San Francisco gears up for Outside Lands 2025 as city image continues to recover

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — After hitting an all-time low following the pandemic, San Francisco’s battered reputation seems to finally be improving.

New polls conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle show a majority of city residents believe San Francisco is moving in the right direction.

They also approve of the job being done by new Mayor Daniel Lurie, according to ABC7 News insider Phil Matier.

“We’ve weathered the worst of the storm. We’re keeping the streets clean. The mayor is keeping them safe. And now we’re starting to get things back into San Francisco that San Francisco is famous for: big shows, big events, big conventions,” Matier said.

MORE: SF leaders call Dead and Company concert weekend a big win; Outside Lands to bring more

Those events highlighting the city are especially prominent this month.

Last week, the city hosted a series of Dead & Company concerts – and the next two weekends are also set to be busy.

SF Travel says hotel occupancy rates in the city last weekend were over 90%. That’s a number they’re also expected to see in the coming days because of Outside Lands.

At Golden Gate Park Thursday night, people were already standing in line to pick up their Outside Lands tickets.

VIDEO: SF preps for 3 weekends of Golden Gate Park music events, starting with Dead & Co. series

Event organizers say they anticipate more than 225,000 people to attend this year.

“We expect the festival this year to generate over $70 million for the San Francisco economy,” said Allen Scott, an Outside Lands co-founder.

A few blocks away from the park on Clement Street, businesses say they too are expecting a boost.

Michelle Mattera works at The Bitter End. She says she just finished stocking up on extra alcohol ahead of the weekend, but also tells me the upward trend in business has been happening for the past 18 months.

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“People feel like the vibe is back in the city and there’s more people around. A little bit more nightlife,” said Mattera.

As for Lurie, Matier says his PR strategies seem to be working for both locals and visitors.

A trend Matier believes the mayor will need to continue to work at in order to maintain.

“That’s going to buy him some time. But, eventually, he’s got to show some differences or people will say hey, the Daniel Lurie show, great first act but where’s the follow through?” said Matier.