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Omnia SD to relaunch as Nova SD under Insomniac

Insomniac Events has been a dominating force in the dance music scene for decades in Southern California with its flagship festivals such as Beyond Wonderland and Escape Halloween, as well as club nights at Exchange LA and Academy LA. While they’ve traditionally touched down in cities like Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Costa Mesa, one further South towards the border, San Diego, has remained rarely touched by the behemoth brand.

More recently, it seems the tides have shifted in the favor of San Diegans. Towards the end of 2020, Insomniac announced the Chula Vista Drive-In concert series, but those shows were unfortunately canceled due to concerns surrounding the pandemic. Then, this past year, they hosted their first-ever standalone event in San Diego with the emergence of Audiotistic San Diego, which featured a stacked lineup over two days at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre.

OMNIA San Diego, which formerly hosted major names in the scene like Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Marshmello, and more, remained shuttered since the onset of the pandemic – even while other local clubs have begun hosting shows once again. Many were left to wonder what would happen to the massive venue in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter downtown, but rumors of the club changing hands to Insomniac began to swirl in late 2021.

The news broke when a liquor license was submitted by the CEO and founder of Insomniac, Pasquale Rotella. Previously owned by the Hakkasan group, the Omnia Nightclub in San Diego is the sister of the famous Omnia Las Vegas. In 2020, the club had big plans for its 5th anniversary. However, the pandemic forced the venue to shut down, and even though the majority of clubs opened back in the country, this one didn’t.

For the moment, it looks like the club’s name will be NOVA SD. Many more details will come in the future, but we can say for sure that the EDM community in the San Diego area will benefit from this move by Insomniac.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Side Bar SD to Close for Renovations

After an impressive, nearly 15-year run in the Gaslamp, Side Bar will temporarily suspend its industry nights, DJ sessions, and bottle service-fueled dance parties. The well-established bar, lounge, and nightclub is closing this Sunday, June 24 for a top-to-bottom renovation by RMD Group, which also operates the adjacent Ciro’s Pizzeria and Rustic Root and Volcano Rabbit in the Gaslamp

The remodel will reportedly take the venue in a more upscale and elevated direction. When it reopens this fall, Side Bar will feature a craft-ier cocktail menu as well as offer food service. A countdown to Sunday’s closing date starts tonight with its very last industry night, follow by the final Latin-inspired Stilo Thursday. Demolition Night is scheduled for Friday, with memorabilia and other pieces of the bar up for grabs, and an over-the-top “champagne war” blowout will go down on Saturday.