Going to a music festival is an awesome experience to have under your belt, and what better choice than Hangout Music Festival, which in 2023 made history by commemorating community, diverse entertainment and safe recreation.
AJR 5/20/2023 at Hangout Music Festival | Dylan Basden Photography
An adventure is nothing without the people in it, and the fans at Hangout Fest are undoubtedly incredible company. From keeping the beaches and stages clean, to starting conversations about your favorite artist and getting you riled up about the performances, the people at the festival came in with a beautiful attitude. Almost everyone made a joint effort to keep the festival grounds generally without trash, and if you needed water or food while camping out, there were people there to help you get through the hardest times under the sun. A music festival, specially one in the middle of the summer, is sometimes difficult to push through, but Hangout Music Festival has a way of fomenting community that even the fans that came by themselves were not alone; we were all a team, sticking together to see our favorite artists of the day.
5/20/2023 at Hangout Music Festival | Dylan Basden Photography
Of course, the main attraction of a music festival are the artists and shows, but Hangout Fest 2023 was not short on alternative entertainment options. In the festival grounds there was a Ferris wheel as well as a roller skate rink, which you could enjoy as you were listening to the music from artists at the Shein Surf Stage and the Boom stage. At the festival you could also play with puppies and participate in games for your favorite drink! Hangout had an air-conditioned tent where people could sit and get puppy kisses, a very popular activity during those three days. One could also walk around and browse through all different kinds of food, and shop on site for cool festival and artist merchandise. Hangout even had an on site chapel, where people could go and get married, and couples definitely took their chance and got engaged during several music sets, one being The Backseat Lovers.
5/21/2022 at Hangout Fest | Dylan Basden Photography
Having nearly 40,000 people concentrated around 6 stages is no easy task, but Hangout Staff and organizers definitely took the MVP prize, making sure everyone was safe and sound while still having a good time. The staff members were passing out water and food for the crowd, the medical staff was always in a hustle taking care of those fans who needed a break, and Hangout had signs reminding you to stay hydrated scattered over the entire festival.
5/21/2022 at Hangout Fest | Dylan Basden Photography
With good fans, good activities and good care facilities, one could have the best time possible watching their favorite artists on stage. The line up was stacked with spectacular artists; The Vegabonds, Meet Me At the Altar, Stephen Sanchez, Tove Lo, Two Feet, mike., Russ, Louis The Child, Lil Naas X and Red Hot Chili Peppers opening the festival on the first day; flipturn, Kid G, Highly Suspect, COIN, The Maine, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Flume, Paramore and SZA keeping it strong and steady on the second day; The 502s, Beach Weather, Jessie Murph, Hippie Sabotage, Young Gravy, Noah Kahan, The Backseat Lovers, Mayday Parade, Ashnikko, The Kid Laroi, Kevin Gates, Skrillex and Calvin Harris closing the festival with a golden brooch. Every artist at Hangout Music Festival 2023 was ready to bring the party and give out great performances.
Calvin Harris 5/21/2022 at Hangout Fest | Dylan Basden Photography
All in all, Hangout Music Festival 2023 was nothing short of a success, yet what is in the fans' minds after such a weekend is the question, what will Hangout Music Festival 2024 have in store?
Want to catch the rest of WEGL's Hangout Fest coverage from this weekend? Check out the links to our other recaps below!
Hangout Music Festival: Day 1 Recap
Hangout Music Festival: Day 2 Recap
Hangout Music Festival: Day 3 Recap
