Day 1 of Hangout Fest 2023 was a huge success with lots of sunshine, sunscreen, and good times. Festivalgoers were eager for the day to start, arriving early to line the barricades in anticipation of their favorites hitting the various stages the festival boasts. Leading Friday on the beaches of the Gulf Shores were headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, with Lil Nas X, REZZ, Louis The Child, and other prominent acts. Read on for more highlights from Day 1.

Stephen Sanchez

Stephen Sanchez kicked off the weekend with a captivating performance on the Shein Surf Stage. His energy always shines through in his music and the way he plays guitar. The crowd loved every single second of Sanchez serenading with cuts off, Easy On My Eyes, his first project to be released by Republic Records.

Tove Lo

Shortly after, Tove Lo hit the Hangout Stage and embraced the crowd with so much love. The Swedish star has no shortage of hits, which she played throughout her set while sprinkling in unreleased music set to come out later this year. Tove’s biggest fans showed up for her, singing back every word and radiating from the crowd. Even with all of the incredible acts on the lineup, I couldn’t walk away; Tove Lo was so mesmerizing.

Gryffin

The sounds of Russ and Two Feet filled the air as I was heading to see DJ/producer Gryffin. His set had the Shein Surf Stage crowd jumping and bobbing heads left and right. The sun was starting to set on a beautiful first day as Gryffin stepped away from behind the decks to play guitar, it was such a fun moment. Gryffin was definitely a highlight and must-see at upcoming festivals.

Lil Nas X

Hitmaker Lil Nas X made his debut at Hangout Fest this year and it was easily one of the must-see sets of the weekend. Fit with grandiose stage production, non-stop choreography, theatrics, and some of most iconic songs of the past five years, Lil Nas X had the crowd dancing, screaming for him, and singing along.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Can you imagine anything better than wrapping Day 1 with RHCP? Me neither. The legendary rockers had the entire crowd rocking out to their classic hits like “Snow (Hey Oh)” and “Californication.” They also gave fans a taste of their 2022 album, Return of the Dream Canteen, as they performed “Tippa My Tongue” and “Eddie.” The band was visibly so excited to be at Hangout Fest and in return, the crowd thanked them by giving the best energy of the night.

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That’s a wrap on our Hangout Fest 2023 Day 1 Recap! Follow Soundazed on Instagram and Twitter for updates all weekend.