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The Best EDM Festivals in California 2021

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Music festivals. Perhaps one of the most fun and exciting events one can experience in their lifetime. These music festivals have become an intergral part of our society and culture. They provide us an opportunity to see our favorite DJs and performers all in one place. Music festivals have given me and many others the chance to see DJs that we normally wouldn’t, because a festival brought them close to our town. Today we’d like to celebrate these festivals and thank them, specifically the ones in California. Whether planning your first Cali festival or looking for a new one, this list should help you find what you’re looking for. With that being said, let’s get to it!

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Coachella (Indio) – April

This music festival is perhaps the most famous California music festival. Although not known for having a deep and diverse cast of EDM artists in their line up, Coachella attracts the biggest stars in EDM. The venue is spectacular and attracts celebrities from all over. Partying next to supermodels and famous instagramers has never been so much fun.

Nocturnal Wonderland (San Bernadino) – September

Nocturnal Wonderland. Many don’t know, but this festival is America’s longest-running dance music festival and a Southern California highlight. In many ways, for artists coming off of the summer tour circuit, Nocturnal Wonderland represents the next chance to test and try out new music. The crowd is super high energy and fun as everyone comes here to pay tribute to their favorite EDM artists. The Insomniac-powered festival typically features five stages, a vibrant setting full of lights and color, and music until midnight.

Escape Psycho Circus (San Bernadino) – Halloween

Looking for the best Halloween party? Look no further. Insomniac’s horror-themed music festival is the perfect Halloween event. In true Insomniac fashion, Escape: Psycho Circus is an immersive experience. The festival features themed stages, sinister sights, and a heavy dose of bass are ensure a lasting impression on those who dare enter.

Lightning in a Bottle (Buena Vista Lake) – May

Few festivals embody the cultural spirit of central California’s Lightning In A Bottle (LIB). This EDM electronic festival features much more then your favorite EDM artsits. LIB offers interactive art, yoga classes, and meditation workshops. The LIB has become one of the most popular and different EDM festivals in California. The venue is spectacular and welcoming. The LIB team have also done a lot to reinvest back into their community and culture, managing to build up a dedicated following year after year.

Hard Summer (San Bernadino) – August

In its formative years HARD Summer became a peak summer draw for any electronic music fan. From the biggest headliners to attention-grabbing undercards, curation and branding have been consistent strong suits. In 2019 Hard Summer broke the record for biggest festival in Fontana, California history, as 170,000 people attended the event. Hard Summer is a unbelievablly fun festival that is a must attend for any EDM fan.

Beyond Wonderland (San Bernadino) – March

Insomniac festivals are all about community, atmosphere and providing their guests with the best soundsystem money can buy. Beyond Wonderland is argued to be the best of the best of EDM festivals in Cali. The fantasy theme of the festival is widely embraced by its patrons creating a setting that keeps attendees savoring every moment. The experience is unrivaled and with the success of Nocturnal Wonderland, Beyond Wonderland became a sister-brand that would bring the focus back toward the fantastical environments that brought Insomniac its fame.

Countdown NYE (San Bernadino) – New Years Eve

California is truly fortunate to have multiple New Year’s festivals to choose from. In particular, we should give Countdown NYE a special look. The extraterrestrial-themed festival does not hesitate to bring the heavy hitters. The festival attracts the biggest names in EDM and hosts one of the best New Years Eve parties in the state. When looking to celebrate the new year, Countdown in San Bernardino has you covered.

Dreamstate Socal (San Bernadino) – November

Insomniac’s Dreamstate SoCal calls to trance fans from all over the world – and there are a lot of them. From uplifting to psytrance, many forget that trance music is an umbrella that includes numerous different subcultures. Dreamstate puts the spotlight on these trance subgenres and explores them from the unique perspectives of popular DJs that are not often seen elsewhere. The festival is world reknowned and celebrated by die-hard EDM fans.

Hard Day of the Dead (San Bernadino) – November

For festival goers seeking something in between Halloween and the holiday season, HARD Day of the Dead is perhaps your best bet. This one day event brings huge EDM artists and upwards of 70,000 fans together to celebrate “Dia de los Muertos.” The EDM played has no focus, which is fantastic for those looking to diversify their experience.

Groove Island (Catalina Island) – October

Unlike Fyre Festival, Whet Travel, the company behind Groove Island, has over a decade of experience organizing some of the most successful dance music cruises and island parties, all 43 of which gone off with hardly a hitch. Rather than attempting to build an entire islands worth of infrastructure and accommodations, Groove Island tapped into the already robust local economy of the city of Avalon. The local community was incredibly warm and welcoming, and the food and accommodations were excellent, to say the least.

“It’s a fully immersive experience on Catalina… We rented the majority of the hotels, A‌i‌r‌b‌n‌b‌s, part of the campground, the [Descanso] Beach Club, the casino, the country club, plus ferries, helicopters, yachts and so forth to get people on the island,” said Jason Beukema, the founder of Groove Island.

As guests arrived on the island by way of the Catalina Ferry, they were greeted with a view of the beautiful Avalon Bay and the city of Avalon – what would become their own personal paradise for the next three days. A popular tourist destination for well over a century, Avalon is home to a top-notch assortment of restaurants, beaches, spas, land and ocean adventures, as well as a whole slew of awesome recreational activities. Some of the most exciting opportunities (aside from the music, of course) included an escape room with Sam Feldt, soccer with Mark Knight, a zipline course with Dillon Nathaniel, and an ocean snorkeling adventure with Chus & Ceballos.

CRSSD (San Diego) – March, September

CRSSD is a 2-Day Festival in downtown San Diego, and happens TWICE a year! They’ve always got a star-studded line-up across three stages, in a beautiful venue, and dozens of after-hours events to choose from after the festival ends. I’ve been once myself, and had an unbelievably fun time! It’s one of the best music festivals in San Diego, and shouldn’t be missed if you’re heading to southern-California when it’s going down!

Splash House (Palm Springs) – June & August (2 weekends)

Splash House is what you get when you mix up fun-loving people, with some rocking LA pool parties, and an escape to sunny Palm Springs, California. It’s a little slice of paradise where friendships are forged as people dance to the best in house, disco, and electronica.

Splash House takes place across three hotel resorts in both June and August. Buy a ticket and you get admission to all three, plus shuttles running between all weekend. Buy a hotel package and you can enjoy a room just steps away from the stage in addition to access to all three resorts.

By night, we take flight at the Palm Springs Air Museum for our After Hours program – a pair of open air parties back-dropped by vintage aircraft and a glowing airport tarmac. After Hours admission is sold separately and may be purchased with or without a Splash House ticket.”

Northern Califonia

Outside Lands (San Francisco) August

Outside Lands Music Festival is one of the most popular music festivals featured in San Francisco and is known for being Northern California’s largest music festival. The established late summer attraction draws a diverse mix of EDM talent. Outside Lands feels like a pop-up city with a mission to showcase the best of the Bay Area. In addition to the top-tier music played, Outside Lands has expanded, including a dedicated food and wine area, a comedy and podcast tent as well as much, much more.

The Untz Festival (Brown Valley) October

The Untz festival brings a diverse offering of underground bass music to central California for their very own music festival. The Untz have staked their ground in promoting the exploration of hidden talent. True to their reputation, lineups have helped their calling serving as blueprints for the best in up and coming bass music. If you’re looking for new and upcoming artists/sounds this is the place you want to be.

Snowglobe (Tahoe) – New Year’s Eve

Last but definitely not least on our list is Snowglobe. If you’re looking to escape to California’s colder climate for the holidays, you may want to book those New Year’s plans at the SnowGlobe Music Festival. Winter festivals have been growing quickly in popularity, and SnowGlobe’s focus on Lake Tahoe’s snowboarding and skiing have been a contributing factor to this popular trend. With an average of 10,000 attendees, the event has a cozier feel while simultaneously drawing in the main stage acts consistent with festivals much bigger.

For more EDM nightclubs, check out the best night clubs in Los Angeles and the best clubs in Ktown Los Angeles.

Best Hip Hop Festivals In California

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Today we’re going to look at some of the hottest Hip Hop music festivals we’ve seen in a long time. This list will not be in a ranking order and will include festivals throughout California. Festivals are arguably the best place to see live performances, as it provides audiences with the ability to see many popular artists at one location, and packed into a weekend or holiday break. From San Francisco to Los Angeles, these are some of the best festivals we have ever seen.

Looking for the hottest clubs in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco or Sacramento? See upcoming events sign up for guest list and book table service directly on the free Discotech Mobile App. Or reach out to our help line directly at 4157356716 – we can help you pick a spot for your next night out in Cali!

Rolling Loud

Rolling Loud is arguably the number one hip hop festival in the United States at the moment. The festival is in Los Angeles and Miami but hopes to expand to China and Japan very soon. The festival features some of the best hip hop artists on the planet and continues to grow in popularity. If looking for Hip Hop, this is the place to be. This years performers included Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Juice Wrld, and Playboi Carti.

Camp Flog Gnaw

From world reknowned Hip Hop artist Tyler the Creator, comes Camp Flog Gnaw, a Hip Hop focused music festival located at Dodger Stadium. Performances by YG, 21 Savage, and of course Tyler the Creator as well as many others were the hype of this years lineup. You may have also recently seen a viral video of Drake being booed off stage. Tyler and company apoligized to the rapper and criticized the fans who booed him and thus making him leave the stage. Regardless of the controversy, this festival is very fun and focuses heavily on Hip Hop.

Hard Summer

Hard Summer is one of the hottest festivals in California located at the Speedway in Fontana. Rain or shine, this festival goes on. The festival, like many is 18+. Although a mix between EDM and Hip Hop, the festival attracts some of the biggest names in Hip Hop like Snoop Dogg, Lil Uzi, and Kid Cudi and has shown no sign of slowing down.

Head in the Clouds

Last year, 88Rising gave fans underrepresented cultures and artists a big stage with it’s Head in the Clouds Music + Art Festival in Los Angeles. The agency and music label is committed to expanding the American urban music scene, and in 2018, its roster of Asian and Asian-American talent was joined by Anderson. Paak and hosted about 10,000 attendees.

Head in the Clouds comes to Los Angeles State Historic Park in August and features performances from 88Rising artists Rich Brian, Joji, Higher Brothers, Niki, August 08 and Dumbfounded, plus K-pop stars iKON, Jackson Wang, Korean rapper DPR Live and more. The new EDM stage will feature DJ sets and performances from K?D, Josh Pan, Manila Killa, Y2K, Deb Never, Park Hye Jin and Qrion

Coachella

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an yearly music and arts festival put on at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley.

Although not particularly known for hosting Hip Hop, Coachella over the last 5 years have brought some of the biggest Hip Hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, YG, Sheck Wes, Kid Cudi, Gucci Mane, and many more to perform on some of the best and biggest stages. Although not technically a Hip Hop festival, Coachella has earned their spot on this list by bringing the best of the best to Coachella Valley.

Grizzly Festival

Grizzly is a Hip Hop Festival in Fresno California. Schoolboy Q, G-eazy, E-40, Nas, Lupe Fiasco and Snoop Dogg are some of the big names that have had the opportunity to perform at this festival. There are now 3 stages that will host performers for both days of the festival. The Yosemite Stage is the biggest stage and is placed at the West side of the festival, followed in size by the Sequoia Stage at the South/West corner of the event, followed by the Silent Disco Stage at the South/East corner. Lastly, the Red Bull stage will be placed nearest the entry in the Norht/East area near Grizzly Eats a.k.a. Vendor Village.

FYI, Vendor Village is a multitude of food trucks and food options, which is perfect considering you can NOT bring in your own food.

Jerry Brown Vetos 4 AM Nightlife Bill

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Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the Late Night Bar Bill, or Senate Bill 905 last week on Septmeber 28. SB 905 would have adjusted the last call time to 4 a.m. in the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach, West Hollywood, Palm Springs, Oakland, and San Francisco.

Governor Brown added comment in a letter to the California Senate, where he shared the reasons for turning down the law:

“Without question, these two extra hours will result in more drinking. The business and cities in support of this bill see that as a good source of revenue. The California Highway Patrol, however strongly believes that this increased drinking will lead to more drunk driving.”

Three Clubs’ co-owner Marc Smith, is baffled by Brown’s decision. Smith believes there’s something missing in the governor’s statement, and the state and businesses will miss out on extra revenue. “Does he have an alcoholic relative or something?” asks Smith. “I’m shocked that he would go out on something like that. I thought he’d be more progressive. As long as its regulated properly, this should be law.”

Smith adds that there’s a significant difference between last call at 1:30 a.m., and at 3:30 a.m. “At 1 a.m., there’s a sweet spot. The bar gets really busy, there’s a rush for last call, then we kick people out. At 1:30 a.m., they’re amped and excited, and still want to hang out. But by 3:30 a.m., they’re ready to go home.”

California Senate Passes Bill Allowing Last Call to Extend to 4 AM

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Early this year, California Senator Scott Wiener began a campaign for the ‘Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night Act’, which proposed that each municipality within the state be given authority to choose their last call hour, possibly pushing it back to as late as 4AM.

Previously, all venues throughout the entire state were limited to a 2AM last call for alcohol services. “Nightlife matters a lot, culturally and economically, and it’s time to allow local communities more flexibility,” Senator Scott Wiener argued.

The Senator’s efforts have paid off as his proposed 4AM nightlife bill has officially passed in the Senate, allowing it to now move to Assembly for a review and a vote before reaching the governor for final word to “allow but not require local communities to let their bars and nightclubs serve alcohol until 4AM”.

This is a huge move that will affect party hotspots in the state like Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco if it passes through the next phase.

Las Vegas Bottle Service

Last call at California bars could be 4 a.m. under proposed law

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Closing time might get a little later at your favorite drinking spot thanks to a state senator who has proposed legislation to allow cities to decide how late alcohol can be served.

The Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night Act, which was proposed Tuesday, would allow municipalities to set their own last-call times. Currently, last call is at 2 a.m. across the state. Under the bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), urban centers with active bar scenes could move last call back as late as 4 a.m., while less nightlife-heavy areas could keep things the way they are.

Wiener said on his Facebook page that it was time to fix the “one-size-fits-all” limit.

“Nightlife matters a lot, culturally and economically, and it’s time to allow local communities more flexibility,” he wrote.

The last person to attempt to give cities flexibility in setting last call times was Wiener’s predecessor in the Legislature, former Sen. Mark Leno, in 2013 . The bill failed to get enough votes to move out of committee.

4 A.M. Last Call Proposed for California Clubs

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Young tourists seeking a taste of Los Angeles nightlife are almost always in for a bitter pill. As originally reported on L.A. Weekly.

Expecting Hollywood glamour and all-night partying on a world-class level, revelers from out of town are more likely to get kicked to the curb at 2 a.m. because of California’s strict alcohol laws.

It’s embarrassing. State Sen. Mark Leno today announced that he has introduced legislation that would change our party pooper ways:

He wants to allow local governments to extend drinking hours until 4 a.m. Woot-woot?

Leno:
“This legislation would allow destination cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego to start local conversations about the possibility of expanding nightlife and the benefits it could provide the community by boosting jobs, tourism and local tax revenue.”

His bill, SB 635, would allow only nightclubs and restaurants to go until 4 a.m. (Stores that sell alcohol would still be subject to earlier hours).

Leno’s office says it would help bring California nightlife in line with that of such after-hours beacons as Las Vegas, New York, Chicago and Miami.

The legislation is supported by the California Restaurant Association.

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Some have argued that having all the drunk people leave bars at 2 a.m. puts pressure on communities and police, and that later closing times might actually spread the burden and allow some to sober up if they so chose.

Matt Gray, executive director of Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety:

“Uniform closing times put significant stress on public transportation systems and the law enforcement agencies tasked with managing and dispersing large crowds of patrons when they all leave the clubs at 2 a.m.”

But the big argument here is money. Lots of it. Leno’s office notes that nightlife in California is worth billions and that we’re home to 1 out of every 4 top-grossing nightlife venues in the nation.

However, the top 10 venues are in late-night-serving cities like New York, Vegas and Miami. Leno:

“Many cities in California have dynamic social activities that are vital to their economies, but they lack the flexibility to expand their businesses.”

Are you for this? (We know you are).