Now that we are well into October it means the festival season for 2017 is winding down. It also means that lineup season is almost upon us. Obviously January is the big month with Coachella, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and a lot more linesup. However, before that happens we are also expecting the Hangout Fest 2018 lineup - at least if the recent trend continues. The table below shows the date Hangout has released their lineup recently.
Year |
Day of Lineup Announcement |
2014 |
January 15th |
2015 |
January 12th |
2016 |
November 17th |
2017 |
November 29th |
As you can see they have transitioned from mid-January to November. If that holds true again in 2018 it means the Hangout 2018 lineup is nearly here! So who should / could headline? Let's first go over who has headlined Hangout in recent years:
2017 - Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots, Frank Ocean / Phoenix, Chance The Rapper
2016 - The Weeknd, Calvin Harris, Florence + The Machine
2015 - Foo Fighters, Zac Brown Band, Beck
2014 - The Black Keys, The Killers, Outkast, Jack Johnson
2013 - Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon
So typically there are three or four headliners, with at least two being big rock acts. So with that in mind here are our picks for who could headline Hangout 2018, as well as other people in contention.
Yes, yes I know - not everyone likes The Killers. That said, they will be touring next year and currently their dates go to May 5th, 2018 in Australia. Hangout will be a couple of weeks after that, which gives them plenty of time to make it back to the States for some US festival headlining spots in the summer. They last headlined Hangout in 2014, so it has been long enough, and often do headline festivals on their album releases. They did a few festival in 2017 and I expect some more in 2018, including Hangout.
How fun would this be on the beach? Perhaps it's just wishful thinking but Gorillaz would be a lot of fun at Hangout 2018, and could make a lot of sense. They've never headlined Hangout and will be touring into 2018. Currently their tour dates go through the end of March, leaving them wide open for a summer tour. They've been doing a lot of festivals in 2017, but mostly Live Nation. Hangout would be a great opportunity to fit in a Goldenvoice festival in 2018. Please make this happen Hangout!
Vampire Weekend has been rumored to be making their glorious return for years now and year after year it hasn't happened. Well, in 2018 it could finally happen and it could lead to a headlining spot at Hangout. Hangout typically features at least one (usually more) rock headliners, and Vampire Weekend with a new album could make a lot of sense. They will be touring, likely aren't big enough to headline larger festivals like Coachella but likely would at a place like Hangout, and they have never headlined at Hangout. That could change in 2018 if they are back on the festival circuit.
I thought about putting a rapper here, but outside of Kendrick I don't know who it could be: Jay-Z is locked into a Live Nation contract, Chance just headlined, I can't see Eminem playing Hangout when he hasn't done Coachella, and on ward. It could be argued Odesza wouldn't be big enough to headline, but they did just top the billing of Bumbershoot, which is a similarly sized festival. They are also booked for a lot of Goldenvoice shows / venues this year, making it seem more apparent they would play some of their festivals. We are already expecting them to have a high billing at Coachella, and I could see them as the lower end 4th headliner at Hangout.
Those are just my picks on who makes sense for Hangout 2018, but there are plenty of artists in contention. Here's who else we are expecting to be on the festival circuit in 2018 and a potential headliner for Hangout.
That's just who we see as likely 2018 Hangout headliners. Who do you want to see in Gulf Shores at Hangout 2018? Let us know in the comments below! It may seem like a long time until Hangout, but it will be here before you know it - I look forward to seeing you all on the beach again next May!