Watch Charli XCX Join the Strokes for “Take It Or Leave It” at Outside Lands

During the second day of the Outside Lands 2026 festival, the rock band The Strokes delivered a performance that included a major guest appearance. According to coverage from Pitchfork, the band brought out megastar Charli XCX to perform the song “Take It Or Leave It.” This collaboration served as the biggest surprise of the event, adding a high-profile pop element to the rock group's set. The performance took place as part of the wider festival schedule in San Francisco, where multiple artists performed across various stages during the weekend events. Reporting on the event varies across several outlets, each highlighting different aspects of the day. Pitchfork provided visual documentation of the collaboration between Charli XCX and The Strokes.

Meanwhile, SFist described the performance as a moment of redemption for The Strokes, while also noting that Lucy Dacus performed and that drag queens had a significant presence during the day's festivities. The SFGate report focused specifically on the shock value of the surprise guest, labeling Charli XCX a megastar and the appearance as the most significant surprise of the Outside Lands gathering. Context for the event includes a broader discussion about the demographics of the festival's performers and attendees. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the presence of "nepo babies" who they claim took over Outside Lands 2026. This suggests a cultural tension or observation regarding the backgrounds of those appearing at the festival.

The integration of a modern pop icon like Charli XCX with a legacy act like The Strokes illustrates the eclectic nature of the 2026 lineup, which blended indie rock, pop, and diverse performance art such as the drag queen acts mentioned by SFist. Future attention will likely center on the aftermath of these high-profile collaborations and the broader reception of the festival's curation. While the immediate focus remains on the footage of the “Take It Or Leave It” performance, the narratives established by the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the influence of certain social classes at the event may continue to be discussed. Coverage does not yet specify if Charli XCX and The Strokes have further planned collaborations beyond this single surprise appearance at Outside Lands.