Plenty of states have come to be known as dance music havens. New York, Nevada (Las Vegas), California, Colorado, and more can all throw their hats in the ring as contenders for the electronic music promised land, but there’s one state that just might take the cake: Florida.
Why Florida?
Outside of the state’s Magic City of Miami, Florida has cut its teeth on dance music for years, and the world is taking notice. Ranging from Miami house havens like STORY and Treehouse to Orlando’s music festivals and Tampa’s beach side bass dreams – here are 10 reasons why Florida is the best state for dance music:
Ultra Music Festival and Miami Music Week
Miami Music Week and Ultra tag team it for the biggest 1-2 punch of madness to annually descend upon the Sunshine State. With Miami Music’s week-long (if not year-round) extravaganza of late night clubs, after-hours shows, and midday pool parties topped off by Ultra Music Festival – there are few places in the world that can top Miami’s dance music insanity.
The Groove Cruise
The Groove Cruise pioneered the floating festival, and they’ve been doing it up in style ever since their first salty sea adventure in 2004. Leaving annually from Los Angeles and Miami, The Groove Cruise is an EDM lover’s wet dream.
2016’s Groove Cruise Miami will feature 96 hours of nonstop shenanigans from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and back. Waterfall parties, private beach ridiculousness, and a floating festival to call home for 4 days, do you have your ticket yet?
Pro Tip: Use discount code “thatdrop” for up to $200 off of your Groove Cruise cabin.
The Scene Continues to Grow
Expanding out from the state’s major cities, new events surface almost daily to quench the statewide thirst for bass and beats. From EDX’s SoFlo party to the city’s Mad Decent Block Party and TOO//FUTURE events, Fort Lauderdale is just one example of how Florida’s cities continue to groove their way into the future of dance music.
You can purchase your ticket to EDX at Vibe Ultra Music Lounge here.
Life in Color Miami
The world’s largest paint party not only started in Florida, but it culminates its globetrotting Big Bang – The Creation of Color tour in the great city of Miami. With 2016’s south Florida massive taking place in The Magic City on January 16, 2016 – the stage set for one of the city’s biggest yearly events with Jack Ü dropping in as the first headliner.
2015 brought 50,000 movers and shakers together to spill more than 20,000 gallons of paint in one of the most ridiculous party’s that the human mind can comprehend. As the event continues to grow and evolve from year to year, we can only wait to see what LIC Miami 2016 has in store for us.
You can purchase your tickets to Life in Color Miami here.
Zen Awakening
Orlando’s Zen Awakening digs into the deeper side of jam and electronic music with EOTO, Phutureprimitive, Govinda, Spankalicious, Modern Measure, Sugarpill, Archnemesis, and more.
With a honed-in emphasis on spirituality, consciousness, and personal transformation – Zen Awakening will feature yoga, meditation, spiritual and holistic workshops, drum circles, and permaculture on top of their ridiculous lineup – all to help you find your Zen.
You can grab your ticket to Orlando’s Zen Awakening Festival here.
EDC Orlando
Bringing the electronic goodness like only Insomniac can, EDC Orlando drops into Orlando’s Tinker Field with enough bass and beats to supply our forlorn fix. This year’s lineup includes Calvin Harris, Bassnectar, DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, Excision, Laidback Luke, SNAILS, Kaskade, and more – not too shabby, eh?
Suwannee Hulaween
Heading annually to the mystical Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida – Hulaween is the southeast’s Halloween jam and electronic mecca. The String Cheese Incident, Pretty Lights, Primus, STS9, GRiZ, ODESZA, Papadosio, The Floozies, The Polish Ambassador, Manic Science (Manic Focus x Break Science), and dozens more of the world’s finest musician’s will all make the trip to the Suwannee’s north Florida hot spot for one of the most ridiculous Halloween parties around. Get ready.
III Points
Miami’s III Points Festival branches out from the typical music festival format to include art, film, technology discussions, networking events, and barbecues in their yearly shindig.
Don’t think that they leave the music out of the equation by any means, though, as 2015’s rendition brings Nicolas Jaar, Bonobo, Panda Bear, Shigeto, Neon Indian, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Danny Daze, Chrome Sparks, and nearly 100 other artists to The Magic City.
Holy Ship!
Holy Ship! takes the party out of the Port of Miami and into the Bahamas with their January and February fiestas. Kaskade, Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson, Gramatik, Flux Pavilion, Flosstradamus, ODESZA, Robin Schulz, GRiZ, Justin Martin, Skream, Rustie, and more are taking to the sea between Holy Ship!’s 2 2016 festival cruises. Are you ready for some high seas hijinks?
Okeechobee Festival
Okeechobee Festival is slated to be 2016’s newest Florida festival addition. Following in the footsteps of festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella, Okeechobee Festival promises to be yet another musical destination to dot Florida’s sun-soaked landscape. Coming from the creators of Bonnaroo, we have our hopes set high for this one.
As artists, promoters, and event organizers continue to blow up the Florida music scene, there’s only one thing to do: get down.
Come rage the dream.
Click here for more of the latest EDM festival lineup releases, news, photos, reviews, and more.
maybe for festivals? california and new york take the cake for me overall but on a week to week basis for all genres its NYC tho no doubt about it…
Miami takes the prize for week to week clubbing. The nightlife and afterhours scene there is insane. On almost any given night, you’ll see great DJs playing somewhere