Hangout Fest 2023

Gulf Shores, Alabama 

Words and Images by Canonblue Lalley

Sun. Beach. Thousands of festival goers and one of the most eclectic lineups I’d seen in years. Only one word can sum up the whole of a Hangout Fest weekend; epic. The lineup was star studded, but one of my favorite aspects of Hangout is the way they don’t pigeon hole themselves into a particular genre. On the Boom Boom stage may be Two Feet, soulful electronic while over on the SheIn stage you may find Ashnikko with her out-of-this-world alien-like stage presence and edgy pop tracks. Dj’s, country singers, indie artists… you’d be hard pressed not to find someone (or several someones) who fit your musical taste. 

The festival vibe was electric on day one, everyone bright eyed and glittered up in their carefully chosen festival outfits. One of the very best things about this beach fest is the acceptance I’ve seen shining through each year we’ve gotten to cover it. The crowd is filled with people from every walk of life, every race, gender and body type. Everyone is so positive, so eager to hype up the other participants. You’ll see phones exchanging hands with complete strangers to help capture the perfect photos for the ‘gram. The crowded stages are stacked with bodies all looking out for each other, keeping keen eyes out for signs of heat exhaustion or distress. The overall vibe of Hangout is more of “everybody just be real cool and we will have a good time.”

Immediately when we got in, our party stopped to grab some of the festival’s famous brisket mac and cheese. Delicious and filling, if not a little heavy for the heat. We grabbed pickle popsicles and refilled our waters at the complimentary refill stations and headed into the music. Two Feet was the first stage off the bat and his crowd did not disappoint. His hypnotic sound had everyone moving and swaying, singing to each other just as the sun started to lower in the sky. Then we were off to several other stages, ending with  Lil Nas X, and RHCP. 

Lil Nas X put on one of the coolest visual shows I’d captured in a long time. Props, dedicated dancers and his larger than life personality had thousands of people singing for him, moving and shaking to the beat. Other artists performing at the fest were Paramore, SZA, Noah Kahan, Yung Gravy, Skrillex, Paramore and Ashe. Sabrina Carpenter was the definite stand out performance, proving that next year she definitely needs to be on a bigger stage. Her energy was infectious, and the kindness that radiated off of her when she spoke to and about her fans had everyone enamored. 

Kicking off the first run in their new tour, Hayley and the crew of Paramore shook the very ground with their upbeat vibe and rock riot sound. Over the years, this band just keeps elevating their sound, their look and their overall performances. They may have grown to super stadium stardom, but having seen them before the breakout of Misery Business in the 2000’s, they go just as hard now as they did then. 

Highly Suspect rocked out the early afternoon, giving us that classic California drawl we’ve come to expect. The crowd took over the vocals in “Serotonia” and serenaded the band. There was also a guest appearance in the form of a song of the Swifite Nation, with thousands of people singing Taylor Swift in unison during the downtime between sets at the SheIn stage. 

Roller rinks, wedding chapels, puppy snuggling booths, voting signup booths. 

If there’s one thing Hangout does exceptionally well, it’s diversifying the attractions to have something for everyone. The best way to catch the end of night fireworks is absolutely the ferris wheel, and I was grateful to be able to snag a spot during SZA to see the show. 

If you’ve ever been on the fence about attending a beach based festival, Hangout is a wonderful intro to the summer season and with it being so close to home, it’s well worth the hour and a half drive to be a part of something truly magical. 

Until next year!