Photo Credit: Jake West for Insomniac Events

From May 17th to May 19th, the electronic dance music community was treated to a whirlwind of drone shows, fireworks, and surprises as Insomniac, the mastermind behind Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas, delivered its 2024 edition of the festival. EDC continues to take the festival to a new level each year, showcasing exactly why it remains the most important electronic music festival out there. This was not one to miss — here’s a peek of the action.

Over three nights, a vibrant and lively community of over 525,000 attendees gathered to celebrate life, love, art, and music under the Electric Sky, bringing the unique world of EDC to life. Featuring more than 230 artists across nine stages, the EDC Las Vegas lineup is carefully curated each year to highlight the diverse foundations of dance music culture.

This year‘s edition of EDC had the theme of kineticCIRCLE, aiming to celebrate the circle of life and emphasizing community bonds and shared memories dancing under the Electric Sky.

Additionally, the Cathedral stage had been brought back 10 years later to kineticFIELD.

Each night at 1:41 am, attendees got to experience both a drone show and firework show. The drones illustrated various figures in the sky, including the kineticCIRCLE, a pulsing heart, ‘EDC Las Vegas’ written out, ‘welcome home headliners’ written out, and designs from previous years’ kinetic stage design.

Welcome to #kineticFIELD! ✨ 10 years later, the Cathedral has returned in a grand new way — uniting past and present. 💫

We hope some of you feel the nostalgia this weekend and that all of you create new memories that last a lifetime. ✨🌼 pic.twitter.com/gANTgm5Mrc

— EDC Las Vegas (@EDC_LasVegas) May 18, 2024

Revamped Layout and Activities

Acknowledging past bottlenecks and overflow issues, Insomniac implemented significant changes to the festival layout. Several stages, including bassPOD, wasteLAND, neonGARDEN, and quantumVALLEY, have relocated on the grounds in attempts to control the past discomfort and crowd flow from stages and walkways.

EDC Las Vegas also had welcomed the YeEDC Saloon, bringing a touch of country to the electronic music festival.

Proposals are common at EDC. If there were no proposals at another festival, that would be totally normal in my eyes. At EDC, it would be alarming without marriage proposals.

A particularly heartwarming one went down this year during the kineticFIELD performance of electronic music icon Benny Benassi, who invited a man to pop the question to his girlfriend onstage while their love-song “Cinema” played.

As every year, there were many wedding ceremonies held at the chapels within EDC for numerous couples to be wed throughout the weekend.

STIIIZY, renowned as the leading cannabis brand in the U.S., secured an exclusive sponsorship role at EDC. Making their inaugural appearance at EDC, STIIIZY crafted an immersive activation, showcasing their expertise in cannabis cultivation amidst the electric atmosphere of the festival.

Photo Credit: STIIIZY

The activation boasted a stunning 30-foot cannabis grow replica, adorned with 180 lifelike plants and equipped with 24 grow lamps, providing attendees with an engaging experience. Additionally, a dynamic spin wheel offered festival-goers the chance to win coveted STIIIZY merchandise and prizes, culminating in over 7,500 email sign-ups and a surge of interest in STIIIZY’s premium products and strains from eager attendees.

Performance Highlights

– A surprise “special guest” on Saturday’s circuitGROUNDS lineup sparked speculation about several possible artists.

Redditers had gone back and forth at the idea of it being Skrillex to follow Four Tet’s set, or a b2b between Skrillex and Four Tet. Considering it was sandwiched on the schedule by Four Tet’s performance, fans naturally thought the two were reuniting with Skrillex for another historic b3b set following last year’s Coachella weekend two headlining set. started out as an afterthought but quickly exploded in the social media realm when Fred again.. revealed himself to be in Vegas.

When the time had come, Fred ultimately performed solo and gave a fresh sound to the festival. It almost felt as though everyone present for his set was pouring out as far back as they could to hear and be a part of the surprise moment.

SURPRISE @fredagainagain1 🫶#EDCLV2024 is too good to be true. 🥲 pic.twitter.com/evnkItMMnv

— EDC Las Vegas (@EDC_LasVegas) May 19, 2024

– Following Saturday night’s surprise guest Fred Again, Dom Dolla’s EDC set was one of those sets that truly continued to ascend. Kicking off with his new unreleased track “Girls,” which debuted this year at his Red Rocks show and Coachella performances, the crowd was on fire as track after track met with another banger. Dom Dolla’s meteoric rise in the electronic music scene, with his unique style of house music, has connected with global audiences, making him one of the most exciting producers in the industry.

 

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– Married DJs Subtronics and LEVEL UP tore up EDC with their first-ever b2b set. Subtronics had a solo set at the mainstage on Friday and only added to the hype for the highlight anticipated b2b. Their performance featured some unreleased collaborations, so fans of the two dubstep producers can look forward to official “LEVELTRONICS” releases in the near future.

 

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– As Zedd closed his Saturday night mainstage set with his generational dance anthem “Clarity,” hundreds of drones in the sky formed the words “Z3 8/30,” revealing his third album and its release date. He formally announced the album, Telos, via social media this week.

Embracing clarity with open arms. 🤗 @Zedd #kineticFIELD pic.twitter.com/SpQNBAzA5C

— EDC Las Vegas (@EDC_LasVegas) May 19, 2024

– Alison Wonderland, who headlined the EDC mainstage at 3 am on Saturday night, also made a surprise appearance on the Rynobus art car throwing down a powerful techno set

Makeup and beauty overall is a significant outlet of expression within the rave community.

In a groundbreaking move that merges the worlds of music and beauty, Australian DJ and producer Alison Wonderland also made waves with the announcement of her upcoming makeup brand, Wonderland Beauty.

Wonderland Beauty promises to bring the same creativity and innovation that defines Alison’s music to the realm of cosmetics. EDC attendees had the exclusive opportunity to preview products from Wonderland Beauty at a meet and greet Sunday at Zouk club in Hilton’s Resorts World.

Photo Credit: DONSLENS

– DJ Snake performing mainstage at kineticFIELD took the mic to criticize Tomorrowland seemingly unprovoked. “EDC is way better than Tomorrowland,” he said. “For real. F*** Tomorrowland.” Snake took his contempt a step further after his performance by doubling down on X, where he wrote, “EDC VEGAS > TOMORROWLAND.”

DJ Snake calls out @tomorrowland at @EDC_LasVegas in front of tens of thousands of attendees 😲 pic.twitter.com/KgzdKznLP0

— We Rave You (@weraveyou) May 19, 2024

Other notable performers included Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Alesso, Diplo, Deadmau5, Sara Landry, Eli Brown, Odd Mob, James Kennedy from Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, and many others.

EDC Las Vegas veterans know the festival is a marathon, not a sprint.

And those who drank enough electrolytes were rewarded Monday morning on the Mesa in Camp EDC, where Mau P and John Summit threw down around 7 am closing out this year’s chapter of the music festival.

nothin like a sunrise afters pic.twitter.com/PF40rpEvUK

— John Summit (@johnsummit) May 20, 2024

One of the most intriguing aspects of the stacked performances was the breakdown of artists by their respective agencies.

From powerhouse players like Wasserman, United Talent Agency (UTA), William Morris Endeavor (WME), and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to smaller boutique agencies, each agency’s influence was evident in shaping the diverse roster of talent that graced the stages of EDC Las Vegas 2024.

Photo Credit: Booking Agent Info

With the graphic provided by Booking Agent Info, among the headliners represented by Wasserman were DJ Snake, Zedd, Alison Wonderland, David Guetta, Diplo, and John Summit. United Talent Agency (UTA) brought in heavy hitters like Timmy Trumpet, Paul Van Dyk, Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Infected Mushroom. Liaison Artists showcased talents such as Jamie Jones, Nicole Moudaber, Eric Prydz, Ferry Corsten, and Markus Schulz. William Morris Endeavor (WME) featured artists like Sofi Tukker, Steve Aoki, Peggy Gou, Malóne, Martin Garrix, and Alesso. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) boasted a lineup including Prunk, Purple Disco Machine, Kyle Walker, Marsh, and Da Tweekaz. Corson Agency had a strong presence with acts like Darksiderz, Geo, Sound Rush, and Sub Zero Project. David Lewis Productions brought in Andruss, Armin Van Buuren, Matt Sassari, Mau P, and Nifra.

This behind-the-scenes glimpse added an intriguing layer to the festival’s dynamic lineup, highlighting the intricate web of connections and collaborations that brought the music to life.

Key takeaway for those wanting to attend next year:

Being in Las Vegas many rideshare drivers shared with us that they would not be driving anybody out to the festival or picking up from the festival as they have shared the return is not worth the hours of standstill traffic they Indore whether that’s dropping people off at the first or bringing them back to the strip.

I believe purchasing a shuttle pass is essential to attending EDC Las Vegas. Of course there’s the option of self driving but coming back at early hours into the next day at sometimes 6:00am or even later, who wants to be driving when they don’t need to be?

With the conclusion of another magical EDC Las Vegas, Insomniac wastes no time in looking ahead to the future.

Initial details for EDC Las Vegas 2025 have been announced, with dates set from May 16th to May 18th, 2025. As veterans and newcomers alike prepare to lock in their place under the electric sky, the legacy of EDC continues to evolve, promising even more surprises and unforgettable moments in the years to come.

Future Owl Passes will go on sale May 24th at 12pm PT, more info here.

Hard Summer Music Festival is making its move to Hollywood Park, adjacent to SoFi Stadium, August 3-4, 2024, in Inglewood, CA.

HARD Events has announced the 2024 edition of HARD Summer Music Festival. The festival has grown to become the biggest electronic music event in Los Angeles.

The 2024 lineup features a mix of electronic music’s top tier, underground artists, crossover acts, live performers, and emerging talent. In past editions, the festival had featured more rap and hip-hop acts. This year is the year of crossover acts.

The organizers put together a sweet reveal of the crossover acts with child versions of the DJs and producers.

going HARD since day 1!💥 Come thru HSMF 2K24 on August 3 + 4 at Hollywood Park adjacent to SoFi Stadium! 🤯 2-Day & Single Day tickets go On Sale this Friday, 3/8 @ 10AM PT for a $9.95 deposit (limited time only)! 🔗 FULL LINEUP at https://t.co/s83XEy4OqM pic.twitter.com/zaVj2VtzUT

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) March 5, 2024

Kicking off the stacked acts of this year’s lineup reveal with GRAMMY-nominated Disclosure, FISHER + Chris Lake: Under Construction, and REZZMAU5, a joint project of Rezz and deadmau5.

Last year at Coachella 2023, FISHER + Chris Lake: Under Construction brought over 50,000 people to the Outdoor Stage. In October 2023, the duo also took over the streets of Los Angeles, spanning from Cahuenga Boulevard to the top of Hollywood/Vine Street. 

Not only will there be heavy-hitting crossover acts, but there are some notable guest headliners – GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter Nelly Furtado, Jamie xx of The XX group, and international trio Major Lazer.

Heavier sounds will be prominent, with Subtronics, Zeds Dead, Sub Focus, Dimension, and emerging producer Hamdi on the lineup.

Several HARD Summer alumni will be returning to the festival. This includes Tchami x Malaa: No Redemption, Dillon Francis, SIDEPIECE, and “Diamonds On My Mind” ‘s Eli Brown. 

Fans of the festival will also have two remaining acts revealed at a later date. 

Hollywood Park spans nearly 300 acres on the same grounds of SoFi Stadium and YouTube Theater.

There will be five stages in total:

• The HARD Stage: known as the mainstage for the festival’s marquee acts. 
• Pink Stage: hosting house and techno
• The HARDER stage: hosting multi-genre acts throughout the festival. 
• Green Stage: hosting heavy bass and dubstep acts. 
• Purple Stage: club-minded DJ sets and live performances.

Fans can purchase festival passes, including Two-day GA, GA+, and VIP options, starting March 8 at 10 AM PST. For a limited time, the festival organizers are offering a $9.95 deposit. 

Full lineup from (A-Z)

33 Below

Ahadadream

Alleycvt

ARMNHMR

AYYBO

Beltran b2b Classmatic

BEME

Bianca Oblivion

Boys Noize

BUNT.

Camden Cox

Carola

Channel Tres

Chase & Status

Chloe Caillet

Chris Stussy

Cole Knight

Curra

Dillon Francis

Dimension

Disclosure

DJ Heartstring

DJ Susan

Elderbrook

Eli Brown

FISHER + Chris Lake: Under Construction

Gudfella

Hamdi

Hayes Bradley

Hedex

HoneyLuv b2b Bontan

INFEKT

Interplanetary Criminal

INVT

Jamie xx

Juelz

Jyoty

Kanine

Kenny Bears

Kerri Chandler

KETBOI69 (KETTAMA B2B PARTIBOI69)

Lake Hills

Level Up

Levity

Lupa

Major Lazer

Mary Droppinz

Matroda

Mochakk

Nazaar

Nelly Furtado

Notion

Oppidan

Overmono

Panteros666

Pocket

Ranger Trucco

Reaper

REZZMAU5

Saka b2b Fly

San Pacho

Seth Troxler b2b DJ Tennis

SIDEPIECE

Sofi Tukker (DJ Set)

SOSA

Sub Focus

Subtronics

Tchami x Malaa: No Redemption

Teko

TroyBoi

Wax Motif

Zeds Dead

Last night, Insomniac hosted its Night Owl Radio show to unveil the EDC Las Vegas 2024 lineup uniquely with Music Through Music. Those tuned into the livestream got a first-hand taste of the headliners for this year’s festival. Here’s the official reveal.

Insomniac, recognized as a leading creator of world-class music festivals and live entertainment experiences, announced the return of Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas. Transforming the iconic Las Vegas Motor Speedway from May 17th to May 19th, 2024, with an expected attendance of 525,000, festival goers will join to immerse themselves in this year’s theme, kineticCIRCLE.

kineticCIRCLE will commemorate the circle of life, emphasizing community bonds and the shared memories of the past and present, all dancing under the Electric Sky.

Artists performing in this year’s edition range from Kaskade, Dom Dolla, Tiësto, David Guetta, John Summit, FISHER, Diplo, Deadmau5, Illenium, Allison Wonderland, Purple Disco Machine, Eric Prydz and many more.

The anthem for this year’s EDC will be provided by Tiësto, featuring an exclusive track set to drop in May both as a standalone single and as part of the 2024 EDC Las Vegas compilation album.

In addition to the single acts, there will be many back-to-back sets from John Summit b2b Green Velvet, Carl Cox b2b Nicole Moudaber, Peggy Gou b2b Marcel Dettman, Subtronics b2b Level Up, and more.

Carl Cox, one of Britain’s most iconic house and techno DJs, will grace the EDC stage for the first time since 2015, marking a significant return.

This year’s festival will feature debut performances from artists such as Peggy Gou, Four Tet, Mersiv, LAYZ, Tape B, Bou, Lilly Palmer, Sara Landry, Marcel Dettman, and many others.

During the radio show, Insomniac Founder and CEO Pasquale Rotella unveiled plans for a revamped festival layout, exclusive production upgrades and stage features, and made general announcements.

• Significant changes are being made to the entire festival layout. A volume of attendees noted some bottleneck issues and overflow at some stages last year. This was the first note they acknowledged on the stream and announced significant changes for crowd flow and comfortability in mind. In addition, Insomniac and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway are working together to repave most of the asphalt, making it more convenient for foot traffic to navigate.
• bassPOD, wasteLAND, neonGARDEN, and quantumVALLEy will move and have new locations on the grounds.
• Downtown EDC will also be a part of the move with its new placement center stage within the festival grounds.
• Country is making its way to the electronic music festival with the YeEDC Saloon newly being implemented. The announcement of the artists slated to perform in this new space will be made at a later date.
• New art cars & new art installations.
• A few special guests, not mentioned in this announcement, are slated to perform at EDC Las Vegas and have yet to be revealed.
• Electric Daisy Carnival will be making its way to Thailand for the first time.

What are the costs?

3-Day General Admission tickets had sold out previously during the Early Owl sale. There are still tickets available for other tiered access. 

• 3-Day GA+ Experience Passes are available at $599 plus taxes and fees. 
• 3-Day VIP Elevated Experience Passes are available at $1,199.99 plus taxes and fees.

Artists in alphabetical order:

Abana b2b D. Zeledon

Acraze b2b Kream

Adam Beyer

Adam X

Adrenalize b2b Wasted Penguinz

Adventure Club

Airwolf Paradise

Alchimyst

Alesso

Alison Wonderland

Aly & Fila

Andrew Bayer

Andrew Rayel

Andruss

Angerfist

Argy

Armin van Buuren

ATLiens

Atmozfears

Audiofreq

Azzecca

BEC

Before Dawn

Ben Hemsley

Ben Sterling

Benny Benassi

Bianca Oblivion

Blastoyz

Boogie T

Bou

Boyz Noize

Boyz Noize b2b VTSS

Brina Knauss

Bryan Kearney

Calussa

Camden Cox

Carl Cox Invites

Carl Cox b2b Nicole Moudaber

Caspa

Cassian

Chef Boyarbeatz

Chelina Manuhutu

Cristoph

Clawz b2b Domina

Crankdat

Creeds & Helen Ka

D-Sturb

Da Tweekaz

Dabin

David Guetta

Daxson

Dead X b2b Levenkhan

Deadly Guns

Deadmau5

Death Code

Deborah De Luca

Deeper Purpose

Denis Sulta

Deorro

Devault

Devin Wild

Devin Wild b2b Keltek

Dillon Francis

Dimension

Diplo

DJ Heartstring

DJ Snake

Dom Dolla

East End Dubs

Eli Brown

Eli Brown b2b HI-LO

Emorfik

Eric Prydz

Excision

Fallen with MC Dino

Ferry Corsten

Fisher

Fleur Shore

Four Tet

Frosttop b2b RemK

GEO

Ghastly Presents Ghengar

Giuseppe Ottaviani

GRAVEDGR

Grigoré

Gryffin

HAAi

Hamdi

Hannah Laing

Hedex

Heidi Lawden

Hint Of Lavender

Hivemind (Kayzo x Space Laces x Must Die!)

Hixxy

HOL!

HoneyLuv

HUGEL

ILLENIUM

Indira Paganotto

Infected Mushroom

Interplanetary Criminal

[IVY]

J. Worra

Jamie Jones

Jeanie

Jessica Audiffred

John 00 Fleming

John Summit

John Summit b2b Green Velvet

Joluca

Jon Casey

Joseph Capriati

Justin Jay

Jyoty

Kai Wachi

Kasablanca

Kaskade

Kayzo Unleashed XL

Keltek

Kevin de Vries

Kevin Saunderson b2b DJ Minx

Khiva

Khomha

Klangkuenstler

Koven

Kreation b2b Darksiderz

Kyle Walker

Lady Faith

LAYZ

LF System

Lil Texas

Lilly Palmer

Lost Frequencies

LSDream

Luttrell

Maddix

Majestic

Malóne

Mandy

Marauda

Marcel Dettman

Markus Schulz

Marlie

Marsh

Martin Garrix

Mary Droppinz

Matroda

Matroda b2b San Pacho

Matt Sassari

Mau P

Max Styler

Melé

Mersiv

Metta & Glyde

Mind Against

Miss Dre

Mitis

Miyuki

MK

Naz

NGHTMRE

Nicole Moudaber

Nifra

Nightstalker

Ninajirachi

Noizu

Noizui b3b Westend b3b Melé

Odd Mob

Odd Mob x OMNOM: Hyperbeam

Oden & Fatzo

Orjan Nilsen & Mark Sizma Pres Nilsix

Öwnboss

Panteros666

Paul Oakenfold (Full on Fluoro)

Paul van Dyk

Peggy Gou

Peggy Gou b2b Marcel Dettman

Pocket

Prunk

Pryda

Purple Disco Machine

Ranger Trucco

Rated R

Rayben

Richter

Riordan

Sally C b2b Matisa

Sara Landry

Seven Lions

Shiba San

Shlømo

Sicaria

Sidney Charles

Skin on Skin

SLANDER

Sofi Tukker (DJ Set)

Soren

Sosa

Sound Rush

Steve Aoki

Sub Focus

Sub Zero Project

Subtronics

Subtronics b2b Level Up

Svdden Death

Talla 2XLC

Tape B

Taylor Torrence

Tiësto

Timmy Trumpet

ToBeHonest

Troyboi

Trym

Valentino Khan

Vintage Culture

Virtual Riot

Vuiiigur

Wade

Warface

Wasted Penguinz

Water Spirit

Wilkinson

Will Clarke

Wooli

Worship (Sub Focus b2b Dimension b2b Culture Shock b2b 1991)

Wuki

X-Coast

Yosuf

Yotto

Zedd

Zen Freeman

Zingara

Zomboy

Zuezeu

At 6 P.M. Pacific Time on February 29th, Insomniac’s Night Owl Radio will embark on a live journey, transforming the 2024 EDC Las Vegas lineup reveal into an interactive experience through the Music Through Music lineup unveiling.

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas is uniquely changing the way music festivals engage their community with a lineup announcement dubbed the “Music Through Music” lineup reveal. This innovative approach provides an interactive experience for Insomniac’s community of festival goers.

Scheduled to kick off at 6 P.M. Pacific Time on Insomniac’s official YouTube page, the “Music Through Music” lineup reveal will take the form of a special edition of Night Owl Radio.

Pasquale Rotella, Founder of Insomniac, will unveil the official lineup for EDC Las Vegas 2024 through a megamix. However, this won’t be the typical lineup announcement with an extensive list of names dropped. The Music Through Music lineup reveal will take the audience on an immersive journey through 255 tracks, each representing an artist on the festival’s lineup.

With 18 minutes in total, the mission for the EDC community and audience is to decode the lineup and piece together the puzzle of performers for this year’s event. 

Listeners may recognize familiar tracks off the bat, while others might rely on tools like Shazam to uncover the creators behind the music.

Behind-the-scenes footage from last night’s dress rehearsal for the “Music Through Music” lineup reveal has been shared with Digital Music News, showcasing the planning and excitement building up to the show. 

It’s important to note that the BTS footage serves as a teaser and no hints are included for tonight’s reveal from the rehearsal. As anticipation mounts and speculation runs wild, EDC Las Vegas continues to push the boundaries of creativity and community engagement in the festival landscape.

In an era where traditional lineup announcements have become the norm and feel like one dropping after the other, EDC Las Vegas 2024’s “Music Through Music” lineup reveal stands out as a bold and refreshing launch. 

By inviting fans to actively participate in decoding the lineup, the electronic music festival fosters excitement that will only garner more excitement for those who will be attending the festival in May. 

The audience for the livestream will be able to engage and interact with each other to assist in decoding the lineup before the official reveal.

The success of this reveal could encourage festival holders to reconsider the ways they engage their communities for lineup reveals. We might be embarking on a new journey of event organizers gamifying their headliner reveals.

Stay tuned for the full lineup reveal and list of all headliners performing at EDC Las Vegas 2024.

Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

From May 19th through May 21st, drawing over 525,000 attendees from around the world to EDC Las Vegas, Insomniac celebrated its 30th anniversary, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the music festival space.

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas, hosted by Insomniac, has established itself as a champion in electronic dance music (EDM) festivals. Since 2021, attendance has increased by nearly 100,000 more festival goers this year.

The festival took place once again at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, featuring nine stages, carnival rides, art installations, brand activations, and an overall immersive atmosphere.

This year global DJ icons like David Guetta, Tiesto, Zedd, Kaskade, Kaytranada, Afrojack, Alison Wonderland, Dom Dolla, Chris Lake, Marshmello, Fisher, and many more gave performances for attendees to dance from dusk ’til dawn.

The festival began at 5 PM on the first night and 7 PM on the second and third night. All three nights would have the final set ending at 5:30 AM.

I purchased a Premier shuttle pass, which made getting to the festival and back a seamless process. There is a security check at the shuttle stop before getting on the shuttle. Once dropped off at the festival, you’re ready to go through the gates instead of security again.

There was a bit of worry that there would be heavy traffic and wait times getting to the festival, as there is significant construction throughout the Las Vegas strip for Formula 1 (F1) preparations. Thankfully, I hadn’t run into any issues with this getting to and from the festival. The only hiccups were a bit more traffic getting from hotel to hotel on the strip during the day time.

Setting the Stage:

EDC Las Vegas, which transitioned from its origins in Los Angeles to the iconic Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011, offers a grand-scale production featuring nine stages this year, including kineticFIELD, circuitGROUNDS, cosmicMEADOW, bassPOD, stereoBLOOM, wasteLAND, neonGARDEN, quantumVALLEY, bionicJUNGLE. There were also multiple Art Cars throughout the festival holding performances.

This festival not only showcases over 230 artists representing diverse genres within dance music, but it also captivates attendees with its awe-inspiring art installations that contribute to the festival’s immersive environment.

Magical Moments and Unexpected Surprises:

While EDC Las Vegas is renowned for its exceptional music lineup, it goes above and beyond to deliver extraordinary experiences that transcend the boundaries of the dance floor. The festival offers legal wedding and commitment ceremony opportunities in Downtown EDC.

Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

Allegiant Rave Hanger held sets giving attendees an intimate experience rather than being out at the larger stages.

VOLTA Beauty gave festival-goers the chance to receive glamorous makeovers on-site, elevating their visual appearance.

The Kandi Casino, a hub for kandi enthusiasts, facilitates creating and trading these handmade bracelets, fostering connection and camaraderie among attendees.

Anniversary Lane was a walkway with large screens and lighting showcasing memorable clips and moments throughout the history of Insomniac.

Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

Unforgettable Performances:

EDC Las Vegas boasts an impressive lineup of globally renowned artists and DJs, attracting prominent figures such as David Guetta, Tiesto, Marshmello, Zedd, Afrojack, Kaytranada, and Kaskade. Their performances on the festival’s stages create an exhilarating atmosphere, ensuring attendees are held in a whirlwind of musical euphoria.

Alison Wonderland put on an unforgettable set while being nine months pregnant. That wasn’t the only baby news! An attendee went into labor during Zedd’s performance on Saturday night.

It was me 😅😭 pic.twitter.com/4aWAT39At0

— Cristina Celis (@tinacelis11) May 22, 2023

Day-by-Day Highlights:

Day 1: The opening day of EDC Las Vegas commenced with a stimulating cosmicMEADOW stage opening ceremony by Nostalgix and James Hype, setting the tone for an exciting weekend. I attended sets by Kream, Sidepiece, Fisher, Above & Beyond, and Wax Motif b2b Malaa.

Filled with infectious energy and unreleased tracks like “Take It Off,” Fisher’s set resonated deeply with the crowd.

Above & Beyond’s return after a four-year hiatus was met with immense anticipation, and their captivating set, enhanced by a gentle rainfall, reached its end with the timeless anthem “Sun & Moon.”

Day 2: I attended standout performances by Noizu, Dom Dolla, Kaskade, Subtronics, and Chris Lake. Dom Dolla’s set enchanted the audience as the crowd moved in unison and sang along to almost every track.

Dom Dolla’s performance also opened with an unreleased track of his featuring Nelly Furtado that they’ve been teasing on social media.

 

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Chris Lake featured his latest track with Aluna, “Beggin.’ The dynamic performance also featured the unreleased viral track from Chris Lake b2b Fisher at Coachella Music Festival this year, ‘Atmosphere.’ The track was a staple during this year’s EDC as other artists incorporated the track into their sets, like Chris Lorenzo.

 

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Subjohnics was a special guest on the lineup making up Subtronics and John Summit – a duo that first debuted together at Lost Lands, another Insomniac-produced event.

John Summit and Hayla’s “Where You Are” was a hit throughout the festival. There were at minimum four sets that I had attended that used the track or remixed the track.

Day 3: On the final day, I embarked on a voyage of exploration, dedicating myself to a single stage and embracing the unexpected musical enjoyments that unfolded. J. Worra, Chris Lorenzo, Tchami B2B AC Slater, Wax Motif, and Armin Van Buuren delivered captivating performances that night, epitomizing the essence of EDC Las Vegas. It was a day of musical discovery.

Setting myself up at the one stage, I discovered the best seat in the house for the firework show. The firework show took place each night, illustrating the electric sky.

On the bleachers at cosmicMEADOW, you would find yourself experiencing the firework show and all the beauty the festival setup had to offer.

Armin Van Buuren  was at the kineticFIELD and had a beautiful set bringing on stage the ‘Rave Mamas.’ April and Darlene, known as ‘Rave Mamas,’ had the mission to exemplify how the festival provides an atmosphere for any and all adult ages to feel welcomed at the festival.

Takeaways:

Reflecting on my first experience at EDC and this year’s experience, I noticed some takeaways from what I noticed improved and what could be elevated in the future. 

• The art installations at EDC Las Vegas consistently captivate attendees with their remarkable beauty and mesmerizing designs. EDC sets an exceptionally high standard for artistry and stage production, making it a challenging feat for any other festival to surpass.
• This year’s food vendors have enhanced with various food choices. 
• The VIP section has grown and shifted for some of the stages positively. 
• The bassPOD stage had beautiful architecture this year but, in turn, drew larger crowds that occupied walkways on the grounds. 
• The rails outside of VIP on the first night created slowed down and packed crowds attempting to get in. The organizers were quick to recognize this and removed this set up for the following days.
• The Insomniac app was helpful when discovering new experiences available at the festival and keeping track of my set time. An area the app can improve on is a more interactive map. 
• The firework show was magical, but I did miss the drone show element. If not incorporated into the nightly firework show, I’d like to see artists possibly incorporate this into their own set.
• If brands want to be more involved with this festival, it would be optimal to create an immersive experience that connects with the community and relays the mission EDC upholds.

For music business professionals, EDC offers a platform for showcasing and discovering talent and a place to forge meaningful connections and gain insight into the evolving EDM industry and the brands that want to be involved.

Pasquale Rotella, Founder and CEO of Insomniac, issued a message to attendees of this year’s EDC, “Thank you for an unforgettable weekend home. The energy and love we experienced from all of you was truly indescribable.”

“Reflecting on the past 30 years of Insomniac fills me with indescribable gratitude and emotion. What started as a simple dream has blossomed into a global family united by a love for music, community, and the ultimate rave experience.”

“We have incredible experiences and surprises in store for 2024, and I can’t wait to share them with all of you.”

EDC Las Vegas 2024 has already been announced, with the official dates May 17th, 18th, and 19th. The Future Owl Presale will go live at 10 AM PT on Friday, May 26th.

Photo Credit: Insomniac

Until April 28th, the EDC Las Vegas Charity Auction will be live for bidding to win experiences related to the music festival. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Inspiring Children Foundation and Camp Alamo. 

EDC Las Vegas, one of the most anticipated music festivals of the year, is set to return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from Friday, May 19th to Sunday, May 21st. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of celebrated EDM artists, including Kaskade, David Guetta, Zedd, Marshmello, Chris Lake, Dom Dolla, Subtronics, and many other talented performers.

This is the sixth edition of EDC Las Vegas Charity Auction, and has returned from a four-year break. By participating in the bidding, fans have the opportunity to acquire over 30 experiences that offer unique access to EDC Las Vegas.

Depending on the experiences you bid on and win, the attendee has an exceptional opportunity to experience the festival in a way they may not have had before.

Here are the 30 experiences available to bid on until April 28th:

The EDC Shopping Spree of Your Dreams: The winner of this experience and a friend will receive a $500 gift card each to shop for festival fashion at the Insomniac Shop. They will also enjoy a private meet & greet with a DJ of their choice from the EDC Las Vegas lineup. As a bonus, they get to skip the lines and be the first to select from the new EDC Las Vegas styles.

Join Deorro’s Crew for the Ultimate All-Access Experience: Become an official member of Deorro’s crew for the day. Meet Deorro at his hotel and witness the preparation process that goes into crafting a memorable performance. Gain access to the DJ booth with all-access passes at Marquee Dayclub and join him for a post-show dinner where you can converse with him and his team about the life of a DJ.

Insomniac Radio On-Air Broadcast Cameo: Go live on air from the Insomniac Radio booth at the festival’s artist lounge. Get a chance to meet and greet with different EDC Las Vegas artists as they drop by for their radio interviews. Then, it’s your turn to take over the airwaves and chat with an Insomniac Radio host about your festival experience. As a bonus, you’ll make a cameo appearance on the official Insomniac Radio festival recap video.

VOLTA Beauty Bar Transformation: One lucky winner and their friend can be the first to experience Insomniac’s new festival beauty bar with a full hair and makeup session by a skilled beauty professional to achieve their desired festival look. Following the immersive Beauty Salon experience, they will meet a DJ of their choice from the EDC Las Vegas lineup and receive limited edition EDC Las Vegas beauty products to take home.

Be an Up All Night Guest on Night Owl Radio: The lucky winner will participate in an Up All Night segment on Pasquale’s Night Owl Radio show, which airs on Insomniac Radio every Friday night. During the segment, they can chat with Pasquale and choose three of their favorite songs to be played on air.

Propose On Stage at EDC Las Vegas: One can have a truly memorable proposal story by popping the question on stage in front of thousands of fellow Headliners.

I’ve Got The Golden Festival Ticket: The winner of this special pass will have access to every Insomniac festival for the next year, from EDC Las Vegas 2023 to EDC Las Vegas 2024, along with other events like Forbidden Kingdom, Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge, Day Trip Festival, HARD Summer, Moonrise, Nocturnal Wonderland, and more.

Festival Sneak Preview: The winner and a friend will have the opportunity to get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of EDC Las Vegas from a member of the Insomniac production team. They can explore the festival venue before it opens to the public and even take a picture on the stage of their choice.

Meet the Insomniac Music Group Team: The winner will have the opportunity to attend a power meeting with the Insomniac Music Group team, providing an inside look into the dance music industry. During the meeting, they can learn valuable trade secrets from industry professionals across areas such as A&R, marketing, and promotions, which can help them on their journey to becoming the next up-and-coming star.

Get Styled by Acraze: ACRAZE, the producer of “Do It To It,” offers a shopping experience in Las Vegas for those seeking to add vibrancy and excitement to their wardrobe. With his expertise in fashion and bold style choices, he’ll help you create a look that will make you stand out on the dance floor at the world’s largest electronic music festival.

The Rockstar Moment of Your Dreams with Sullivan King: After Sullivan King’s set, the lucky winner will meet the performer backstage. As a special memento, he will present the winner with his autographed guitar, which he had just used moments before on stage at EDC Las Vegas. It’s an incredible opportunity to own a piece of festival history.

Tacos & Tequila with Noizu: The winner and two companions will have the chance to enjoy a pre-show tasting session of exquisite tacos and tequila with Noizu, the producer of “Summer 91”, backstage at EDC Las Vegas. In addition to tasting Noizu’s signature “Heaters Only” hot sauce, the winner and guests will also take home their own supply of the hot sauce and merchandise from Noizu.

It’s Modelo Time with Svdden Death: A winner and their guest will have the chance to meet Svdden Death backstage at EDC Las Vegas and share a drink of his favorite Modelo beer while taking a selfie together under the electric sky.

Los Angeles Dinner Feast with Yellow Claw: A winner and ten friends will have the opportunity to share an authentic Indonesian meal with Yellow Claw at Simpang Asia, their favorite restaurant, for a true Barong family experience.

Wet Republic Dayclub Experience with Loud Luxury: The winner and a friend will receive tickets to Loud Luxury’s Wet Republic pool party and exclusive access to the DJ booth. 

Master Class with Yotto: The winner will have the opportunity to hang out with the renowned Finnish artist Yotto and gain insights into music production and the dance music business. In a private one-hour session, the winner can discuss various topics, such as creating a unique sound, production strategies, and what dance music labels look for when reviewing demos. Yotto, also the head of the Odd One Out label, can share his take on growing in the electronic music industry, including running one’s own record label.

Smore’s with Marshmello: Create your very own s’mores alongside Marshmello backstage at EDC Las Vegas. Enjoy the company of the DJ and your chosen guest as you cook up delicious treats.

The Ultimate Hotel EDC Flyaway Experience: Experience the ultimate home for EDC Las Vegas Headliners, Hotel EDC, as the guest of honor during a 3-night stay at Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World. The package includes specially curated accommodations and experiences, with round-trip flights provided by Allegiant Air. Besides enjoying all the perks of Hotel EDC, the winner and a guest will also have DJ booth access at AYU Dayclub, a meet & greet, one evening dinner for two, and other gifts to bring them into the center of the action.

I’ve Got The Golden Club Ticket: An electronic dance music enthusiast can enjoy endless party nights with this golden guestlist pass. The winner of this sweepstake will receive general admission access to select Insomniac club nights of their choice until April 30th, 2024. In addition to general admission access, the pass provides access to a dedicated guestlist entry line at participating Insomniac nightclub venues, including Academy LA, Exchange LA, TIME, and NOVA SD.

Your Own Personal Photographer: An individual has the chance to commemorate their experience at EDC Las Vegas with a special photo opportunity. The lucky winner will have an Insomniac photographer document two hours of their festival experience, along with their friends. The winner will also receive a digital gallery of the captured moments to keep as a cherished memory.

The Ultimate neonGARDEN Experience: The winner of this experience will have the unique opportunity to be on stage during a neonGARDEN set of their choice at EDC Las Vegas 2023. They will also receive a signed print of the 2023 neonGARDEN design rendering and a merch package from neonGARDEN and Factory 93. Additionally, the winner and a guest will have access to the nightly neonGARDEN skydeck experience and will have the chance to meet and greet with their preferred neonGARDEN artist.

Be On Stage for a DJ Set: The lucky winner will have the opportunity to experience the festival from a unique perspective by hanging out on stage during a set and seeing it from the DJ’s point of view.

Chris Lorenzo’s “Late Checkout” Experience: The winner will get the opportunity to meet with Chris Lorenzo, the UK Producer, and “Lake Checkout” label head backstage at EDC Las Vegas. The winner will receive the first-ever robe from Lorenzo’s exclusive merch drop as a personal gift during the encounter. This is a limited-edition item with only 40 available in the world.

Backstage Beer Pong with Ship Wrek: Join the Ship Wrek duo for a friendly game of beer pong during EDC Las Vegas, followed by an opportunity to snap a group selfie from the DJ booth.

Backstage Beer Pong with Valentino Khan: Challenge Valentino Khan to a game of Beer Pong with your best teammate backstage at EDC Las Vegas.

Lowkey with Mau P during EDC Week: Experience Lowkey in the Library at Marquee Nightclub during EDC Week on Wednesday, May 17th with two VIP tickets and a meet and greet opportunity with Insomniac Records producer Mau P. 

The Ultimate stereoBLOOM Experience: This package offers a unique opportunity for fans of Insomniac Records to gain exclusive access and behind-the-scenes insights at one of the fastest-growing stages at EDC Las Vegas. Get a peek behind the curtain and experience the exciting and eclectic lineup that has been handpicked by the Insomniac Records team during the festival.

A State of Trance Experience with Armin van Buuren: Trance music enthusiasts can meet the renowned Armin van Buuren backstage before his electrifying performance at EDC Las Vegas.

Salvage City & Skydeck Experience: One fortunate individual and their companion can elevate their EDC Las Vegas weekend by indulging in the exclusive side of the festival with a three-course fine dining and cocktail experience, paired with a captivating display of aerialists, fire dancers, and stilt walkers, among other performers, for a one-hour VIP event. After dinner, they can move on to the EDC Las Vegas Skydeck, where they can enjoy the most secluded views under the electric sky.

Owl’s Eye View from the Sky: Experience EDC Las Vegas from a bird’s eye view with a personal guided helicopter tour by a member of the Insomniac Production Team.

Personal Training with Lil Texas: Join Lil Texas and his team for a personal fitness training session in Las Vegas, and experience first-hand how he prepares for his hardstyle performances at EDC.

Stream an Exclusive mix from Matroda: Matroda has produced a 30-minute mix that is exclusively available for private streaming.

To make your bid on the experiences, visit here

Photo Credit: Stephen Bondio for Insomniac Events

As Insomniac celebrates its 30 year anniversary, more than 230 artists representing various electronic music genres are uniting across nine stages to celebrate art and music at EDC Las Vegas with over 525,000 attendees.

EDC Las Vegas returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, May 19th, running through Sunday, May 21st. The festival’s lineup includes renowned EDM artists like Kaskade, David Guetta, Zedd, Marshmello, Chris Lake, Dom Dolla, Subtronics, and many more acts.

A few of the legendary dance music producers are setting records and marking significant returns at EDC Las Vegas 2023 edition. 

• Grammy award-winning artist Tiësto is the only artist to have performed at every EDCLV event and will be making history returning to the kineticFIELD stage for a record twelfth time. 
• For the tenth time in his career, Armin van Buuren will bring his trademark state of trance to the stage.
• Above & Beyond will be making their much-anticipated return to EDC, marking their first performance at the festival since 2019.
• Performing a decades set, Gareth Emery will take attendees on a musical journey spanning more than 10 years of hits under his belt.

The 2023 edition of EDCLV will debut performances of numerous artists, including Kaytranada, Disco Lines, Ben UFO, 999999999, Mochakk, Mau P, Maarten de Jong, and many others.

Starting on April 10th, the festival is bringing back the EDC Las Vegas charity auction to support the non-profit organizations Inspiring Children Foundation and Camp Alamo. The auction takes place prior to the festival and generates donations for selected local organizations. 

This year, all the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Inspiring Children Foundation and Camp Alamo.

Fans can bid on over 30 unique artist-related experiences and exclusive packages, including backstage festival access, meet & greet opportunities, tickets to other Insomniac festivals, and more. 

What does it cost to attend EDC Las Vegas 2023?

General Admission passes sold out in just minutes back in September 2022 during the presale. But, that doesn’t mean all options are off the table for the 18+ event. 

• 3-Day General Admission+ is available for $599 plus tax & fees.
• 3-Day VIP is available for $999.99 plus tax & fees.
• Hotel EDC packages are available and the price varies depending on how many people you plan to go with. 

You can find available pass and package options here.

Getting to the festival grounds is also important to consider when planning your travel. 

• Camping: You’ll be on the festival grounds and would only need to take a short walk to the entrance gates.
• Driving yourself: Consider all possibilities to occur. Road traffic to the festival grounds, traffic entering and exiting the parking lot, leaving the grounds at dawn after a night of partying. Not my preference but for some it is, and I suggest cueing a solid playlist for the time spent in the car or listening to a past EDC Live set. 
• Rideshare: Same traffic cautions as driving yourself, except offloading the actual driving from you to someone else (tip your drivers well that weekend). Designated drop off and pick up areas.
• Shuttles: EDCLV provides shuttle passes for purchase. The shuttle stops are set up at various hotels on the Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. When it comes to any festival, I tend to opt-in to a shuttle experience. 
• Helicopter: I know, not the most common option. But it’s a unique experience offered by Maverick Helicopters during the festival weekend and if you’re someone who prioritizes luxury travel and transportation, it might pique your interest. It’s a 15-minute flight from the Strip, get to view Vegas at a birds-eye view, and see all the magic from the sky. All while skipping all the road traffic.

Insomniac, established by Pasquale Rotella in 1993 and based in Los Angeles ever since, is known for producing some of the most cutting-edge and immersive music festivals and events worldwide. Its flagship annual event, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, remains the world’s largest dance music festival.

Below you will find the full artist lineup by day.

Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

Photo Credit: Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful returns to Downtown Las Vegas for the 10th anniversary of the festival from September 22-24, 2023.

Life is Beautiful will mark its 10th year by returning to the lively neighborhood of Downtown Las Vegas. Each year, the festival offers attendees a multi-genre selection of live music experiences, illusionists, entertainers, and performers that are Vegas rooted.

Additionally, festival-goers will be able to explore world-class food offerings, admire beautiful art pieces and murals, and attend comedy stand-up sets. 

The event will feature the return of several legendary performers, including headliners such as The Killers, Kendrick Lamar, and Odesza.

Additionally, attendees can look forward to exciting performances by Nelly, Flume, The 1975, Khalid, Omar Apollo, Kim Petras, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and many more.

Craig Asher Nyman, Director of Music, Programming & Development for Life is Beautiful, expressed his excitement over the return of all three headliners to the festival. “We are thrilled that all three headliners will be returning to the festival. It’s pretty special to have this collection of artists who have all been so instrumental to music over the lifespan of Life is Beautiful.”

“This year’s lineup is a reflection of the ten years we’ve spent striving to give fans incredible experiences centered around a weekend of revelry in Las Vegas,” Nyman continued.

Along with the extensive lineup, the festival will showcase noteworthy Las Vegas headliners such as Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez, Magic Mike Live, Piff the Magic Dragon, and Tape Face. 

Attendees can also look forward to the return of the renowned art collective Meow Wolf and a collaborative live music experience presented by JammJam ft. Cory Wong & Friends. 

In the last decade, the festival has featured: 740 music acts, 608 culinary destinations, 131 large scale public art installations, 135 comics and key notes, and 32 philanthropic partners.

What will it cost?

Thursday, March 30th at 10 am PT tickets will go on sale at the Tier 1 pricing. Life Is Beautiful provides several ticket options.

• 3-Day General Admission will start at $380 plus tax & fees.
• 3-Day General Admission+ will start at $580 plus tax & fees.
• 3-Day VIP will start at $795 plus tax & fees.
• 3-Day VIP+ will start at $1,575 plus tax & fees.
• 3-Day ALL-IN will start at $3,150 plus tax & fees.

As there are multiple options for the weekend festival, Life is Beautiful provides a comparison chart to identify which ticket includes the experiences to your preference. Life is Beautiful also offers Single Day tickets, which will be announced soon. 

Photo Credit: Charles Reagan / After Three

Chicago’s Grant Park will be the place to be from August 3-6 as Lollapalooza takes over with its annual music festival. With a staggering lineup of over 170 bands across nine stages, this four-day event promises an exciting array of music and attractions for all attendees. 

The festival will feature first-time headliners Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish, as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers, ODESZA, and Lana Del Rey. Making history as the first female Latin artist to headline Lolla, Karol G will also take the stage alongside British superstars The 1975 and the highly anticipated return of Tomorrow X Together.

This year’s lineup will also include top performances from Fred again.., A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, J.I.D., Maggie Rogers, Diplo, Subtronics, Big Wild, and many more.

Lollapalooza is a world-renowned music festival known for its diverse lineup of artists from various genres. 

This year’s festival promises to be no different, with an incredible roster of performers, including NewJeans, Tems, The Rose, Rina Sawayama, Lil Yachty, Rema, NIKI, Morgan Wade, DPR IAN + DPR LIVE, Lainey Wilson, L’Impératrice, Ivan Cornejo, Sudan Archives, and many others. 

The music festival is also well-known as a hotspot for attendees to experience artists outside their usual and discover breakout talent. Dom Dolla, Sabrina Carpenter, Lovejoy, Knock2, Jessie Murph, Suki Waterhouse, Thee Sacred Souls, and The 502s are just a few of the artists to watch out for. 

Moreover, the festival will showcase the diverse talent of Chicago area musicians, such as Louis the Child, Dehd, Sincere Engineer, Friday Pilots Club, Motherfolk, Kidd Kenn, and others.

What will it cost?

March 23rd at 10 am CT presale tickets will begin, with a public on-sale following with any remaining tickets via Lollapalooza’s official website.

• 4-Day General Admission will start at $365 plus taxes & fees.
• 4-Day General Admission+ will start at $675 plus taxes & fees.
• 4-Day VIP will start at $1,500 plus taxes & fees.
• 4-Day Platinum will start at $4,350 plus taxes & fees.

1-Day tickets with the daily lineup will be available at a later date.

For those unable to make the festival, Hulu has returned as the official streaming partner for Lollapalooza. Viewers can catch live performances, interviews, and other exciting content during the four-day weekend. The full broadcast lineup and schedule will be announced later this summer.

Here is the full lineup for Lollapalooza 2023 below.

Photo Credit: Lollapalooza

Photo Credit: Demian Becerra for Insomniac Events

For the first time in ten years, HARD Summer Music Festival is making a grand return to Downtown Los Angeles, CA, on August 5-6, 2023, to celebrate its 15th edition.

The upcoming fifteenth edition of HARD Summer festival, produced by Insomniac, will consist of multiple stages situated across different areas of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park, and BMO Stadium. 

HARD Summer’s 2023 lineup remains faithful to showcasing top acts in dance music, hip-hop, and emerging talent across various music scenes. To celebrate the anniversary, the music festival is welcoming back legends who have previously taken the HARD stage.

It’s almost as if HARD Summer is declaring a ‘b2b summer’ and giving fans the duos they’ve always been asking for.

Skrillex is marking his return with a b2b set with Four Tet following their Madison Square Garden sell-out with Fred Again. 

LA-based DJ and music producer Kaskade is joining forces with John Summit for a b2b set to go down in the books. John Summit opened for Kaskade during his record-breaking Kx5 show with Deadmau5 in December 2022 on the same grounds as HARD will be this year. 

More back-to-back sets to come from Diplo and BLOND:ISH, Kayzo and Sullivan King, Yellow Claw and Flosstradamus, and some unannounced duos. 

HARD veterans Dillon Francis, Gorgon City, and Boyz Noize will also be headlining the event. 

Some of the best in hip-hop & rap will set the stage solidifying the blend of electronic music and hip-hop at one event. Highlights include Kid Cudi, Ludacris, Fat Joe, and more. 21 Savage also returns to the festival just one year after his HARD debut. 

Attendees can also expect memorable live performances from Oliver Tree’s unconventional pop act and Two Feet’s captivating melodic sounds.

HARD Summer’s Pink Stage in 2023 will honor Los Angeles’ renowned heritage as a center for underground house and techno music, featuring some of the scene’s most prominent artists. The lineup will include Grammy-award winner Black Coffee, iconic Bronx duo The Martinez Brothers who are also the Cuttin’ Headz label owners, and a unique live set by the electronic duo Bicep from Belfast.

HARD Summer’s devotion to Los Angeles is exemplified through its selection of top-tier local acts representing various genres. Emo Nite will showcase their skill in reviving post-punk sounds, while Club Tularosa and fun2bjane will offer an authentic representation of the city’s famed warehouse scene through their exhilarating performances.

Attendees searching for a heavier electronic music experience will not be disappointed at HARD Summer 2023.

The festival’s lineup features performances by Belgian drum and bass pioneer Netsky, the dynamic duo Kayzo b2b Sullivan King, and SAYMYNITTI (a collaboration between Nitti Gritti and SAYMYNAME), as well as Kai Wachi, PEEKABOO, Alix Perez, Yellow Claw b2b Flosstradamus, Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), 4B b2b JSTJR, and rising stars ISOxo and Knock2.

What will it cost?

Tickets are set to go on sale Friday, March 10th at 10AM PT via HARD Summer’s official website.

• General Admission for a 1-Day Ticket is $129 plus tax & fees.
• General Admission for a 2-Day Ticket is $229 plus tax & fees.
• VIP for a 1-Day Ticket is $199 plus tax & fees.
• VIP for a 2-Day Ticket is $409 plus tax & fees.

In addition to the festival itself, HARD Summer is planning to take over some of Los Angeles’ premier venues with a series of official afterparties, offering a unique opportunity to experience the city’s vibrant nightlife.

While further details about the afterparties have yet to be released, attendees can anticipate more information as the festival draws closer.

Kx5 (Kaskade x Deadmau5) Photo Credit: Peter Don

On December 10th, Kaskade and Deadmau5 came together as their duo project, Kx5, to perform their first-ever headlining concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Around 50,000 attendees got to experience incredible visuals, fireworks, drone shows, unreleased tracks, and technical difficulties due to a generator exploding and shutting down power for about 20 minutes. Not only did they break the generator, the Kx5 team shared with us that the duo broke the record as the “largest single-day concert event headlined by an electronic artist ever in North America and the biggest ticketed global headliner dance event of 2022.”

Kaskade (Ryan Raddon) and Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) are well-known as their own respective legends in electronic music. This collaboration project has been brewing for over a decade and a half.

Kaskade and Deadmau5 first debuted their collaborative genius back in 2008, dropping the timeless track “I Remember.” Soon after, the two released “Move For Me,” resulting in both tracks hitting number one within a week of one another on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.

Earlier this year, Kx5 debuted their first single, “Escape (featuring. Hayla).” The track recently won the Electronic Chill Track Of The Year from BBC Radio1 Dance Awards. The duo also made their debut live as the Kx5 project at EDC Las Vegas 2022. 

Since the first single, Kx5 now has a total of five tracks under the Kx5 project. 

• “Escape” featuring Hayla
• “Alive” featuring The Moth and The Flame
• “Take Me High”
• “Avalanche” featuring James French
• “When I Talk” with Elderbrook

The LA Coliseum has held iconic acts from the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and now Kx5.

The Coliseum is a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I. The Coliseum was named a national and California historic landmark in 1984. It has held many legendary sports events ranging from Super Bowl, World Series, Summer Olympics, and even home to the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans.

The Kx5 show was part of the “Coliseum Forever” celebration commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the LA venue.

The Kx5 team also shared, “According to Pollstar, the show broke records landing it as the largest single-day concert event headlined by an electronic music artist ever in North America with Billboard confirming Kx5 at the Coliseum as the biggest ticketed global headliner dance event of 2022.”

Photo Credit: Kx5

Getting to the venue

The weather was a bit uncertain, with heavy rains threatening. Luckily, concertgoers only had to deal with an off-and-on drizzle closer to the show’s end.

The drive getting to the venue was surprisingly smooth, with no traffic hiccups. The typical LA traffic and parking mess started about half-a-mile from the venue.

If using a rideshare service is not your go-to, I recommend purchasing parking passes at least a day before the show to ensure your spot at your preferred lot. Additionally, attendees couldn’t purchase parking passes on site after a certain point as the parking capacity had sold out. Those who did not have a parking pass had to find street parking, which is not the easiest around this venue.

When the sun had gone down, the doors opened, and the torch had been lit. Following the torch lighting came the supporting acts of the night: Triple XL, Anna Lunoe, and John Summit.

Triple XL is a respected DJ in the space who is currently mixing for radio station 102.7 KIIS FM. After he warmed up the crowd, Australian DJ and vocalist Anna Lunoe took over to perform her own set. Lunoe has been featured on tracks with artists like Chris Lake, Dillon Francis, Flume, and many more.

The last supporting act before Kx5 getting on stage was John Summit.

John Summit as the opener was a match waiting to happen as his remix of “Escape” grew quickly in popularity. He even gave the crowd a taste of one of his unreleased tracks. John Summit is known to bring energy to a crowd and was the ultimate hypeman leading up to the Kx5 set.

playing a track i finished last week to a crowd of 60k people 😭 pic.twitter.com/bodLIEdCTG

— John Summit (@johnsummit) December 11, 2022

As this was an Insomniac presented event, I had expected significant innovations to be integrated with the show. You could see on stage that the setup would be unique to a Kx5 show.

Throughout the two-hour set, the duo played not only the Kx5 tracks but also their individual iconic tracks. Kaskade came with “Disarm You,” “Room For Happiness” with Skylar Grey, and his latest release, “Dance With Me” with Justus. Deadmau5 dropped his own classics like “Ghosts N Stuff,” “The Veldt,” and a few unreleased tracks.

Technical difficulties became obvious about five minutes after the music and visuals had completely cut out. After about 20 minutes, Deadmau5 and Kaskade come back to the stage and let everyone know that they’re okay and that a generator blew out, causing the power to shut down.

The pause was taken in precaution to ensure no fires once the backup generator was booted up for the remainder of the show.

Deadmau5 joked with the crowd that “somebody’s getting fired tonight” from the power company due to the unexpected power outage.

Kx5 closed out the set with an encore of “Escape,” but this time, Hayla came out on stage to perform the track live.

Throughout the show, 300 drones lit up the sky, flashing track names like “Alive,” configured with a silhouette of California with a heart, the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Kx5 logo and more.

On each end of the stage, separate pods were set up for Kaskade and Deadmau5. The pods could move on a track across the stage, spin 360 degrees, and even rise about ten feet in the air.

At moments, the screen would show that Kaskade and Deadmau5 were on the same pod performing together. Pairing with the innovative stage design, there were frequent fireworks and pyrotechnics released on beat.

Even with the generator blowout, the show was truly one for the books. Seeing two artists I’ve grown up loving perform back to back as a solid unit was electrifying, to say the least.

You can feel the creative detail that was specifically put into the show from the duo. With the drones, lighting, fireworks and more, the experience as a whole was synchronized to the flow of the music set. As a fan, I am eager to catch them live again.

Kaskade x Deadmau5 will perform at Printworks in London, England, in February of 2023. You can also catch the Kx5 project next headlining Ultra Music Festival Miami in March of 2023.

Check out Kx5 tracks on your preferred streaming platform here.

Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Life Is Beautiful Festival took over Downtown Las Vegas this past weekend on September 16th-18th. Over 170,000 festival goers converged to celebrate music, art, and more. Here’s a recap of the festival — and notes for festival organizers to consider. 

Life Is Beautiful festival is an annual three-day music, art, food, and comedy event held every September in Downtown Las Vegas. This is the festival’s ninth year and takes place in the heart of downtown, taking over 18 blocks around Fremont. 

Life Is Beautiful’s mission is “to create a holistic experience which aids in positive community transformation and individual empowerment by collectivizing and inspiring through shared experiences driven by art and culture.” Since the festival was first held in 2013, it has contributed “over $350M of economic impact and cultural capital to the area.”

The festival was also made accessible to those who weren’t able to attend in person. Life Is Beautiful teamed up with Twitch and Amazon Prime to provide a livestream throughout the weekend for anyone to join the party.

There were a total of 7 stages at the festival: Downtown Stage, Huntridge Stage, Bacardi Stage, Fremont Stage, Rising Stars Stage, The Kicker Comedy Stage, and The Toyota Music Den. 

Two stages were a bit more unique than the others holding the lineup of music acts. The Kicker Comedy Stage was indoor and hosted all comedy acts. The Rising Stars stage was held by Sessions to support and host rising music artists. 

Additional music experiences included the Silent Disco, Casa Bacardi, and the Western Country Club. 

Even with several stages, it wasn’t a hike to each stage. The space that was used for the festival grounds felt intentional, with each attraction leaving no overly empty areas.

Entering the festival

Getting into the festival was a seamless process starting with a short line to bag check. Once security had gone through bags, there was one more layer of security involving metal detectors. This additional layer of security is essential to note and has been implemented into larger festivals like Coachella this year.

I believe this is an extra security measure that all festival organizers should consider, no matter how big or small your event will be.

After successfully going through security, attendees scanned their wristbands and received a green light into the festival grounds.

Day 1 and Highlights

The main musical acts included Arctic Monkeys, Alison Wonderland, Cage The Elephant, Charli XCX, Oliver Tree, and T-Pain. T-Pain was for replacement for Migos, originally a headlining act for the festival.

Fans were also celebrating Mexican Independence Day at Casa Bacardi, featuring a live performance from Mariachi Sol De Las Vegas, salsa dance lessons with the Sin City Salseros, and various Latin DJs. 

Megan Stalter (Comedian) 

Stalter’s stand-up set consisted of similar role-playing she has done on her Instagram live. Instead of interacting with the viewers and commenters on her Instagram, she was able to curate and interact with the live audience — elevating the humor to a different level. 

Cage the Elephant. Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Cage The Elephant 

Cage The Elephant engaged the crowd throughout the set. Lead singer of the group, Matt Shultz, interacted with the crowd throughout the show — that included making around four hat changes by trading caps with those in the crowd. Shultz even delved into the crowd while playing with his fishnet tights. It was a sight to see. 

During the performance, there was a short drone show in the sky. This forced the group to restart their song, though this only hyped the crowd more for the second round. 

Charli XCX

Charli XCX’s performance was stunning to experience live, as the show’s production was thoroughly encapsulating. The choreography from Charli and her backup dancers made the performance feel like more than just a festival set. It felt like we were at one of her solo tour stops rather than a whole festival.

T-Pain 

After seeing a performance from T-Pain, I was left with one question. Why is T-Pain NOT headlining at more festivals? His entire set was full of his most popular hits, a discography of all-around bangers. T-Pain was replacing Migos, and his outstanding set validated that he was a good choice for a replacement act. It was clear from the crowd’s excitement that T-Pain went above and beyond to give a legendary performance.

Day 2 and Highlights

As a part of the festival’s “Feed Our Community” event, Life Is Beautiful from the festival to a Three-Square distributing 300 meals to people in need.

The main musical acts of the second day include Gorillaz, Lorde, Marc Rebillet, Kygo, 100Gecs, and Coi Leray. Local Las Vegas act, The Blue Man Group, was a surprise guest appearance for Marc Rebillet and Alessia Cara.

Ship Wrek

This EDM duo brought all the energy to the Fremont stage. From their original tracks to remixes of trending tracks, there was no stiff body in the crowd. 

Lorde. Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Lorde 

As expected, Lorde gave the crowd a total production and felt very intentional from the first song to the last song showcasing a journey through her work. She shared personal experiences and stories that stemmed as inspiration for some of the songs performed, making the performance much more intimate.

Kygo

Kygo’s set was one not to miss as he brought out Gryffin, another weekend headliner, to play guitar for the song they had recently released together, “Woke Up In Love.”

Gorillaz. Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Gorillaz

It was clear that the crowd had anticipated this set the whole day. Like many other performers throughout the weekend, the lead singer of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, went down to interact with the crowd and sing alongside those in the audience. Throughout the show, Gorillaz had its animated characters in the background with mesmerizing animation videos in sync with the live music.

Day 3 and Highlights

Emmit Fenn

It was exciting to experience an Emmit Fenn set live. Unfortunately, we did not experience a full set as there were some technical difficulties at the beginning of the show, but that did not take away from the energy of the performance. 

Big Wild. Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Big Wild 

This performance was electrifying. The crowd knew almost every lyric to every song. The magic was in the air from Big Wild hitting the highest of high notes with the wind flowing through his hair. 

Jack Harlow. Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

Jack Harlow

Being at this set felt like most festival attendees were in the crowd. Harlow performed his biggest tracks off his albums, along with his feature in Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby.”

Calvin Harris

This performance was the perfect end to the festival weekend. Not only did we hear Harris’s newer tracks live with features, but we were taken back to tracks like “Slide” and his solo track “Feel So Close.”

Here are highlights of the overall festival experience and notable features for event organizers.

For those attending the event, there was an app with the full lineup schedule and an interactive map utilizing Google maps. Since this event was held in the middle of the downtown streets, it was extremely useful to have an interactive Google map highlighting any entrances, emergency exits, all the food vendors, stages, and anything that you would need to locate. Most festival event apps only have an image of the animated map.

Life Is Beautiful App

Life Is Beautiful App

Additionally, it is important to highlight that for some of the food vendors you could view the menus in-app rather than having to walk around the whole festival to check out all the different menus. It might seem like a minor feature, but this may explain why foot traffic was fairly minimal throughout the weekend.

These in-app features should be implemented by more festivals offering an app. 

Aside from the app, you could also text a designated phone number questions about the festival and find out about any secret sets or guest appearances happening each day. 

Walking throughout the festival, various art murals and installations were on the building walls and featured throughout the festival grounds. Not only was this showcasing work from local artists, but they were also great photo opportunities that would echo and expand the reach of exposure of the art at the festival. The art was unique to the individual artists and to Life Is Beautiful.

Mural by Criola. Photo Credit Alive Coverage/Sipa USA)

Mural by Agostino Icaruci Photo Credit: Alive Coverage/Sipa USA

It was made clear that the festival truly succeeded in accommodating the attendees. Festival goers who attended with a general admission ticket had multiple opportunities to win an upgrade to VIP throughout the weekend and other prizes like a meet-and-greet with Coi Leray. This was made possible with either brand activations on-site or participating in the livestream. 

They also provided many generous souvenirs such as a commemorative Life Is Beautiful bandanna and prizes given away at activations.

It is rare these days that a festival is generous to ensure that everyone can go home with something dedicated to the event without paying for the souvenir. Numerous times walking throughout the festival, I heard others discussing how awesome it was that there were a bunch of free keepsakes. It could even be the smallest trinkets; attendees appreciate the thought. 

A unique and fun downtime experience was being able to wait in line and play Mario kart with other attendees.

Lasting thoughts to consider

Overall, this festival was one of the smoothest experiences in terms of getting to the festival, entering the festival, navigating the grounds, and exiting each night. The foot traffic was fairly light considering there were 170,000 attendees. The sponsorships and brand activations blended well with the event. 

T-Pain, along with several other acts, were in replacement of headliners on the original lineup. The replacements seemed to have aligned well with the audience of those who had been replaced. Artists sometimes drop out at the last minute, and festival organizers need to consider these uncertainties and prepare to accommodate a replacement act or experience accordingly. Life Is Beautiful succeeded in doing this.

The majority of the stages had a great sound and setup. One exception was the largest stage, The Downtown Stage, which appeared to be experiencing audio issues. At times this stage either sounded too loud to where the instrument sounds would blend into a muffling noise. This issue occurred more during the day than at nighttime performances. 

The Downtown Stage seemed to be the only stage with an American Sign Language interpreter. It would be great to see the accessibility at multiple stages. This is something that all festivals should continue to include. 

Next year will be Life Is Beautiful’s 10-year anniversary. With this special year, super fans have already sold out the pre-sale tickets for 2023. Despite the sellout, there’s an opportunity to RSVP for next year and to be notified when tickets will go on sale again.

Photo Credit: Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful music and arts festival is returning to downtown Las Vegas and livestreaming exclusively on Twitch and Amazon Prime beginning Friday, September 16th.

Back in February of 2022, Digital Music News announced that Rolling Stone had acquired a majority stake in the Las Vegas music festival. Now, the three-day event has announced the festival will exclusively livestream with Amazon Music and Twitch to broadcast the festival for those unable to attend in person. The festival will start on Friday, September 16th, through Sunday, September 18th.

Life Is Beautiful premieres musical acts from rising stars to household names, local artists, comedians, and culinary talent to showcase in the streets of downtown Las Vegas to 170,000 attendees. 

Fans can access the livestream for Life Is Beautiful on Twitch and Prime Video, where there will be exclusive content and access to performances all weekend.

The festival is streaming live on Twitch every day beginning at 3 PM PST, shortly after the first artist goes live. Viewers will be able to catch performances from the Downtown stage, Bacardi stage, Huntridge stage. 

Some headliners for the electric festival include Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, Lorde, Jack Harlow, and more.

Throughout the livestream, attendees will have an opportunity to upgrade their tickets from General Admission to VIP by humming to some of the top tracks from Life Is Beautiful artists.

The audience on the Twitch stream will also have an opportunity to win various prizes by guessing the tunes being hummed. 

The weekend schedule was released a few weeks ago although, there have been updates since some acts have been replaced. A couple of acts that will no longer be performing this year are Migos and Sam Fender. T-Pain, Kasablanca, and Emmit Fenn have been announced as some of the replacements. 

Due to some changes to the schedule, the livestream schedule will be released before Friday. Tickets to attend the festival are still available for the whole weekend or as individual single-day tickets.

What are the ticket prices for Life Is Beautiful?

For a 3-day general admission pass to the event, this comes out to $380 plus fees. A single-day ticket to the show is priced at $180 plus fees. VIP passes to the event have already been sold out.

Here is the full artist lineup by day:

Friday, September 16th

Arctic Monkeys
T-Pain
Alison Wonderland
Cage The Elephant
Jungle
Charli XCX
Shaggy
Coin
R3hab
Dabin
Tai Verdes
Sonny Fodera
Grandson
Wet Leg
Cochise
Solardo
Omah Lay
Cassian
Claire Rosinkranz
Blu Detiger
Perel
Rochelle Jordan
Forester
Tre Amani
The Blssm
Flamingosis
Bexxie
DJ Dan
The Disco Divers
The Trash Pandas

Saturday, September 17th

Gorillaz
Lorde
Kygo
Gryffin
Marc Rebillet
Isaiah Rashad
Alessia Cara
100GECS
Slowthai
Bob Moses
JPEGMAFIA
Coi Leray
Neil Frances
Kennyhoopla
Walker & Royce
Kyle Watson
Mochakk
Phantoms
Alexander23
Joey Valance & Brae
Ship Wrek
Hope Tala
Midwxst
Ericdoa
Jerro
Tibasko
Disco Lines
Kryptogram
Alex Angard
Funkyruben
Skye

Sunday, September 18th

Calvin Harris
Jack Harlow
Beach House
Dermot Kennedy
Sylvan Esso
Big Boi
Rico Nasty
Said The Sky
Big Wild
SG Lewis
Pussy Riot
Elderbrook Kasablanca
Emmit Fenn
Young Nudy
Clinton Kane
Gioli & Assia
Palace
Becky Hill
Valley
Lewis Ofman
Satin Jackets
Mild Minds
Georgia
Lexi Jayde
The Moss
The Soul Juice Band

Audiotistic Bay Area 2022 Photo Credit: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

This past weekend (July 9th & 10th), the Bay Area hosted its annual EDM and hip-hop crossover 2-day festival, Audiotistic. 

Since 1997, Audiotistic has been dedicated to featuring a variety of genres from house music, dubstep, techno, rap, hip-hop, and more. Insomniac acquired the Audiotistic brand back in 2009. The festival began its run in the Bay Area for the first time in 2017. Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, has become the home to Audiotistic Bay Area.

This was my first time attending the event and visiting the venue. The festival began at 2 PM each day and ended between 10 to 11 PM. 

Going through ticket scans and security, the venue provided a similar atmosphere to Los Angeles’s iconic Greek Theater. 

Lines to get in and security moved along pretty smoothly and quickly, considering that most festivals it ends up being a lag on the day.

Walking into the festival, I found a line of attendees waiting for a photo opportunity with their squads in front of a massive display of the word ‘audio.’ Having a large attraction like this as a photo opportunity seemed to be a favorite amongst those attending in bigger groups.

Photo Credit: Scott Hutchinson for Insomniac Events

As I’ve attended various music festivals, I find that an attraction for photo ops should be an essential to these types of events.

The stage where standard concerts are held at Shoreline Amphitheater was not in use for the event. Instead, the two stages for the festival were set up in the outer areas of the venue and a parking lot.

In the back of the stages, you’d be able to find the cocktail vendors and food trucks if you wanted a quick bite without missing a beat of the performances. Stepping further out from the stages, you’d find more food choices and areas to wind down if you needed a dance break. 

Something that stood out as unique to this event was the actual venue space had its own sit-down bar area. Additionally, there was a mini-stage area where dancers were up on stage interacting with the festival-goers as they got to chow down on some good eats.

Photo Credit: Scott Hutchinson for Insomniac Events

A staple at Insomniac events is their Ground Control team. This team would walk throughout the grounds and are easy to identify in their specific purple t-shirts. “Ground Control is committed to keeping people safe, being a friend to those in need, and reminding our community that it’s okay to ask for help.” This team is in addition to a standard medic team. Whenever I noticed someone feeling sick, a Ground Control team member was already accompanying them. I feel as though more events should incorporate this type of extension to their medic team.

I have to admit, the food options at this festival were much better than what I’ve seen at larger scaled festivals or even concert venues in LA. The venue featured Jon and Vinny’s, Trejos Tacos, sushi, a cocktail souvenir shaker bottle, and many more. 

The two stages, Frequency 1.1 and Frequency 2.2, were separated far enough to ensure that there was no sound bleeding from one stage to the other.

This was a positive in my eyes, as there’s nothing more annoying than being at one set and hearing what is going on at another stage.

Day 1 Performers

Frequency 1.1 featured these performers in order from the start of the day to the end: Codeko, Tsu Nami, Bleu Clair, Jvna, Audien, Sidepiece, Said The Sky, Schoolboy Q, and Chris Lake.

Schoolboy Q on Frequency 1.1 Photo Credit: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

Massive thank you to the Audio Fam & @chrislake for bringing massive energy tonight.?? See you tomorrow for Day 2! Single Day Passes at https://t.co/cdoUsXzD5P pic.twitter.com/sRO5P7uEWT

— Audiotistic (@audiotisticfest) July 10, 2022

Frequency 2.2 featured these performers in order from the start of the day to the end: Jon Casey, Com3t A Hundred Drums, Tsuruda B2B Chee, Mersiv, Whipped Cream, Blunts & Blondes, Bloodsport (Saymyname B2B Riot Ten), Svdden Death

Frequency 2.2 stage Photo Credit: Skylar Greene for Insomniac Events

Being in the crowd for Schoolboy Q followed by Chris Lake was a unique experience to go from a rap set straight into a house music set. 

Highlight performances from the first day were Sidepiece, Schoolboy Q, and Chris Lake. I have seen Sidepiece multiple times before, and the duo always knows to give the crowd a fun time. Schoolboy Q was a first for me. But he brought all the hype performing some of his classics like ‘Man of the Year’ and ‘Collard Greens’. 

Chris Lake’s set ended up being my number one favorite of the whole weekend. The way he engaged with the crowd and built off the energy of everyone made it all the more memorable.

Day 2 Performers

Frequency 1.1 featured these performers in order from the start of the day to the end: Senza, Nøll, Yetep, Kaivon, Armnhmr, Troyboi, Iann Dior, and Rezz

Rezz on Frequency 1.1 Photo Credit: Skylar Greene for Insomniac Events

Frequency 2.2 featured these performers in order from the start of the day to the end: DJ Dials, Chocolate Sushi, Qrtr, Gene Farris, Born Dirty, LP Giobbi, John Summit, and Dom Dolla.

John Summit on Frequency 2.2 Photo Credit: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

Highlight performances from the second-day hands down have gone to Rezz and John Summit. 

This was now my third time seeing Rezz live. There’s always something purely exciting to experience her music live as I see her in her own lane creating her own genre within the electronic dance music world. 

Rezz recently announced via Twitter that they will be starting their own music label.

Similar to her own sound, the powerhouse DJ is looking for a specific sound on the hunt for artists.

You can already guess what kind of music I’ll be looking for ?

Slow, trippy HOT ass , mid-tempo bob your head ( and maybe even shake ur ass while your at it ) type beat
+ more (i like slow dub stuff too) (stuff that makes u question existence) ? https://t.co/Vre9Dkummd

— RΞZZ (@OfficialRezz) June 27, 2022

As this was a smaller festival with more locals attending than those coming from out of town, there is a lot of opportunity to expand the festival in various ways. 

There’s opportunity for expansion on the attractions and interactive experiences for attendees to engage with at future Audiotistic events.

If you’re looking to experience your first EDM festival, Audiotistic would be a great first dip in the pond. The atmosphere, the people and locals, the overall space throughout the crowd, the food, all in all would make a memorable experience. 

Photo Credit: Skylar Greene for Insomniac Events

It’s not uncommon for dance music and hip-hop to collide, as we’ve recently seen with the release of Drake’s newest dance music album Honestly, Nevermind. Audiotistic Bay Area is returning with “the biggest Unity of Sound and Culture in the Bay” to Shoreline Amphitheater with a fuse of house music and hip-hop. 

The festival will take place July 9-10 in Mountain View, CA, at the Shoreline Amphitheater, home to Audiotistic Bay Area through recent years. Insomniac does not limit their events to just major cities. They continue to host events in more local areas like Audiotistic for the Bay Area locals.

Previous years have featured some of the biggest EDM and hip-hop artists today like Tiesto, Playboi Carti, Juice Wrld, Kaskade, Lil Wayne, and more.

The festival features two stages, Frequency 1.1 and Frequency 2.2. With these two massive stages, there comes a hefty lineup this year.

The first day will kick off with artists Chris Lake, Said The Sky, Svdden Death, and Sidepiece, who have all been favorites in the festival scene. Schoolboy Q will also be headlining the first day, considered a “must-see” following his performance at The Smokers Club Fest in April this year.

The second day and wrap-up of the festival will end with powerhouse Rezz, Dom Dolla, John Summit, Iann Dior, and more.

What are the ticket prices for Audiotistic Bay Area?

Tier 1 pricing has already sold out as the lineup has been out for some time. Tier 2 cost for a 2-Day General Admission ticket is $149.99 plus a $26.80 processing fee. 

If you’re only looking to attend as single-day ticket holders, each day separately costs $89.99 plus a $19.79 processing fee. 

Here is the full lineup by day:

Saturday, July 9th 2022

Chris Lake
Schoolboy Q
Said The Sky
Sidepiece
Audien
Jvna
Bleu Clair
Tsu Nami
Codeko
Svdden Death
Bloodsport (Saymyname B2B Riot Ten)
Blunts & Blondes
Whipped Cream
Mersiv
Tsuruda B2B Chee
A Hundred Drums
Com3t
Jon Casey

Sunday, July 10th 2022

Rezz
Iann Dior
Troyboi
Armnhmr
Kaivon
Yetep
Nøll
Senza
Dom Dolla
John Summit
LP Giobbi
Born Dirty
Gene Farris
Qrtr
Chocolate Sushi
DJ Dials

Photo Credit: Primavera Sound

Primavera Sound has announced new lineup additions for their first United States festival set to take place September 16-18th, 2022 in Los Angeles.

Back in December, 59 artists had been announced for the LA festival with artists including Lorde, Clairo, Mitski, Nine Inch Nails, and Arctic Monkeys. Now, Primavera Sound LA has announced new additions to the lineup including Giveon, girl in red, Surf Curse, and more.

This festival will be following the 20th edition of Primavera Sound Barcelona and making its debut in Los Angeles this year. Primavera Sound LA will take place at L.A. State Historic Park, home to Zedd In The Park and various music events.

What are the ticket prices for Primavera Sound LA?

Well, this depends on how many days you are interested in attending. Primavera Sound LA is giving you an option to attend single days, two days, or the full three days.

A 1-day General Admission ticket will start at $149 plus fees and VIP 1-day pass will cost $379 plus fees. If you’re looking to attend only two days that weekend, General Admission comes out to $240 plus fees and VIP at $680 plus fees. To attend the whole weekend stacked lineup, 3-day General Admission will find you at $425 plus fees and $975 plus fees.

Additionally, there is now an option for layaway checkout to secure a pass starting at $19.99 for any package.

Here is the full artist lineup by day:

Friday, September 16th
Lorde
Clairo
Darkside
Giveon
Mitski
Current Joys
Mustafa
Pinkpantheress
Shygirl
Stereolab
Acemoma
Divino Niño
Eris Drew B2B Octo Octa
Jehnny Beth
Little Jesus
María José Llergo
Núria Graham
Omar S
Shellac
Tim Hecker

Saturday, September 17th
Nine Inch Nails
Bicep (Live)
Drain Gang
Khruangbin
Fontaines D.C.
Surf Curse
Tierra Whack
Kim Gordon
Low
Mayhem
Paloma Mami
Amaarae
Beak>
Chulita Vinyl Club
Danny L Harle
Derby Motoreta’s Burrito Kachimba
DJ Playero
El Mató A Un Policía Motorizado
Georgia
John Talabot
Machine Girl
Sangre Nueva (DJ Python + DJ Florentino + Kelman Duran)
Shanti Celeste B2B Isabella
Special Interest

Sunday, September 18th
Arctic Monkeys
Cigarettes After Sex
Girl In Red
James Blake
King Krule
Amyl And The Sniffers
Arca
Boy Harsher
Faye Webster
Jeff Mills
Bad Gyal
Buscabulla
Chai
Dry Cleaning
Gustaf
Helena Hauff
Jasss
Marina Herlop
Sherelle
Special Request
Squid

Hard Summer Music Festival Lineup 2022 Photo Credit: HARD Events

HARD Events is expanding their HARD Summer Music Festival to a three-day event for the first time ever. 

From July 29th to the 31st, HARD Summer Music Festival will once again be hosted at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. Previously the festival had only been a two-day event. Now, attendees will have a full weekend of live music and activities. 

The official lineup is out with stacked EDM and hip-hop acts. Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Porter Robinson, Madeon, Aminé, Alison Wonderland, Marc Rebillet, Denzel Curry, Chris Lake, Gunna, 100 Gecs, and many more will be sending off the summer event. 

The festival will showcase five outdoor stages, pool areas, and shaded structures for attendees to cool down in the valley heat. Ticket holders must be 18+ to enter the festival. 

Tickets for the three-day event are on sale now, along with the purchase options of single-day tickets. Find out more here. 

Here is the full lineup by day below:

Friday, July 29th, 2022

Megan Thee Stallion
Joji
Zeds Dead B2B Subtronics
Griz
Nghtmre
Denzel Curry
Valentino Khan
Vintage Culture
Nicole Moudaber
Sullivan King
Joyryde
Koffee
James Hype
Masego
Blunts & Blondes
Will Clarke
Eli Brown
Kai Wachi
Anabel Englund
Moore Kismet
Prospa
Tom The Mail Man 
Softest Hard
Saucy Santana
Craze (Drum & Bass Set)
Imanu
Capozzi
Qrtr
Montell2099
Biicla
Lucille Croft
Barilan
Canabliss
Pam Sessions
Dj Dials
Bombays

Saturday, July 30th, 2022

Lil Uzi Vert
Alison Wonderland
Madeon
Marc Rebillet
Jai Wolf
Ski Mask the Slump God
Troyboi
Three 6 Mafia
Tokimonsta
Sub Focus B2B ???
LSDream
Blond:ish
Cloonee
Matroda
Dimension
LP Giobbi
Tiga
Isoxo
Doechi
Josh Butler
Tsuruda B2B Chee
Nia Archives
Lucii
Bktherula
Honeyluv
Wenzday
A Hundred Drums
Potions
Dot
Thee Mike B
Miss Dre
Hotfire
Frosttop
CC Love

Sunday, July 31st, 2022

Porter Robinson
Chris Lake
Gunna
Tchami
100 Gecs
Aminé
Svdden Death B2B Marauda
Sidepiece
Wax Motif
Dj Tennis
Justin Martin
Glaive
Bladee
K?D
Deathpact
Duckwrth
Mersiv
Ivy Lab
Drama
Ericdoa
Evan Giia
Wreckno
Uniiqu3
Dj Minx
Chloé Caillet
Miane
Pangea Sound (Falcons, Supernova, Joaqu.N, Sleepy Joe)
Rossy
Level Up
Space Wizard
Rohaan
Arnold & Lane
Baby Weight
Redrum
Remk
Venga

Photo Credit: UMG

American Express has been a long-time partner to The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. This year, cardholders will not only have perks at the festival but will also experience Amex Artist Shop for the first time. 

Coachella is kicking off this weekend with headlining acts Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia, The Weeknd, and more. The pop-up is in partnership with Bravado to offer exclusive, limited-edition festival merchandise from Conan Gray and Billie Eilish. The first activation for Amex Artist Shop comes after the success of previous artist collaborations and will be available on April 15th and 22nd.

Conan Gray’s exclusive merch is a “watermelon-pigment dyed unisex crewneck pullover featuring your sweater embroidered text (a play on his hit song “Heather”) with exclusive desert cactus embroidery.” Priced at $70 USD.

Photo Credit: American Express

The exclusive merch for Billie Eilish follows her efforts in releasing sustainable apparel. This black zip-up hoodie has been “reclaimed and upcycled from deadstock, shelf pulls, retail returns & gently used apparel, giving it new life & making each hoodie unique.” Priced at $100 USD.

Photo Credit: American Express

For those unable to attend the festival, the merchandise will be available online while supplies last.

Throughout both weekends of the festival, cardholders will also have exclusive access to the American Express Lounge and on-site experiences. 

The benefits include one complimentary ride on the La Grande Wheel, access to a reserved hour at the SPECTRA rainbow tower, reserved tables to the restaurant pop-up on the festival grounds for Broad Street Oyster Co, and a one-time $10 statement credit when they spend $50 on-site using their eligible American Express Card. Additionally, there will be a special hydration station, charging stations, sweet treats, and wellness activities for those in lounge.

All cardholders are also able to bring in up to three guests. The American Express Lounge will be available both weekends to those attending the festival.

EDC Las Vegas 2022 Lineup. Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

In October 2021, Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) returned to Las Vegas to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Now, the EDC Las Vegas 2022 lineup has been released for the festival’s return from May 20th to May 22nd. 

Insomniac is known to make strides in the music festival arena, and attendees could only anticipate what’s to come for their immersive experience. Previously, the festival held a virtual experience within Roblox for fans to jump in and experience the fun in the comfort of their homes.

This past month alone, Insomniac announced their new partnership with Unity to build out their metaverse presence. Continuing to merge the physical festival into a virtual world will only expand the reach of those interested in experiencing one of the biggest music festivals in the world.

Aside from the virtual advances, Insomniac has been a pioneer in the event organizing space to showcase new technology for their in-person events.

Last year, EDCLV lit up the sky not only with its famous firework show, but also over 600 drones illustrating iconic figures in EDC’s history. Additionally, as Coinbase is a repeated partner this year, there is undoubtedly more to come for attendees to dive into the web3 space.

The festival will be making its return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Over 500,000 attendees will join from dusk ’til dawn to experience over 230 artists in various dance music genres.

Founder and CEO of Insomniac Pasquale Rotella states, “Bringing together all the different genres and communities from within the dance music scene is what makes EDC so special. The music that we curate for these three days at the Speedway represents the sounds of every Insomniac event that happens throughout the year. The experience we create will always be inspired by our underground roots and in celebration of dance music culture that we all love so much. All are welcome at EDC Las Vegas.”

The eight immersive stages will showcase some of the biggest music producers in the scene, including Porter Robinson (Air2Earth), Zedd, Grimes, Dillon Francis, and many more. Additionally, Kaskade and Deadmau5 will join together for the world premiere of their collaboration act as Kx5.

Tickets and shuttle passes for the event are on sale and can be found here.

Here is the full lineup of artists performing at EDC Las Vegas 2022:

Friday

Acraze
Adrenalize
Alan Walker
Alix Perez B2B Imanu
Ann Clue
ARMNHMR
Audiofreq, Code Black & Toneshifterz Presents: 3 Blokes
Autograf
Ben Böhmer (Live)
Black V Neck
Boris Brejcha
Capozzi
Cat Dealers
Charlotte de Witte
Chris Lake
Cosmic Gate
Darren Styles
Deadly Guns
Dennis Cruz
Diesel
Doctor P B2B Funtcase (Classic Set)
Dom Dolla
Eric Prydz
Evan Giia
Fallen B2B Richter
Fisher
G Jones
Gabriel & Dresden
Ganja White Night
Gem & Tauri
Gigantic Nghtmre
Giuseppe Ottaviani Live 3.0
Honey Dijon
Hugel
Ilan Bluestone
Jauz: Off The Deep End
Jayda G
Jessica Audiffred
John O’Callaghan
Jorza
JSTJR
K?D
Kai Wachi
LLLLNNNN
LNY TNZ
Macky Gee
Mad Dog
Madeon (DJ Set)
Mary Droppinz
Matroda B2B Bleu Clair
Meduza
Mr. Brooks
Nitepunk
Nitti Gritti B2B Wuki
Nora en Pure
Nostalgix
Omar Santana
Porter Robinson (DJ Set)
Pretty Pink
Redlight
Riot Ten
Seven Lions
Sinopoli B2B Danyelino
Soren
Sub Focus & Wilkinson Present: Portals
Svdden Death
Tale of Us
Tempo Giusto
Testpilot
Timmy Trumpet
Tinlicker
TNT
Tweekacore
Uniiqu3
Volac
Westend
Whipped Cream
Xijaro & Pitch

Saturday

1991
A-Trak
AC Slater B2B Chris Lorenzo
Air2Earth
Alesso
Aly & Fila
Alyx Ander
Astrix
Audien
Bear Grillz B2B Kompany
Biscits
Blossom
Blunts & Blondes
Borgore
Chapter & Verse
Charlotte de Witte
CID
Cloonee
Craig Connelly
Crime Family
Da Tweekaz
David Guetta and Morten Present: Future Rave
Delta Heavy B2B Koven B2B Muzz
Deorro
DJ Snake
Dot
Duck Sauce
Enrico Sangiuliano
Excision (Detox Set)
Ferry Corsten
FJAAK (DJ Set)
Fury B2B Nightstalker with MC Dino
Getter B2B Space Laces
Grimes (DJ Set)
HoneyLuv
Hulk Gang (4B + Valentino Khan)
Hybrid Minds
I Hate Models
Indira Paganotto
Jai Wolf
James Hype
Jason Ross
Jauz
Joseph Capriati
Joshwa
Junkie Kid B2B Geo
Kasablanca
Kaskade and Deadmau5 Present Kx5
Kayzo
Khromata
Kream
Lab Group
Lil Texas
Link
LP Giobbi
LP Giobbi B2B Born Dirty
Majestic
Marauda
Matroda
Matt Fax
Mitis
Onyvaa
Paul Van Dyk
Qrion
Radical Redemption
Rob Gee
Ruben de Ronde
SIDEPIECE
So Tuff So Cute
Sound Rush
Subtronics
Sub Zero Project
Talon
Taylor Torrence
Tiësto
Vini Vici
Vintage Culture
Warface
Yellow Claw

Sunday

A-Trak B2B Craze
A.M.C.
Adam Beyer
Alok
Andrew Rayel
Anfisa Letyago
Armin Van Buuren
ATB
Atdusk
ATLeins
Avision
Ben Nicky Presents Xtreme
Bijou B2B Habstrakt
Coco & Breezy
D-Sturb
Darksiderz
Deborah de Luca
Deeper Purpose
Definitive B2B Replicant
Dillon Francis
DJ Anime
DJ Issac
Dom Dolla
Dr Phunk
Eprom
Excision
Francis Mercier
Friction B2B Kanine
Gene Farris
Good Times Ahead
Hana
Headhunterz
Hpnotic B2B Lucky Rabbit
Ilario Alicante
Illenium
Imanbek
Joel Corry
John Summit
Kami
Kaskade Redux
Lady Faith
Lee Foss
Level Up
Liquid Stranger
Lucati
Luttrell
Manolo
Marlo
Martin Ikin
Mat Zo
Moore Kismet
Ms. Mada
Nostalgix B2B Wenzday
Partiboi69
Renegade System
Rezz
Richie Hawtin
Rusko
Sam Divine
San Holo
Schala
Shiba San
Subtronics B2B Boogie T
Tchami
Tritonal
Tsha
Vintage Culture B2B James Hype
Virtual Riot
Wade
Wax Motif
Wenzday
Westend
Wildstylez
Yolanda Be Cool
Zedd
Zeds Dead
Zhu
Zomboy

kineticFIELD Photo Credit: Taylor Wallace for Insomniac Events

Insomniac celebrated its 25th anniversary for their iconic Electric Daisy Carnival and celebrated its 10th anniversary of the event being held in Las Vegas. As EDC Las Vegas is one of the largest EDM festivals worldwide, I was on the grounds to experience this monumental moment and innovative tech firsthand. Let’s dive in.

To provide some history on EDC, it was first held back in 1997 and debuted at Los Angeles’ Shrine Expo Hall. As the festival expanded outside of just hosting in Los Angeles, EDC made its way to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. Being hosted its first year in Vegas, Mayor Oscar Goodman declared an entire week of Electric Daisy events in the city.

With expanding the grounds, more stages, and interactions, EDC Las Vegas has become a staple in the EDM festival community. Insomniac has done a stellar job innovating year after year to provide the most enhanced experience for its headliners (attendees).

On October 22nd to the 24th, EDC Las Vegas welcomed more than 450,000 headliners that weekend. With headlining acts from Kaskade, 3LAU, DJ Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal) and more, the weekend was stacked for good vibes and dance music.

Music artist and producer Diplo surprised attendees with a cameo from Lil Nas X to perform three of his hit songs. Lil Nas X was not the only cameo of the weekend. DJ Snake surprised the crowd with rising artist The Kid LAROI to perform “Stay” and “Without You.”

DJ Diesel Photo Credit: Chris Lazaro for Insomniac Events

The festival runtime started with an opening ceremony each day from 5 PM to 7 PM. Once the ceremony was over, headliners would be dancing from dusk till dawn, closing off each day at 5:30 AM. With almost two years for Insomniac to plan this anniversary and make it the most memorable weekend for their headliners, the event’s production has put EDC Las Vegas 2021 as the best festival I’ve attended.

Attendees were required to present proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results at least 72 hours prior to arrival at EDC. Now the question is, did they really check for proper vaccination and testing?

I had purchased a premier shuttle pass for the weekend. A premier shuttle pass has a designated pick-up time and leave time from the festival. Additionally, with the Premier shuttle pass, a security check was conducted before getting onto a shuttle bus so that when you arrived at the festival, you were already cleared to walk into the venue.

On the first day, I was thrilled with how thorough the team was checking for vaccination and testing. The security team took their time to check everybody’s bags and belongings. Some people in line were frustrated that it took a little longer than 30 seconds to be cleared by security. But, I appreciated this to ensure the safety of all getting into the festival.

Once your vaccination or test was reviewed, you were given a wristband that specifically noted that your requirements were checked. This was something that you needed to wear throughout the weekend if you were using the shuttle. Even with this wristband, they continued to perform the same check for vaccination and testing each day along with the thorough security check. A bonus to this premier shuttle was a 2021 EDC fanny pack, and they also provided water bottles and snacks to those in line.

This was my experience with the premier shuttle, though security was supposedly a different experience for festival-goers entering the venue at the standard entry gates. Attendees expressed online that they felt security could have been tighter and checking everyone more than they were.

Entering the festival grounds, I was blown away by how much was happening at once. Guests were able to take a walk through Memory Lane, an aisle with bright screens to walk along and see highlights throughout EDC history. As this was the 10th year of EDC being held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, they had decided to expand the use of the venue grounds.

Memory Lane Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

There were eight stages, multiple art carts with artists performing on top of them, theatrical performers roaming around the festival, and many attractions for headliners to engage in. The lineups at each stage were, in a way, set up by categories for separate subgenres within EDM. The kineticFIELD was overwhelming to experience the first hour. I’ve never experienced a stage that large with so much to absorb.

This wasn’t just a regular stage with a massive screen. It had beautiful art sculptures and the large owl with eyes for screens that would sometimes move along to the music. At this stage, you could also catch the beautiful drone show that mesmerized everyone in the crowd, which was a significant highlight of the weekend.

Over 600 drones lit up the sky in celebration of the 25th anniversary. I was hoping Insomniac would include this for EDCLV as I had experienced a taste of the drone show at Day Trip Festival back in July.

Hovering over the kineticFIELD, you would find the drone show followed by EDC’s famous firework show. The combination of the two was truly magic. It almost felt like I was at Disneyland watching the firework show (but even better). Each day, there was a new curated soundtrack for the drone show. This was a great way to change the pace and not have people get tired of the show by the third day. The drones would illustrate the various stages and themes that were used throughout EDC history.

Thank you for a truly transformative Night 1, Headliners!❤️ Please travel home safely and rest up your spirit for Day 2.?⚡️ #EDCLV2021

TRACK ID: Jason Ross & Blanke – One More Day ft. Chandler Leighton pic.twitter.com/u6bZgI585z

— EDC Las Vegas (@EDC_LasVegas) October 23, 2021

Different from the beautiful sculptures at the kineticFIELD stage, one stage stood out as the most immersive for headliners. The circuitGROUNDS stage was impactful with its immersive structure.

With a rounded stage and screens all around, there was no escaping the music and visuals at that stage. They had upgraded the set from their 2019 setup. Insomniac continuously innovates with their production each festival to ensure the most enhanced experiences for their headliners and keep up with technology along with their stages.

circuitGROUNDS Photo Credit: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

The innovative technologies and sponsors that enhanced the attendee experience did not lack at all. EDC partnered with Coinbase and had an immersive setup to engage in the NFT space.

As NFTs continue to rise in the arts and entertainment culture, having Coinbase at the festival to engage with headliners was a no-brainer. Attendees were able to visit the Coinbase tent and scan for a new NFT each day. Along with this, attendees were able to claim their very own 25th anniversary and NFT coin to commemorate this monumental moment in EDC history.

Additionally, with the rise of the metaverse, EDCLV 2021 became the first music festival to partner with Roblox and allowed people to attend the festival via metaverse. The space was called World Party, and fans enjoyed sets at the virtual stages for the EDC weekend. Over 50 performances were showcased at the World Party, just a quarter of the in-person festival lineup of over 200 performers. Within this party in the metaverse, Roblox mimicked a digital version of specific areas at the festival. For example, you could find the circuitGROUNDS stage, cosmicMEADOW stage, Camp EDC, and more.

cosmicMEADOW Photo Credit: Calder Wilson for Insomniac Events

Not only could you attend virtual sets within Roblox, but guests were also able to win real and virtual merchandise within the game. This expands the reach and potential attendees to future EDC events or Insomniac events overall. To capitalize even more on expanding the audience for EDC Las Vegas, the weekend livestream has been something that Insomniac has continued to have throughout the years. I know this firsthand as I have been watching the livestreams throughout the years before attending this year for my first time.

Event organizers should take note of the progression Insomniac continues to make to involve themselves in emerging technology and in the music and art space. This was a significant year for EDC, not only its 25th anniversary but Insomniac’s largest festival after a challenging year for live music dealing with the pandemic.

Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

The production was a hit out of the park, and I’m sure with EDC Las Vegas 2022 coming up in May, there will be lots more incorporated with technology and enhanced experiences for headliners.

Insomniac has already released tickets for purchase to EDC Las Vegas 2022 in its original season during May. Through my experience this year and no issues with security or transportation delays, I would suggest the convenience of paying for the shuttle system they have implemented. For any festival I’ve been to, the transportation with the shuttle has been the smoothest I’ve encountered.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the inclusion and prioritization of involving more technology and immersive experiences for festival attendees with other large festivals coming up in 2022. More so, I am eager to see the advancements and steps event organizers will take after considering and reviewing the strides Insomniac has made this year with EDC Las Vegas 2021.

EDC Las Vegas 2017. Photo Credit: Insomniac

As one of the largest EDM festivals worldwide, Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas will celebrate its 25th anniversary next week. Over 200 artists and eight stages, the event will take place October 22nd through October 24th at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Here is everything you need to know. 

Back in August, EDC Las Vegas 2021 tickets had sold out just one day after being released to the public. Following in the footsteps of many music festivals, Insomniac will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before entering the festival or proof of vaccination to attend the event. 

Insomniac states to their fans (headliners): “The health and safety of our headliners is always of the upmost importance to insomnia, as well as creating environments where everyone can feel comfortable coming together and celebrating with us… We ask that you please bring a copy of your vaccination card or a negative test result and be prepared to provide it at the event entrance. A photo of your negative test results on your phone will be accepted if you are planning on getting vaccinated we encourage you to do so before the event.”

Full vaccination proof and negative tests will be required as a security verification each day of entry to the festival. Masks are not a requirement for the festival. Although, it is highly encouraged by local and state officials to mask up to keep yourself and those around you safe. Insomniac’s COVID guidelines for the festival dive further to discuss sanitation precautions. “In addition to vaccination and negative test checks, EDC Las Vegas will be working closely with local officials to implement safety precautions and will follow state and local health guidelines in place at the time of the event.” 

EDC Las Vegas is known to have a ground control team throughout the venue. The ground control team is dedicated to helping attendees with any assistance they might require during the event. In addition to the ground control team, medical staff will be available at any time to ensure the health and safety of all attending the festival. 

Insomniac reigns over the city of Las Vegas for the week of the event. Starting on October 20th through October 26th, you will find a lineup full of events at various hotel clubs downtown and on the famous Las Vegas strip featuring over 60 artists. Here you will find the complete list of events happening next week.

Aside from the pool parties and nightclub sets, the three-day lineup is stacked for each of the eight stages. The festival features some of the world’s top dance music artists, from Tiesto, Alesso, Diplo, Kaskade, 3LAU, Alison Wonderland, and many more. The festival will kick off with its cosmicMEADOW opening ceremony celebrations starting at 5 PM each day.

The time the festival begins is key to note, as each day usually ends at 5:30 AM the next day. There are many tips and tricks for first-time attendees out there. Insomniac provides a brief handbook for attendees to know what to expect from the event. Additionally, various YouTube channels provide Q&As on how to best approach the festival. 

Content creator and podcast host, Emma Kapotes, provides advice to her followers on her knowledge and experience as a dance music and music festival enthusiast. On her YouTube channel, you will find various tips on navigating the festival, best camping practices, clothing attire, and more. Additionally, on her podcast Rave Culture Cast, you will find an in-depth survival guide for EDC Las Vegas 2021. The creator is also a co-host of the Festival Insider podcast discussing dance music and the festival community as a whole. 

Insomniac recently released the festival map layout for 2021. Attendees can expect eight stages, various art carts, numerous art installations, and specially themed areas across the speedway. As the map has been released, those attending the event are waiting on the stage schedules to be announced. 

Below is the full lineup for EDC Las Vegas 2021: 

EDC Las Vegas 2021 Lineup. Photo Credit: Insomniac

Swedish House Mafia (Photo Credit: Alexander Wessely)

EDM powerhouse Swedish House Mafia is working with IKEA to elevate music and creativity in the homes of creators and music fans. The collection is set to launch in September 2022.

The importance of music and the unity it can bring to all has been evident, especially with the absence of live shows and emerging new music skyrocketing with social media challenges. We continue to see music fans and music creators innovate to share the music they love. As for many, music creativity begins at home, where the exploration might not be as extensive as the resources provided in a studio.

Swedish House Mafia and IKEA are exploring how they can aid music makers and music fans to be more creative at home. The successful trio Swedish House Mafia, consisting of Steve Angello, Axwell, and Sebastian Ingrosso, is globally known to be pioneers in the electronic music world.

At first, it might seem like an odd collaboration between a furniture company and the three music producers. As you understand the mission, it makes complete sense. The collection will consist of home furnishing solutions specifically designed to enable an environment for an optimal creative setting to produce, play, and listen to music at home.

The Grammy Award nominated group Swedish House Mafia are significantly recognized for their electronic music and epic live shows. The group has various hit singles that have been staples amongst EDM festival sets such as “Don’t You Worry Child,” “Save The World,” and “Greyhound.” After eight years without releasing music as a group, the trio has released new singles and is set to release their new album this year.

“The collection is created for anyone who values and support creativity in the home, and especially music creators. We want to reach out to anyone who wants to incorporate more design in their home studios without being hindered by money or availability. It is for everyone, everywhere, beginner or pro. It is for the ones with limited means, but unlimited creativity,” says Swedish House Mafia.

As this is set to be a collection accessible and affordable to music creatives and music fans, the next step would be to consider what the affordable price points will be depending on the pieces in the collection. Additionally, it will be key to look out for the specific differences this collection would make versus already established home entertainment systems and studio setups.

The collection is set to launch in September 2022, a full year from now.

Miley Cyrus by Ashley Osborn for Lollapalooza 2021

Lollapalooza held one of the first largest music festivals back in the US, marking it as its 30th anniversary. So, what are the results ten days later?

The festival has become a catalyst for event organizers to uphold basic protocols dealing with the pandemic for festivals going forward, starting with proof of vaccination and negative testing. Bonnaroo and AEG Presents have taken the necessary steps to update its health policies for their future events. Live Nation is also announcing that its Lollapalooza requirements will set the template for all of its future events.

Prior to the event, Lollapalooza emphasized that attendees must comply with their Fan Health Pledge to be allowed into the event each day. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test leading up to the festival was required protocol for attendees to enter the festival each day. 

“Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows, and as of October 4th we will be following the model we developed for Lollapalooza and requiring this for artists, fans and employees at Live Nation venues and festivals everywhere possible in the US,” Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, relayed in a statement.

Leading up to the festival, people were wary if there would be an actual check or not. As I attended the festival myself, I witnessed people getting turned away from the gates multiple times if they did not have proper documents.

At each entrance, there were staff and dozens of boxes of masks readily available. Throughout the park, you would find hand sanitizer pumps besides trash and recycling bins. Lollapalooza has also reported that 90% of attendees showed proof of vaccination across the four-day festival. With ten days passing since the end of the festival, Chicago health officials have reported 203 cases of COVID-19 linked to Lollapalooza. Although, they have yet to report hospitalizations or deaths linked to the festival. 

“Nothing unexpected here… No sign of a ‘superspreader event.’ But clearly with hundreds of thousands of people attending Lollapalooza, we would expect to see some cases,” says Department of Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady.

The Lollapalooza team consistently updated their social media pages of any exchanges or special events during the festival or any planned after-shows throughout the four days. Exchanges included daily lineup changes, schedule changes, or artists swapped out due to no longer attending the festival.

The four-day event had a stacked lineup with music acts ranging from Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyler, The Creator, Foo Fighters, and more. DaBaby’s rant at Rolling Loud did not align with Lollapalooza’s mission of inclusivity and diversity, resulting in a cancellation of his performance that was supposed to close out one of the stages on the last day of the event.

Many festivals like iHeart Radio Music Festival, Day N Vegas, Governors Ball, and more have dropped DaBaby from their lineups following Lollapalooza’s steps.

Touching on the festival’s mission of inclusivity and diversity, Lollapalooza is known to have American Sign Language interpreters for various sets, mainly the larger acts. One interpreter had gone viral on TikTok for their interpretation during Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP performance. The interpreter, known as @kelly4access on Instagram, decided to use their platform to share the importance of music interpreters and how they are passionate about supporting Deaf creators.  

“Seeing an interpreter at a concert shouldn’t be shocking. Seeing a deaf interpreter on tour with every artist should be the norm!”

The hearing interpreter also took the time to shout out ASL teachers and other ASL music cover contributors to the community via this Instagram post. 

This was my first time attending Lollapalooza. I was eager to see how a music festival of this scale would look like post-quarantine. Additionally, I was intrigued to see how the new moves for music in technology and the metaverse would play out at a live event.  

There was a total of nine stages across Grant Park, with various teams and sponsors to each. The most impressive stage was Solana X Perry’s stage. This stage featured EDM acts from artists like Steve Aoki, Alison Wonderland, Oliver Heldens, Yellow Claw, and more. This stage was the most elevated in terms of visuals and the technology used for the screens and digital art displayed.

Alison Wonderland by Mickey Pierre Louis for Lollapalooza 2021

Perry’s stage is popular amongst annual Lollapalooza attendees for EDM acts. This year Solana joined Perry’s to sponsor the stage. Solana is a blockchain platform that supports creators in developing crypto apps with which various music artists and companies are beginning to engage. Solana is also powering Lollapalooza’s first-ever NFTs in celebration of the 30th year anniversary.

Here you can take a look at the live NFTs: .

Many of the artists performing on the larger stages were performing at a music festival for the first time this year due to their virality during the 2020 year and quarantine. For example, artists like Jxdn, Giveon, Megan Thee Stallion, and Jack Harlow had rapidly grown their audiences to where they drew in large crowds for their set.

Lollapalooza partnered with Hulu to give music fans at home an opportunity to experience the festival. As 2020 presented challenges for the live music industry, livestreaming has provided accessibility for artists to connect with their audiences outside of live shows. We will begin to see the use of livestreams more for concerts and festivals as events advance to accommodate music fans who are unable to attend the event or are not comfortable with larger in-person events yet. Not only does this create more accessibility to music fans, but it also will scale the events at a much larger scope.

Live music and touring professionals have taken the hardest hit during the pandemic and the uncertainty of when things would all go back to “normal.” Lollapalooza and C3 Presents could be an example for event organizers planning festivals set for 2021 in various ways, starting with requiring vaccination records and the 72-hour negative COVID-19 testing before the show date. It’s time for production companies to step up and take these necessary steps to ensure the safety of their staff and concertgoers.

Following Lollapalooza and C3 Presents, AEG’s Goldenvoice announced yesterday, “Goldenvoice will require proof of full vaccination for concertgoers and event staff at all of our venues and festivals. The vaccination policy, limited only as required by law, will be in full effect nationwide no later than October 1, 2021. Leading up to October 1, we will implement a policy of showing proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of show date where permitted.”

As these are just the first steps to ensure live music does not take another shutdown, event organizers should work with certified COVID-19 Compliance Officers (CCO) for their tours and festivals. The importance of keeping concertgoers safe is significant. Although, some individuals are not mindful of the hard work and large teams that put themselves at risk to create these memorable moments for attendees. Staffing CCOs at the start of event planning could ensure the best up-to-date practices for event organizers to carry out shows as safely as possible.

The event production company C3 Presents will be requiring the same Health Pledge for the upcoming Bonnaroo music festival in September.

Check out some of the full sets from Lollapalooza: 

Tyler, The Creator full set

Oliver Heldens full set

Steve Aoki full set

Marshmello full set

Photo By: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

During the July 4th weekend, Insomniac’s Day Trip Festival kicked off the summer festival season as the first festival back in Southern California. 

Back in September, Digital Music News first reported that Day Trip Festival had sold out in record-breaking time after tickets became available. As the first festival back in SoCal, it was a no-brainer to attend and see exactly how the show came together after 550 heartbreaking days away from live events.

As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy being the first music festival back in SoCal. The festival’s original location at LA Waterfront was relocated to the lot at Hollywood Park at the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles weeks before the event. More days went by, and new challenges arose. Eventually, Day Trip Festival shifted to a familiar spot for Insomniac events, NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.  

Pasquale Rotella, founder and CEO of Insomniac, posted a video on Instagram to reach ticket holders and let them know why there were venue changes and how they will accommodate them. 

For ticket holder accommodations, full refunds are being issued and ticket holders were given a free ticket to the Day Trip Festival at its new location. Additionally, Insomniac provides an extra free ticket to any Insomniac festival of choice that is not sold out and is scheduled during the 2021 year. Lastly, Insomniac Events is providing reimbursements for non-refundable flights and hotels that were booked. 

So far, I haven’t heard of any other event holders accommodating ticket holders to this great extent when complications for a show happen. The most I’ve seen is just a simple ticket refund. Now, attendees get to party at another Insomniac festival at no charge. 

Insomniac is known worldwide as a leading innovator in the music events space. Even with its challenges leading up to the event, Day Trip Festival did not shy away from Insomniac’s high standards. 

The two-day festival had a stacked lineup with house music artists. Attendees danced from day to night to sets from household names like Chromeo, Diplo, Tchami, Wax Motif, Sofi Tukker, Dombresky, Sidepiece, and more. 

With just days to set up at the new location, it was impressive how smooth the experience was overall. Parking and shuttle options were made clear. The lines for getting into the festival and scanning tickets went better than most shows pre-Covid. Walking into the festival felt surreal as it was my first live event since lockdowns in March of 2020. 

With COVID-19 outdoor restrictions lifted in California, here’s what SoCal’s first music festival looked like.

The majority of attendees were maskless, and it felt as though there was no time loss for live music. The performances took place across the Deep End and High Tide stages. The Deep End stage was dressed with palm trees and disco balls, while the High Tide stage was a larger stage with more screens and more lasers. 

In between the two stages, you could find various attractions on the festival grounds. There were massive giraffes and a skyrocketing flamingo structure, as well as countless disco balls hanging on the stages and throughout the festival grounds. There were multiple water-misting fans and shaded areas to cool down from the summer heat. The ferris wheel rides during sunset and the Volkswagen bus provided the best photo ops. There were numerous hammocks on the grounds for those who wanted to give their feet a break. The vibe was set for everyone to dance the weekend away with house music all day. 

You never felt like you were missing out on an attraction at the festival. There was enough time to explore the grounds and experience all it had to offer. 

My favorite part of the event was when the sky was lit up with a drone show. Two hundred drones were programmed to display different figures and phrases. In my opinion, this was way cooler than just your average fireworks. The whole crowd had their eyes glued to the sky, waiting for the next display. A crowd favorite was when the drones spelled out, “WE BACK, BABY!!” This amped up everyone’s energy to dance the rest of the night away. 

Photo By: Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events

For those who missed the event, Day Trip LA is not just a festival. They hold events weekly on The Patio at Academy LA. If you want to get a taste of how the festival went, check out their Summer 2021 schedule and attend a show. 

Ultimate Ears sent their Megaboom 3 for an honest review on one of their staple speakers.

The most intriguing feature is the impressive spatial 360° sound design, as it allows an ultimate music listening experience during every use. But is it worth a $199.99 price point?

Playing music with a speaker instead of headphones is an entirely different experience. You’re able to share music with the people around you or make the room full of sound. At times, it sets the tone for an environment without isolating yourself to personal earbuds.

I’ve owned many wireless speakers throughout the years. For the most part, it’s always one-directional, and if you were standing behind the speaker or to the speaker’s side, you wouldn’t get the best experience that you would be standing directly in front of the speaker. 

Design

The UE Megaboom 3 completely combats that issue. It has a cylindrical design that supports 360° sound, which means that the speaker plays all around the product. No matter where you’re standing in a room, you’re going to hear the same quality as you would be if you were “in front” of the speaker.

The UE Megaboom 3 notably features a powerful and riveting sound with its spatial 360° sound design.

It has a sleek monochromatic design with two massive plus and minus buttons on the side of the speaker to control your volume settings. A plus here is that you can manage your volume through any device you have connected to the speaker. If you want to take it on the go, there’s a little hook on the back of the speaker that you can hang it anywhere with a keychain.

The acoustic fabric used on the UE Megaboom 3 also makes it accessible to have the speaker chill in a pool with you without compromising the sound or deteriorating your speaker. 

Sound Quality and Customizations

Ultimate Ears has an app for you to control the speaker without physically interacting with it. You can also adjust the Equalization when listening to different genres of music. With the special 360 design, the quality of the sound radiates that much more power. 

If you’re a fan of music genres containing heavy bass — this would blow your mind just as it did mine. I even tested the bass capacity with a purely deep bass song, and it hadn’t distorted the sound quality at all. 

My album choice for the UE Megaboom 3: Glass Animal’s latest album, Dreamland.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this speaker makes the listening experience more immersive no matter what environment you use it in. 

The battery life on this goes for 20 hours, and it’s one of the largest batteries for portable speakers that I’ve experienced, so that was a big plus too because you won’t have to worry about recharging it if you take it with you on the go for the whole day. This has been great for long beach days or even just hanging out with a group of people and wanting to play out some music on a solid speaker rather than our phone speakers. 

The UE Megaboom 3 is a great option for your summer speaker needs, priced at $199.99 in various color options.

Alternatives to a lower price point

• Bose SoundLink Micro at $99.00
• Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 at $99.99
• Harman Kardon Mini Esquire 2 at $149.95

Photo Credit:Experience By Sydney Gawlik for Lollapalooza 2019

With a day’s notice, Lollapalooza alerted festival-goers that the festival is returning for the summer. 

On May 18th, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced via Twitter, “It’s happening. Lollapalooza returns. In alignment with our public health guidance, the world class festival returns to the city later this summer.”

The festival will continue to take place at the historic Grant Park in Chicago this year. Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Post Malone, and Tyler, The Creator are headlining the four-day event from July 29th to August 1st. Other notable artists on the 2021 bill include Megan Thee Stallion, Journey, DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Marshmello, Kaytranada, Brockhampton, Jack Harlow, Steve Aoki, and more.

Like Brockhampton, Omar Apollo, and Lauren Sanderson, many of these artists have held livestreaming concerts for their fans at home, performing old and new releases during 2020. Now, fans will be back and ready to catch these performances live and in person.

Lollapalooza is returning at full capacity, and to ensure safety for all attending the event, attendees must have full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of the festival. 

Prior to purchasing your pass, it is noted, “In accordance with current local public health guidance, full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Lollapalooza 2021. For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 24 hours of attending Lollapalooza each day.  Details on the festival entry process will be available in early July.”

Music fans and veteran festival-goers are eager to return to the iconic festival. Lollapalooza has a grand opportunity to share innovations coming to the live industry post-quarantine and set the stage for music festivals going forward this year. 

Tickets are on sale now, live on their website.

Screenshot: BROCKHAMPTON Live from The Chapel livestream on Moment House

On April 9th, BROCKHAMPTON performed a livestream ‘moment’, Live from The Chapel, at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La Studios in Malibu. The group performed tracks off their newly released album, ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE. The ‘moment’ felt more like watching a movie than any regular livestream by how the group portrayed a specific scene to match each track performed. 

BROCKHAMPTON released their new album the night before the livestream. This allowed fans to hear the new tracks and get even more excited to listen to the new music live. The tracks off ROADRUNNER had a new sound for the group with special guest features from Baird, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Danny Brown, and more. Tickets for Live from The Chapel were priced at $15, excluding service fees. 

The show opened with bearface sitting on a white horse performing a cover of  James Taylor’s “You’ve Got A Friend” as the camera slowly panned out to show the band and accompanying choir. It was obvious from this point that the Moment House production was going to make this BROCKHAMPTON performance out to be much more than just your average livestream. 

Kevin Abstract, a founding member of BROCKHAMPTON, tweeted that they shot the show with anamorphic lenses on an Alexa Mini camera. The way it was filmed gave viewers the feel of watching a movie. Each performance during the show could be seen as unique live music videos for each track. 

Following the slow-paced cover track, Kevin Abstract came out on a separate stage, completely amping up the energy with “Buzzcut.” The camera work was switching from angle to angle, giving that bounce feeling along with the song. As Danny Brown was not there to perform with the group, BROCKHAMPTON’s Dom McLennon performed his own verse. Right off the bat, the group was in sync with each other’s movement and readiness to be back performing live. JOBA cooled down the track with his high range riffs leading into “Chain On,” where special guest JPEGMAFIA came out to perform with the group.

Screenshot: Live from The Chapel livestream on Moment House

JPEGMAFIA was not the only special guest brought out to perform with the group. SoGone SoFlexy came out to perform “Windows,” with the stage fully packed now. Following this performance, a heavy influence to the new sounds on the album, special guest Baird came out for his verse on “Old News.”

After performing a few new tracks, fans in the chat got hyped as they started to perform a classic song off their SATURATION III album, “Bleach.” From that point forward, there was a mix of performances between the new tracks off ROADRUNNER and popular tracks from their previous albums SATURATION II and GINGER. 

Screenshot: Live from The Chapel livestream on Moment House

Switching stages again, JOBA began to perform “The Light.” The first half of the track was a solo until Kevin came back out to perform his own unreleased track, “Texas Watchin’ Me.” Each of the tracks had fans praising the two in the live chat.

My personal favorite of the show was when Kevin Abstract, JOBA, and Matt Champion were jamming with the band to the “Chain On” chorus, and Merlyn Wood came up for a freestyle. Viewers got a chance to see them having fun and laughing with each other on stage, almost as if we were there in Malibu getting to experience this in person.

With a couple more set changes from “When I Ball” and “Don’t Shoot Up The Party,” they closed off the show with a powerful performance of “The Light PT. II.” The track reflects on individual experiences from both JOBA and Kevin’s personal lives and struggles.

It was hard not to feel their emotions during each of their verses and hear how they sublimely present their realities into their music. You could tell from all their energy that they were more than ready to be back on stage throughout the whole show. The group’s energy made it easy to engage with the performances and sing along to their tracks, wanting to match your energy along with them. To see the group flawlessly perform every track would have anyone itching to get back to a live music show soon. 

Last week, Kevin had let fans know that only two albums were left for the group to release before their split. With ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE out, there’s one left for BROCKHAMPTON to release later this year.

Live from The Chapel, BROCKHAMPTON Setlist:

You’ve Got A Friend (cover)

Buzzcut (feat. Danny Brown)

Chain On (feat. JPEGMAFIA)

Windows (feat. SoGone SoFlexy)

Old News (feat. Baird)

Bankroll (feat. A$AP Rocky & A$AP Ferg)

Bleach

Boy Bye

Gummy

The Light

Texas Watchin’ Me (Kevin Abstract Unreleased Track)

Chain On Freestyle

What’s The Occasion?

Sugar

I’ll Take You On

Pressure / Bow Wow (feat. ssgkobe)

Count On Me

Sex

No Halo

When I Ball

Don’t Shoot Up The Party

The Light PT. II

Photo: Wave

Last night, Dillon Francis put on a free virtual show, Total Fiasco. The virtual concert consisted of various interactive experiences with Dillon and the other viewers. Total Fiasco entered the metaverse by using Wave’s technology to broadcast Dillon’s real-time movements as his avatar.

I have been attending Dillon Francis’s live shows since 2014. My first Dillon Francis show was under the Sahara tent at Coachella. Notably, his visuals and lighting effects are always fun and interactive throughout the live shows. Even with Diplo and Dillon’s B2B Coronight Fever livestreams throughout quarantine, the green screen effects still made it unique and specific to a ‘Dillon Francis show.’

Since the visuals are something I look forward to most, I was more than eager to see how this complete virtual concert could elevate the visuals to a set of his.

The doors opened to a trailer of the show to get the fans in the chat excited. During the pre-show, viewers got a look behind the scenes at the Mo-Cap suit and gloves that Dillon wore throughout the show. The Mo-Cap (motion capture) suit and gloves are how Dillon could control his live movements with his avatar and interact with the virtual audience.

There were technical difficulties for the first minute after the show’s initial start, but it wouldn’t have been a Total Fiasco without it. If anything, this just proved to doubters that it truly was a live show. After the minor hiccup, Dillon’s avatar appeared on-screen, getting the show started with one of my favorite songs off his ‘Money Sucks, Friends Rule’ album, ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.’

The interactive experience had a Hype Meter, where viewers could vote on the virtual environment they wanted to party in next. They could choose to party in the desert, a mushroom land, or even with a bunch of monsters. Viewers also had the opportunity to interact directly with Dillon during the show by dancing on screen with him and even gift virtual costumes for Dillon’s digital avatar.

Viewers were purchasing avatars to make themselves more noticeable in the crowd, to where Dillon would come over and dance with them. There were even options to make your avatar bigger from how many times you tap on it, and Dillon even shouted out some of the audience’s names. A cool aspect about this was that throughout the show, a small square would popup, and we could see Dillon in the studio making the exact live motions that his avatar was making.

The show’s visuals were impressive, and I kept imagining that it would be awesome to see this at a live show if it was this cool in the metaverse.

He played a few of his newer songs like ‘Places’. The live chats got hyped to hear some of Dillon’s classics ranging from ‘Masta Blasta 2.0’ to ‘Bootleg Fireworks (Burning Up)’ and even one of his older remixes of Passion Pit’s ‘Carried Away’.

Dillon mentioned that he was stepping off the stage to bring up a special guest. The chat got amped as they predicted that Dillon’s alter-ego, DJ Hanzel, would indeed be that special guest. As a fan myself, it was nice to see DJ Hanzel take the show ‘One Deeper.’

Photo: Wave

By the end of the show, Dillon took some time to answer the viewers’ questions. He let everyone know that he’s been working on new music in quarantine, and it will be released sometime this year. Dillon ended off the show by stating that he is looking forward to performing in the metaverse again soon.

You can catch Dillon Francis perform live at festivals like HARD Summer and Life is Beautiful later this year.

Screenshot from MelodyVR livestream

Imagine walking along a bridge and seeing a full band perform on a boat in open waters — only to find out a month later it was Liam Gallagher.

On December 5th, Liam Gallagher performed live for an exclusive virtual show, Down by the River Thames. Performing with Gallagher was his full band and backup vocalists. This pay-per-view global livestream was priced at $22.50, presented by MelodyVR, and it was held on a barge in England on the River Thames.

A few days before the show, Gallagher had posted his setlist on Instagram exciting his fans from his solo career and his days as lead singer for Oasis.

Right off the bat, it was clear that the production quality of this show was far beyond my expectations. The show opened up with beautiful drone shots of the River Thames and the sound of a helicopter passing by. The drone view spotlighted on the barge, and cut to Gallagher and his band kicking off the show with “Hello” from his days as lead singer for Oasis.

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, my question about virtual shows is whether artists can translate their energy through the livestream. Gallagher delivered that, and more. During “Columbia,” I felt an overwhelming sense of FOMO not being able to attend the performance.

Gallagher and his band were full of power for every song, consistently throughout the show.

The drone shots were an awesome reminder that they weren’t on a stage with a backdrop. The barge moving along the river during sunset will make you miss outdoor events. Perhaps that longing will only make it more exciting when outdoor gigs begin again.

After the sun had set and the barge approached the bridge, Gallagher began a slower song, “Once.” You could see people walking along on the bridge after noticing the show on the barge, catching this free performance live and in-person. The slower tempo made the song feel a lot more intimate; some fans were waving from the bridge hoping for a wave back.

The stage setup on the barge was simple. It featured the band, backup vocalists, and Gallagher front-and-center with some lighting poles in the back. Anything more was unnecessary because of how great the performance was as a whole.

Gallagher ended the show with “Champagne Supernova” and gave a short, sweet goodbye of “Thank you, goodnight, happy Christmas!” By the time the last song arrived, I couldn’t believe a full hour had gone by. Consistently throughout the show, there was never a dull moment.

After the credits, there was a pre-recorded performance of his new song, “All You’re Dreaming Of.” Liam Gallagher is booked to headline Reading & Leeds in 2021.  Given how great this virtual show came out, I’d look forward to catching this live at a festival.

Down by the River Thames setlist:

Hello (Oasis song)

Wall of Glass

Halo

Shockwave

Columbia (Oasis song)

Fade Away (Oasis song)

Why Me Why Not

Greedy Soul

The River

Once

Morning Glory (Oasis song)

Cigarettes & Alcohol (Oasis song)

Headshrinker (Oasis song)

Supersonic (Oasis song)

Champagne Supernova (Oasis song)

Post Credits:

All You’re Dreaming Of

Photo credit: Jabra

Jabra Elite 75t earbuds are supposedly better than the competition. Is that really true?

If you’re using earbuds, you know that they are pretty convenient for day-to-day use. Especially while working from home, earbuds have been my best friend, drowning out any noise or conversations going on in the house.

I own a few pairs of wireless earbuds, but lately, I’ve heard that the Jabra earbuds were great for the price, design, and sound quality. Jabra sent me a pair of their Elite 75t earbuds for an honest review, and I was eager to put them to the test.

Overall, when considering prices for a reliable set of earbuds, Jabra Elite 75t delivers solid sound quality for less than its competitors.

They perform just as well — and even better — depending on your unique customizations to your audio. And this goes beyond the sound performance: the physical design of these earbuds is far more appealing than anything else hanging out of your ear.

These earbuds cost $179.99 and have multiple color options. 

Initial Reactions

When they first arrived, I was excited to see how they looked. After slipping the cover off the box, there’s a tab you need to pull to reveal the earbuds. Unboxing them, the earbuds are in the center with a note from Jabra letting you know about their Sound+ app that allows you to personalize your sound.

The buttons are shimmery with a smooth matte finish around the earbuds. The charging case also has a smooth matte finish. The case is comparable to the size of a TicTac box and was extremely lightweight, even with holding the earbuds.

Taking the earbuds out of the frame, I was a bit worried that they looked and felt small in my hand. Once I popped the earbuds in, however, I was impressed with how perfectly they fit.

For one, these earbuds felt like they went a bit deeper into the ear canal than other earbuds. 

I actually enjoyed that because there wasn’t much sticking out or hanging out of my ear. 

Jabra provided three sizes for the gel ear-tip: small, medium, and large. The earbuds come standard with the medium tips already on, and those worked out with a snug fit for me compared to the others. But besides all the physical features of these earbuds, I finally wanted to test the sound quality. 

Sound Quality:

Most importantly, I was ready to test if they are better than AirPods. I really wanted to put these to the test with songs in different genres and that I’m currently listening to on repeat. 

The songs I tested it with :

• • Hawaiian Party by Cub Sport
  • Jungle by Tash Sultana
  • Cabin Fever by Jaden
  • my future by Billie Eilish
  • Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka

These earbuds have a HearThrough feature. For this initial sound test, I had the HearThrough feature off so I could really examine the sound quality out-of-the-box. Without making personalized sound adjustments, there is a well-balanced crisp tone for each of the songs. It’s comparable to its competitors in solid sound quality. Although, the noise canceling experience on these felt more secluded, and I enjoyed that.

If you have the volume at 50%, it still seems pretty low. But once you reach 75%, you get a well-balanced sound. It’s easy to hear everything going on in the background of the songs. 

The maximum volume for the earbuds really made the experience different from the other sound levels. There would be a great benefit for Jabra to improve the volume features and how well it sounds at all levels and not just at the higher mark of 75% and up. 

Sound Customizations:

One of the intriguing features of these earbuds is the HearThrough feature. The HearThrough feature amplifies your surrounding sounds, whether there’s music playing or not. 

This was something I haven’t experienced as a feature for a pair of earbuds or headphones. A downside to it was with amplifying the sounds around me, the sound quality went down a bit.

With the HearThrough feature off, it truly secluded any other sounds from interfering with the music and sound quality. When you have the HearThrough feature on, it amplifies the sounds around you, whether there’s music playing or not. The wind would muffle the music, and that was just not a good combination. I found use in it when I was exercising near busy streets to hear for any cars coming by or honking; other than that, I probably wouldn’t use that feature much.

Now, I was ready to see what the audio experience would be like messing around with the app’s personalizations. You’re able to customize your sound with the music equalizer, explore ambient preset sounds, and control the HearThrough feature option.

When toggling around with the music equalizer, there’s a bit of a static you can hear when you’re making adjustments. The static goes away once you have settled on where you place your preferences on the EQ.

I like the personalization feature because it made my listening experience unique for the different genres.

In addition to the sound customizations, there are various presets of ambient sounds. The ambient sound selections they had were a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed listening to the sound of rain, crashing waves, or songbirds.

Durability:

I was also intrigued to see how this earbuds model would hold up with sweat from exercise. 

Jabra has an active version of the Elite 75t earbuds built to resist sweat, but I thought why not test the non-active edition at the lower price. I was happy to see that they did hold up sweat well, for the most part. If you’re one to sweat a lot more easily with the ears, it’s worth mentioning that the more sweat produced, the earbuds did feel to slip out a tiny bit.

Additionally, with exercising, if you’re doing any harsh movements or big jumps, the earbuds do slip out a bit, but it’s just a slight push back in for ultimate security.

In comparison to AirPods, there have been more times than I’ve liked where I’d bend down and one of the pods has already fallen out before I can adjust.

Final Thoughts:

After testing it out for a couple of weeks, I’d say that these are a great alternative to its competitors. 

If you’re looking at price points, you’d be getting more value out of these for the price that they’re at since you’d be able to personalize your sound along with it. What makes these earbuds great, apart from its competitors, is that these earbuds’ comfort and fit really take the cake. They don’t stick out and it doesn’t feel like anything is weighing down on the ear. 

As a plus, the battery life was awesome. I didn’t have to charge them super often and even when I did, it took a short amount of time to charge back up to max battery. 

As the months continue to go by, fans are craving shows from their favorite artists. In turn, artists like Lauren Sanderson are getting hungry to perform.

On Friday night (November 20th), Lauren Sanderson performed her first virtual concert, accompanied by her guitarist, Giancarlo Castillo, in a studio in Los Angeles, CA. Sanderson opened for FINNEAS last fall and is set to tour for her debut album in April 2021.

For exclusive access to this livestream, the ticket was priced at $15. Additionally, fans were able to attend a 1-on-1, live video chat meet & greet with the artist for $35.

As the livestream began, fans funneled into the chat log, engaging with each other and expressing their excitement for the show to start. My first question going into any artist’s virtual show is: “will the artist be able to provide an energy just as lively and captivating as they might in-person?”

Sanderson delivered exactly that.

Her stage setup was just herself, her guitarist, a comfy couch, and some neon lights. She kicked off the show with one of her latest tracks, “Frustrated,” from her debut album, Midwest Kids Can Make It Big (Deluxe). You could clearly see how happy she was to be performing again, knowing her fans were tuning in to support her first livestream. She even went on to say, “I hope you guys feel good. I feel so happy knowing we could share this moment right now.”

Sanderson explained the meaning of some of her songs or what she was going through when she wrote them. She gave her supporters the opportunity to relate to her and her music in this intimate setting. Before performing, “Written In The Stars,” she explained that her music is for anyone with a dream. The song was about trusting the process and believing in yourself. 

Along with that, she touched on how these months in quarantine might have been hard and even lonely at times, but she wanted to emphasize that it shouldn’t be a time of discouragement.

Her entire performance made it feel as though I was in her presence, receiving my own personal show.

The picture and sound quality of the livestream was clear, with no lag. It made it feel even less like I was just watching through a computer screen. She assured her fans that this acoustic performance was only the first of many virtual shows she will do.

After performing her last song, “Better Anyway,” she took the opportunity again to encourage her viewers to follow their dreams in a positive light. She said, “I have a master plan of spreading this message of living your dreams. Whatever your dream is that your parents aren’t going to like, or your teachers don’t think you can do it, I’m telling you right now, you can do it. I’ll see you soon.”

Overall, I look forward to catching another virtual show and even an in-person live event someday.

Lauren Sanderson: Virtual Concert (November 20th, 2020) set list:

Frustrated

The Only One

17

But I Like It

Written In The Stars

In The Middle

Upset

Thirsty

Better Anyway

Was the recent Billie Eilish virtual concert the blueprint for future XR live streaming events?

On Saturday night (October 24th), Billie Eilish performed a global virtual concert, Where Do We Go? The Livestream. Performing with Eilish was her singer-songwriter brother, FINNEAS, and touring drummer, Andrew Marshall. It was held at a studio in Los Angeles, using XR technologies to power the immersive interactive set.

Tickets to attend this pay-per-view livestream were priced at $30, providing full access to all interactive experiences. See the full set list below.

Entering the site prior to the show, one of the interactive rooms was a merch shop. It was set up as a 360-degree room with apparel and Eilish’s albums individually on display. This gave fans an opportunity to purchase exclusive merch and the Billie Eilish signature edition Fender ukulele. Part of the proceeds went to Crew Nation, a charity powered by the Music Forward Foundation supporting live concert crew members affected by event cancellations throughout the year.

The pre-show kicked off with special guests Lizzo, Alicia Keys, Jameela Jamil, and Steve Carrell, all of whom encouraged viewers to vote. Fans were provided with informative resources for voting in this year’s election, and the event was supported by various organizations such as Rock The Vote, Headcount, and Vote Save America.

Viewers were given a preview of Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, an Apple Original documentary out February 2021. From there, Eilish lets her fans know it was time to start the show!

Eilish opened the set with “bury a friend,” showcasing exactly how large the stage was and where all the visual effects would be going down. With the stage powered by XR technology, connecting real and virtual environments, Eilish was able to transport viewers into different worlds for each song.

This wasn’t just a performance with a screen behind the artist. The digital effects were truly interactive with Eilish as she moved around the stage from any direction. The visual effects for some tracks placed her in settings parallel to the song’s music videos.

Fans were able to transport into another reality with “ilomilo” as the stage submerged the performers underwater as if they were standing atop bedrocks deep in the ocean. Surrounding them were various underwater specimens and cartoon creatures, ending the performance like the music video with a 3D shark approaching the screen.

In the “my future” music video, an animated version of Eilish is placed in an enchanted forest full of cartoon creatures in nature. The digital effects created an enchanting environment, with the animated creatures and trees interacting with Eilish, FINNEAS, and Andrew Marshall while performing.

Along with parallels to her music videos, there was also a parallel to Elish’s live tour performance.

Before Billie and FINNEAS performed “i love you,” she announced that the two had been working on a new album. As they began this track, the digital effects made it seem as if they were being lifted by a growing monolith in a starry-night sky. Fans were brought back to her performances in which the two were lifted on a floating bed, as fans would hold a light to act as stars in the sky.

Throughout the show, she continued to encourage her fans to vote and emphasized the importance for young people to engage in making a change.

Where Do We Go? The Livestream set list:

bury a friend

you should see me in a crown

ocean eyes

xanny

i love you

ilomilo

No Time To Die

when the party’s over

all the good girls go to hell

everything i wanted

my future

bad guy