Paul Simon To Make Special Appearance Headlining Outside Lands
Artist To Donate Net Proceeds From His Performance To Local Environmental Organization(s)
Outside Lands announced today that Paul Simon will return for a special live performance this August as the artist to close the festival on Sunday, August 11th. The full festival lineup will be revealed soon.
While no longer touring, Paul Simon has previously stated his commitment to perform the occasional concert in benefit of philanthropic organizations he supports, particularly those in the area of environmental protection and ecology. Outside Lands’ location in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, combined with the shared environmental initiatives of the Festival producers provided Paul Simon this perfect opportunity. To this end, Simon will be donating the entire net proceeds from his Outside Lands performance to local environmental non-profit organization(s) to be announced shortly.
Outside Lands has proven to be a leader in sustainability in today’s festival landscape and has remained committed to such causes throughout its 12-year history.
Of Outside Lands, Simon said, “I’m looking forward with great anticipation to playing at Golden Gate Park this summer. This will be my first appearance there, and it’s an honor to join the long line of musicians who’ve given the park its sanctified musical heritage. I’m equally pleased to be playing in San Francisco with its well-deserved reputation for being in the forefront of environmental issues. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be of service to this vital cause.”
No stranger to concerts in, and benefitting, iconic parks, in 1981, Simon performed with Art Garfunkel in New York’s Central Park in front of 500,000 people. Proceeds went toward redevelopment and maintenance of the park, which had deteriorated due to lack of municipal funding. Simon returned to Central Park a decade later, in 1991, to play to a record-setting 750,000 people.
Outside Lands is committed to preserving Golden Gate Park and promoting sustainability in San Francisco and beyond. The festival hopes to motivate other events around the world to follow suit in their efforts to increase environmental consciousness, waste diversion rates, and earth-friendly programs.
For the festival’s inaugural year in 2008, Outside Lands diverted 65% of total waste from landfills. Improving upon those efforts each year, the festival increased their waste diversion rate in 2018 to an impressive 92% and also went “Plastic Straw Free,” donated 1.25 tons of food and introduced more reusable beer mugs and wine glasses.
In addition to Outside Lands having the highest waste diversion rate of any music festival in the U.S., it also features a number of dedicated programs entirely focused on sustainability and environmental education:
- Eco Lands is a dedicated area within the festival footprint that includes the presence of many arts and environmental non-profit partners. The goal is to provide an educational forum for sustainability, showcasing local community organizations and encouraging involvement.
- Outside Lands Works is a charitable fund created by the Festival that invests in the cultural vitality of the Bay Area through grants to regional non-profit arts and education programs.
- Refillable Water Program
- Local and Regional Shuttle Program
- Plastic Straw Free
- Free Bike Valet
- Annual Beach Clean Up Events
- Farmers Market
- Flower Lands
ABOUT OUTSIDE LANDS
Since its inception, Outside Lands has evolved into a beloved San Francisco tradition and boom for the Bay Area, as thousands of fans from around the world flood the iconic city for an incomparable weekend in one of the world’s greatest green spaces. Outside Lands is simultaneously a true destination festival and a celebration of the region’s best.
Visit www.SFOutsideLands.com for lineup and on sale information coming soon.
ABOUT PAUL SIMON
Paul Simon’s varied philanthropic work includes the co-founding of the Children’s Health Fund, which donates and staffs 53 mobile medical units that bring health care to low-income children and their families around the United States, providing more than 3 million doctor/patient visits since its inception in 1987.
In June 2017, net proceeds from Simon’s month-long U.S. concert tour were donated to benefit the Half-Earth Project, an initiative of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. During Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour in 2018, he left a financial gift in each city he visited on tour, benefitting local youth and environmental organizations.
In a letter to fans announcing his Farewell Tour and retirement from touring last year, Simon said, “After this tour, I anticipate doing the occasional performance…and to donate those earnings to various philanthropic organizations, particularly those whose objective it is to save the planet, ecologically.”