If you attend a lot of music festivals, they can all start to run together. But the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, AL, is truly one of a kind. Organized by the Hangout festival organizers and Goldenvoice (the same company behind Coachella), the nine-year-old event is a beach vacation and festival experience rolled into one. Despite originally hailing from nearby Pensacola, FL, I had never attended Hangout Fest until this year, and it definitely lived up to my high expectations.
Held May 18 to 20, this year's Hangout saw about 40,000 attendees each day flocking to the small town on the Gulf of Mexico for a wildly diverse lineup. Headliners included The Killers, The Chainsmokers, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar, as well as Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, SZA, Portugal. The Man, The Cold War Kids (pictured above), Grouplove, St. Vincent, and a bunch of smaller bands I discovered at the fest.
Like most large music festivals, Hangout feels sort of like adult Disneyland, with plenty of activities and booze to keep you entertained between sets. Plus, it's pretty hard to beat the setting. Scroll through to see my 26 favorite parts of Hangout Music Fest 2018.
