Lyft and Uber fares soar to new heights during Outside Lands

Those who drove themselves faced a battle for street parking – a frustrating task that could easily cause one to miss a fine editor like Ethel Cain – but an even worse fate awaited those who chose to use the ride-hailing service.

Since SFGATE has become an annual tradition, once the Kendrick Lamar home set is over, we priced the cost of the ride from Golden Gate Park to various destinations in the Bay Area. Not surprisingly, the fare increase was in full effect, and even short trips of less than 10 minutes within San Francisco averaged at least $50.

Lyft seemed much more expensive. A short drive from the Fulton St. exit. For the festival to NoPa—a three-mile total that’s estimated to take less than 10 minutes, even in festival traffic—she clocked in at $71 on Lyft and $48 on Uber. A trip west to Dogpatch costs $98 on Lyft and $65 on Uber. The only example of Lyft pricing Uber was a trip to the Civic Center/UN Plaza BART Station, which cost $82 on Uber and $78 on Lyft.

A ride to a West Oakland BART station can cost as much as a festival ticket, with Lyft pricing the ride at $168, compared to $103 for Uber. San Jose was really tough, with an Uber fare of $120 and Lyft asking a whopping $370.

Prices were relatively similar to 2022 but they were a few dollars higher overall and they’ve been going up for longer. Most notable was the price disparity for the two largest ride-hailing companies, with Uber proving to be a better deal. But whichever app you choose, this experience made one thing very clear — if your thighs can handle it, the best way to get to and from the festival is by bike.