On the brink of what some are calling another great recession, it’s hard to believe people are willing to spend more money for concert experiences that already cost upwards of $500. ButOutside Lands生产商另一个星球烤鸭rtainment were betting on the fact that music lovers were ready to splurge for exclusive access, premium food and drink offerings, and a place to get away from the huge crowd at Golden Gate Park over the three-day outdoor event, which wrapped up Sunday, Aug. 7, with a headlining set by rapper Post Malone.
And they were right.
超过300人参加ultra-lu选择xe VIP level known as the Golden Gate Club, now in its third year. The premium experience is among the biggest additions to San Francisco’s premier summer festival since Outside Lands introduced the cannabis-centricGrass Landsin 2018. While VIP areas and private cabanas have been an upgrade option since the the festival started 14 years ago, with box suites added a few years ago, Golden Gate Club’s main attraction is its Skydeck Parlor. The elevated deck, with decor by San Francisco designer Ken Fulk complete with an ADA-approved elevator, provides a panoramic view of the Polo Field and unobstructed sightlines to the main Lands End stage.
Three-day passes cost $4,699, plus fees, or $1,995 for a single-day pass — prices Allen Scott, Another Planet president of concerts and festivals and co-founder of Outside Lands, said allows them to keep the general admission ticket prices low this year (starting at $175 for a single day ticket) even though skyrocketing inflation substantially increased the production budget for the San Francisco festival.
Among the exclusive offerings on the Skydeck Parlor were bites by local culinary stars such as celebrity chef Tyler Florence of Miller & Lux; Nancy Oakes and Dana Younkin of Boulevard Restaurant; and Ravi Kapur of Good Good Culture Club and Liholiho Yacht Club.
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To add more decadence, caviar happy hour was hosted by Caviar Co. each day.
“What other festivals do you go to where they have caviar service with blinis and creme fraiche or offering bumps of caviar?” said Petra Higby, who was serving dollops of select caviar as Local Natives wrapped up their afternoon set on the festival’s second day. “It really takes VIP to the next level.”
The most expensive caviar served over the weekend was the company’s Oestra, a large pearl caviar with a nutty flavor and buttery finish from Israel that goes for $140 per ounce. Higby said they go through a pound of caviar each day, which totals about $5,000 worth of the delicacy.
Other high-priced items include the wines curated by Saison co-founder and head sommelier Mark Bright. Aside from free pours of select wines, bottle service for an additional price included $300 Dom Pérignon to limited bottles of Charles Krug’s 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon for $1,500. Straight from the Saint Helena winery’s cellars, Bright said one glass of the rare Krug wine could go more than $500 at a restaurant — if you could even find it offered on a menu.
Scott said the Golden Gate Club was “inspired to create an event within the event,” which is why each day featured activities such as tarot card readings and boutique retail shopping areas highlighting Bay Area-based vendors.
While the Wine Country festival BottleRock Napa Valley also offers multiple sky decks and luxury experiences, including an indoor pop-up spa, what makes the Golden Gate Club different is its concierge service. Sporting green blazers (think the Masters Tournament winner’s jacket), about a dozen friendly helpers encircle the Skydeck Parlor, available to answer just about any questions club members had about the festival as well as providing tableside drink service for a clientele that ranged from fashion designers and actors to tech moguls.
Outside of the elevated viewing lounge area, more green-jacketed helpers were available to escort club members in private golf carts — a service dubbed Mr. Fulk’s Wide Ride — to the Lands End, Twin Peaks and Sutro stages. Once at the main concert stages, club members got an exclusive front-of-stage viewing area, complete with access to a cooler full of complimentary beverages.
“Beyond just the luxury of the club, which is undeniable, what people are really excited about is access to the front of the stage. Being able to get artist access like this at a festival this large is sort of unprecedented,” said Kelsey Schimmelman, events manager at Ken Fulk. “So I don’t think people are just here to feel like they’re removed in a special separate lounge from everyone else, they signed up for the club to get as close as possible to the artists that they came here to see.”
For those who chose to be dropped off for the electronic dance music vibes at the SOMA Tent, club members were able to hop in a skip-the-line lane that ensured easy entry throughout the festival.
Brought layers of clothes that are too hot to wear during the weekend’s unusually warm afternoons? Club members didn’t have to worry about lugging any of it around thanks to a coat check near the Golden Gate Club’s private bathroom trailers.
And, oh, what bathrooms. While VIP areas had already seen an upgrade in bathroom facilities with flushable portable toilets four years ago, Golden Gate Club members’ private bathrooms were as close to home as festivalgoers could get. The private stalls were in air-conditioned, art-decorated trailers that came with wet wipes and, for the ladies, facial mist and complimentary tampons.
Scott said Another Planet is already working with Fulk to figure out what other perks the Golden Gate Club will offer at next year’s festival, which is scheduled for Aug. 11-13, 2023.
“We are always working on things,” he said. “It will never be exactly the same event each year.”