Third, while Coachella does have a high amount of annoying raver kids, they stick to the Sahara tent in the corner of the Polo Fields and generally do not bother you at the other stages. Fourth, I've been downright freezing cold at Outside Lands. Sure, its nice to be cool during the day but once the fog engulfs Golden Gate Park you are shivering for the main acts, while at Coachella its the perfect temperature once the sun goes down.

I have been to both festivals and each have their good things and bad things. It is not easy to get home from Outside Lands since SF refuses to have enough public transportation. Then again it's not easy to leave Coachella by car either. I agree the beer gardens at Coachella suck, but the real crime is that only crappy European beer is available at both festivals. I do like the layout of Outside Lands much better than Coachella. Same goes with the weather, granted it did rain at Coachella this year.

As far as ATDI goes, I indeed did see moshing at Coachella. I think the one key thing here is the wonderful fact that there are less Candy Kids at Outside Lands, but then again it was Outside Lands where I first saw racist white kids pretending to be Native Americans. I would love to see them try to rock black face and get away with it. No fuck that, I'd actually rather see them scalped.

In closing, both festivals are different and should be praised for that. What would be the point of having Outside Lands or Coachella if they were both identical to Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans? Celebrate diversity. Oh and scalp hipsters. 

You're crazy if you thought no one was moshing for ATDI. I almost died in there...

These are the only two festivals I have been to and they are too different to compare. There are 10 reasons why OSL is better than Coachella and there are 10 reasons why Coachella is better than OSL. Both of them have their negatives and positives but all it comes down to for me is who has the better lineup. In most cases it's been Coachella because it is a bigger festival. They do have too many DJ's but they are smart by keeping 95% of them in the same tent. Two totally different experiences though. OSL is easier on the body for sure but their is a sense of pride and camaraderie that comes along with the struggle and survival of Coachella!

In recent years, the hipster-to-bro ratio has flip flopped in the bro's favor at Coachella and they've turned the fest into a giant frat party, especially this year. I might just stop going to Coachella altogether and make the switch to Outside Lands. I went to OL last year, and aside from the cold weather, it was a total blast!

Sasquatch, by far is my favorite music festival in the USA.

"No one seemed to be moshing to At The Drive In's reunion after 11 years on hiatus." Cedric does not condone moshing and will stop the set if there is. 

I have been to both festivals several times each. Coachella is a camping festival... Outside lands is not, thus they are not comparable to one another. Its the same reason why Loolapalooza and Coachella are not comparable, different, crowd mood energy and camping vs non-camping. There is a sense of community when you camp and deal with the heat and dust as a group, people who go to outside lands usually are not as friendly or kind. Maybe if you can't handle it, go see music in air conditioned buildings. Plus A LOT LESS DRUNK ASSHOLES

They're both terrible.

A better reason than any of these is that the stages are spread throughout the park so that you don't hear the other stages when you're watching the band you actually want to hear.