That’s a wrap. Hangout 2024 has come and gone and turned out to be a great success despite some uncertain weather conditions. This year’s festival featured exciting new additions, including the Boom on the Beach stage presented by SHEIN, which was moved to the beach with enhanced production elements like more LED lighting and lasers. This stage hosted artists such as The Chainsmokers, Subtronics, and Alison Wonderland, and offered an expanded VIP area with shaded lounges and upgraded bars. Additionally, the Shoreline stage presented by Malibu Rum debuted, located between the Boom and Hangout stages, with acts like Koe Wetzel and Doechii, and a unique beautiful backdrop featuring the Gulf of Mexico . Festival-goers enjoyed the new Nosh Pit for all-day snacks and increased shaded areas with large structures and dining pavilions. Pass-specific perks included an expanded GA Plus lounge with amenities like permanent bathrooms and a jungle gym, enhanced VIP viewing spaces and amenities at the Boom on the Beach stage, and exclusive Super VIP front-row viewing spots.
Friday’s performances kicked off under cool, overcast skies which was very much underappreciated compared to Sunday! Standout acts including The Beaches, A Day to Remember and Del Water Gap started the day off with a bang, and Dominic Fike brought an electric performance to the main stage. Despite a delay, Lana Del Rey entering in off of beach vehicles reminiscent of her Coachella entrance, was the highlight of the day. Her set featured a host of surprise guest appearances including Tommy Genesis to perform “Peppers” from her latest album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, a track on which Genesis is already featured. Lana also brought out rising pop sensation Benson Boone who performed a duet version of his hit song “Beautiful Things”, and Country star Jelly Roll to wrap up the performance with “Sweet Home Alabama” accompanied by Fireworks! All and all, Friday set a good standard of how the weekend would shape up to be and gave some much needed lessons such as wearing comfortable shoes even in the sand.
When planning and checking the forecast for the festival, Saturday was a big mystery. With storms predicted to overtake most of the day and strong storms throughout the night, much was uncertain about what the day would bring. This prompted a slight shift in gate and set times by about an hour, which I think was a good decision on behalf of the festival organizers. To our luck, the storms held off the entire day and everything was smooth sailing and extremely comfortable temperature wise as all the humidity had disappeared. Saturday brought us some of the best sets of the entire weekend, including Alabama native Jessie Murph, Koe Wetzel, and more. Some who really stuck out to us were Chappell Roan and Cage the Elephant. Roan, despite an earlier set time, garnered one of the larger crowds of the weekend and she did not disappoint. Dawning some tailored football gear, her and her band raged out to “Femininomenon” and orchestrated one of the largest crowd dance routines we’ve seen to her hit song “Hot To Go!” I was already a fan of her music, but that sealed the deal for me. She is a must see act live.
Anyone who follows Cage the Elephant knows the past couple years have been sporadic and hazy, wondering if the band would be able to bounce back from issues off the stage. Turns out that there was an explanation as to why the strange chain of events led to the singer Matt Schultz being arrested on gun charges. In a recent review with The Rolling Stone, Schultz opened up about experiencing a “psychotic response to prescribed medication”. Hangout Festival was one of their first performances since being on the other side of their hardship and they did not skip a beat. They brought their expected chaotic energy to the stage in the Gulf accompanied with jumping in the crowd and pyrotechnics. The performance was inspiring knowing the mental space the members came from and what they had to overcome in order to do something they loved, which was conveyed in their expression on stage.
Saturday wrapped up with an unforgettable performance from Odesza who comes as part of their “The Final Goodbye Tour” which appears to be a farewell to their live performances for the foreseeable future. Complete with a drumline, synchronized fireworks, and more pyrotechnics with top tier lasers, the performance was mesmerizing and a spectacle. If you have the chance to still catch them before the tour ends, we highly recommend making the trip.
Sunday brought clear skies and performances by All Time Low, Sexyy Red, and Nelly. Megan Moroney’s set, featuring a surprise duet with Lana Del Rey, stood out. The festival concluded with a performance by Zach Bryan, providing a fitting end to a weekend of diverse and memorable musical experiences.
Sunday was by far the hottest day and brought us incredible performances by incredible acts such as All Time Low, Sexy Red, Nelly, Renee Rapp, Megan Moroney and Subtronics. Baltimore natives, All Time Low, brought the energy to start the day including Guitarist Jack Barakat playing poolside in the VIP Lounge. It was a great way to start off the day with throwback hits like “Dear Maria Count Me In” and “Lost in The Stereo”. Sexyy Red was arguably the hottest set, both literally and figuratively. So much so that the DJ stand overheated prompting a short delay. Nonetheless the crowd was rabid once she hit the stage. The crowd sang along to nearly every word of the songs. Her hit song “Get it Sexyy” was so popular, it needed to be played twice. Nelly was one of the biggest highlights of the entire weekend, let alone the day. Some may forget how deep his catalog actually is and the range he has hit across the years within different genres. He was almost a perfect fit for a top slot on the lineup this year, attracting what felt like the largest crowd including stuffing the VIP lounge. Megan Moroney had a pretty big surprise lined up for her devoted fans while performing on the Malibu Rum Shoreline Stage. With much anticipation building throughout the weekend from cryptic posts on social media from Lana Del Rey speculation began building around who would bring out the sad girl icon. I think it’s safe to say no one guessed it would’ve but The Emo Cowgirl herself Megan Moroney. Once everyone heard from a distance, festival goers suddenly started sprinting to catch a glimpse. As the day grew into night we were treated to the most beautiful sunset and a much needed release from the heat.
The Stage was set for Oklahoma Product Zach Bryan to close out the festival, fans were treated to an intimate performance that despite a couple crowd wellness checks went off without a hitch. Bryan has a raw emotion to his voice that is unmatched and incredibly in tune with his studio recordings, seeing him live definitely adds an element to the music that is truly special. After a long wait for an encore fans were treated to a lengthy extended version of his song “Revival” complete with band member introductions and accompanying solos per instrument. As fans held hands and stomped to the beat of the music, fireworks started to fill the night sky, and as the tune of Sweet Home Alabama rang out for the last time Hangout 2024 came to a close.
Photos & Words by Jaikcub