Music Festivals

Spring Awakening Autumn Equinox 2021 Lineup Announced

Chicago is clearly the place to be for festival season’s impending comeback, with Spring Awakening now joining the city’s already bursting fall schedule that includes North Coast Music Festival, ARC Fest’s September premiere, and Lollapalooza‘s reported summer return. Dubbed with an apt, temporary Autumn Equinox rebrand, Spring Awakening will be headed to back to one of their earlier Windy City venues, announcing a two-day event for October 2 – 3 that will be hosted at Addams/Meddil Park for the event’s milestone 10th anniversary.

For those still weighing the lengthy list of festival options for later this year, Spring Awakening makes a convincing case for frontrunner with one of the most stacked dance bills anyone’s seen in a while. Splitting more than 60 acts across the back-to-back October dates, Spring Awakening will be bringing in Martin Garrix, Madeon, hosting RL Grime and Baauer sharing the decks, Midnight Kids, MitiS, Adventure Club B2B Wooli, SIDEPIECE, MK, Said The Sky, Excision, Dillon Francis, and more. From Diplo to Valentino Khan and 4B‘s Hulk Gang cohort, Chris Lorenzo to Galantis, Spring Awakening is promising a raucous comeback in 2021.

Beyond Wonderland Socal 2021 Lineup Revealed

As the shortened festival season continues to shape up for the summer and fall, promoters across the country are driving forward with some truly massive lineup announcements. The latest to join in on the news spree is Insomniac Events as they’ve delivered the details on who will be playing their forthcoming edition of Beyond Wonderland SoCal that is now scheduled to take place on August 27-28 after being moved from its original dates in June.

Announced during Pasquale Rotella’s State Of Insomniac update late this evening, Beyond Wonderland SoCal will feature some of the scene’s top talent and rising stars who will descend upon the expanded version of the NOS Events Center for a weekend of fun. Immediate standouts on the lineup include Dillon Francis, Laidback Luke, Alison Wonderland, Markus Schulz, Tiesto, Deorro, and Diplo, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s just about every major genre within the vast dance music scene represented on the lineup for Beyond SoCal this year. Bass lovers will be stoked to catch sets from Subtronics, Flosstradamus, Wooli, and Space Laces. Trance family members will be stoked to see that Craig Connelly, Andrew Bayer, Kristina Sky, Genix, Infected Mushroom, and Jerome Isma-ae have found a home on the bill as well. And yes, even the harder styles will be receiving some love with sets courtesy of Lil Texas, Darksiderz, and Code Black among others.

The big winner on the lineup this year goes to house and techno though, as the lineup is teeming with talent there. House heads will be shuffling away to the beats from artists including Lee Foss, DJ Dan, Born Dirty, VNSSA, Christian Martin, and Walker & Royce. And techno lovers should have no fear with artists like Nicole Moudaber, UMEK, Dubfire, Ilario Alicante, Layton Giordani, Anfisa Letyago, and Carl Craig set to spin.

Per their previous announcement about the shift in dates to August, those who had purchased passes can either attend this edition, transfer them to 2022, or request a refund. Those not planning to attend must act quickly, though as the window to make that change will close on May 11, 2021 at 11:59pm PT.

Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge 2021 Lineup


The dance music scene in the Pacific Northwest might’ve had some ups and downs over the past few years, but Insomniac Events is looking to help reignite the community. Last year, they set their sights on one of the world’s most picturesque venues, The Gorge, for the latest edition of their beloved festival, Beyond Wonderland. But while the debut edition was unfortunately forced to postpone due to the pandemic, greener pastures in 2021 have led to it now being announced for the fall.

Now set to take place on October 1-2, Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge will bring over 65 artists from a diverse range of genres with immediate standouts on the lineup being major names such as Alan Walker, Benny Benassi, Feed Me, Kayzo, Claptone, Alison Wonderland, REZZ, and Tiesto. And there’s a heavy helping of rising stars in the scene including everyone from John Summit and Capozzi to Moore Kismet and Nostalgix who will be throwing down epic sets over the course of the weekend.

Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge will also feature plenty more beyond the music as well. True to form, Insomniac will bring their signature production to the beloved venue to add an extra layer of immersion. While the three stages (Fractal Valley, Cheshire Woods, and Caterpillar’s Garden) will be booming with beats, there’s even more in store as the storybook adventure with art installations and interactive experiences. And unlike other editions of the festival, camping will be available for those looking to stay on site and party until the early hours of the morning at the silent disco.

Summer Smash Festival Announces 2021 Lineup

Summer Smash Festival, the premier hip-hop music festival in the Midwest, is proud to announce the music festival will return on Friday, August 20 through Sunday, August 22 to Chicago, Illinois. Tickets now on sale!

Summer Smash is expanding to three days this August due to overwhelming demand from fans. The 2019 festival last played host to over 40,000 total attendees across the two-day event.

The Summer Smash is known for its meticulously curated music lineup that features some of the most sought-after hip-hop music acts in the country alongside exciting up-and-coming emcees, with 2021 being no different as over 80 of today’s hottest artists are confirmed to perform. This year’s festival kicks off on Friday, August 20 with a headlining performance with NYC’s very own Grammy Award-nominated rapper/actor A$AP Rocky, who continues to prepare for the forthcoming release of his next highly-anticipated album following 2018’s Testing. Additional notable Day 1 performances include Lil Yachty, Lil Tecca, Swae Lee (of Rae Sremmurd), Mulatto, Lil Skies, Yung Bans, Xavier Wulf, and BENNETT, among others.

For the following day, Saturday’s headliners include none other than Atlanta-native Lil Baby, who has become one of today’s biggest hip-hop acts as he was not only nominated at this year’s Grammy Awards for his smash hit “The Bigger Picture”, but was also named as Apple Music’s “Artist of the Year 2020”. Other acts set to grace the Summer Smash stage include a mix of past festival performers alongside exciting newcomers like Gunna, Ski Mask the Slump God, Baby Keem, City Girls, Earl Sweatshirt, Coi Leray, Blueface, and MadeinTYO.

Day 3 wraps up with a headlining performance from Lil Uzi Vert, who continues to ride high following last year’s critically acclaimed project, Eternal Atake, that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts upon its release. Plus acts like Carnage, 24kGoldn, The Kid Laroi, Young M.A., NLE Choppa, Benny The Butcher, $not, Lucki, Sofaygo, and Pi’erre Bourne will help keep the energy high throughout the three-day fest.

Three-day GA passes are available for purchase now at http://www.TheSummerSmash.com, starting at $260. VIP packages are also available.

Full lineup below:

Governor’s Ball 2021 Lineup Announced

After rescheduling their annual June weekend to September 24 – 26, Governors Ball now has their complete fall bill in hand, making the move from Randall’s Island over to Citi Field for their 10th anniversary celebration.

Keeping a sizable portion of their original roster intact, Governors Ball will be bringing in three days’ worth of music for their awaited New York City return, announcing Billie Eilish, Dababy, A$AP Rocky, J Balvin, Megan Thee Stallion, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Post Malone, Ellie Goulding, and Carly Rae Jepsen, among others.

Full lineup below:

Bass Canyon 2021 Lineup Released

From August 20 – 22, Washington’s Gorge Amphitheatre will flood with bass authorities and ascending acts alike for the 2021 installment of Excision‘s widely embraced Bass Canyon festival. 12th Planet, ATLiens, Dion Timmer, Eptic, Ray Volpe, SVDDEN DEATH, Blanke, Nurko, and many, many more have received the Bass Canyon call.

In addition to standard sets, Bass Canyon’s roster of talent features two special initiatives: a toned-down detox set from none other than Excision himself—one of Excision’s three live appearances over the weekend—and a Downlink drum ‘n’ bass set. In addition to Excision’s detox set, fans can look forward to the don’s standard bass-heavy solo set as well as a back-to-back with Illenium. Tickets and camping passes are available here.

Full line up below:

ARC Festival To Debut in Chicago Labor Day Weekend 2021

ARC Music Festival announces debut edition in Chicago’s Union Park, September 4-5 2021 with the lineup featuring Adam Beyer, Cirez D, Camelphat, Eric Prydz, FISHER, Mathame, Meduza, and much more.

Few cities will claim to have a feeling, an idea, and a culture as their identity as Chicago can. House music is the city’s contribution to the music world, a sound that has changed form and style as it journeys, breaking down barriers and bringing audiences together. Such is the ethos of ARC Music Festival, a major immersive electronic music experience scheduled to take place in Chicago’s Union Park on Labor Day Weekend 2021, attracting a global audience.

Every atmosphere has had its own enduring influence on the sounds born from the factories of the Midwest, from the basement clubs of Europe to the beaches of Ibiza and Tulum, to legendary festival stages around the world. ARC will serve as a catalyst for electronic music’s diverse scenes and tribes to come together for an immersive and uniquely Chicago experience, marking the birthplace of house music, which, ironically, has yet to be represented on the international festival circuit.

Eric Prydz, one of dance music’s most well-known figures, will take over the city with all three of his acclaimed projects, making ARC the first festival to feature all three of his aliases in a single weekend. Festival-goers will also be treated to festival sets from Eric’s namesake persona, Cirez D‘s US festival debut alongside Drumcode legend Adam Beyer, and his radical house alias Pryda for a closing party at RADIUS exclusively for festival-goers. Prydz’s live performances, which have gone through several iterations under the EPIC umbrella, have been some of the most revered and appreciated in rock, cracking technological barriers and wowing audiences and industry insiders alike.

Global house music legends FISHER, Patrick Topping, Seth Troxler, Hot Since 82, Camelphat, Meduza, Will Clarke, Mason Maynard, and a special club set by Bob Moses, as well as local heroes Derrick Carter, Gene Farris, DJ Pierre, DJ Heather, and Hiroko Yamamura, will perform at the inaugural festival. Deborah de Luca, Luciano, and Nicole Moudaber will represent the international techno scene, while ZHU will bring his acclaimed multi-genre live shows to Chicago. This eclectic programming will serve as an example of the ARC’s curation, bridging genres and serving as a link between the scene’s contemporary innovators and the city’s founding members of the Danish culture.

Ember Shores – A New Cancun Festival by Illenium

Taking fans by surprise, ILLENIUM has announced his own inaugural music festival, Ember Shores, taking place in Cancun, Mexico, in December 2021. The three-day destination festival will offer attendees an all-inclusive weekend getaway at the Four-Diamond Paradisus Resort with the main stage on the white sands of the Caribbean beach, late-night sets, lagoon-inspired pools, ten restaurants, seven bars, and a spa on-site.

Though a lineup has yet to be announced, performers will be hand-picked by ILLENIUM to the tastes of his fanbase (fondly dubbed the “Illenials”). Plus, Ember Shores will feature three live sets from the artist himself.

“I’ve always wanted to create an event where Illenials from all over the world can gather as a community and be immersed in an environment with their favorite artists together,” ILLENIUM said. “My goal with Ember Shores is to put together an amazing festival experience and offer it as a place for people to connect with each other and themselves through music.”

Outside of music, the destination event will offer offsite activities like trips to Tulum, cenotes, Catamaran expeditions, deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, and canopy ziplining.

Ranging from $817 to $8950 per person, Ember Shores is offering attendance packages with varying amenities and lodging to the festival. The hefty price tag is tempered by all-inclusive food and drinks, transportation to and from the airport, and of course, access to all music events.

Tickets go on sale at 10AM ET (7AM PT) on April 22nd. Learn more on the Ember Shores website.

Desert Drip Festival Promo Code

Use discount code EARLYDRIP25 to get 25% off your package for Desert Drip Festival in Las Vegas.

This coupon code valid any time before Nov 30th, 2021. Tickets available here.

Desert Drip is a 5 day Hip Hop festival that includes 5 pool parties and 5 night club parties and over 8-10 rappers and hip hop artists.

There are 2 separate festivals weekends:

edc las vegas fireworks aerial view

EDC Las Vegas 2021 Postponed til October

Less than two weeks after his declaration that EDC Las Vegas would host its 2021 iteration in May as planned, Pasquale Rotella unexpectedly announced that the festival has now been postponed to October 22 – 24, 2021.

In an Instagram post, Rotella explained that the postponement is the result of a new Clark County reopening plan that requires at least 60% of residents to be fully vaccinated before large-scale events are able to take place in Las Vegas. This stipulation makes it impossible for EDC Las Vegas to happen in May, as there is no guarantee that the current rate of vaccination will yield the 60% rate by the May 21 – 23, 2021 event dates.

Full statement below: