For electronic dance music enthusiasts, dressing up for EDM festivals is second nature.
Showing off our sophisticated kandi cuffs, fuzzy spirit hoods, colorful tutus, stunning body paint and other costume accessories is part of the culture. Freedom of self expression and getting downright weird are embraced in this atmosphere. Whereas wearing pasties and fanny packs will earn you questionable looks in the general public, at music festivals this demeanor garners smiles and loving embraces of friendship.
When planning for festivals, we circle our calendars months in advance. We plan out what we will wear and where we will stay, many times, before the lineup is even released. We treat these events as holidays.
To us electronic dance music events are holidays.
So what could be better than an actual holiday where dressing up is the entire focus? The answer: Halloween.
Ask ravers what their favorite holiday is and most of them will confidently tell you that it is All Hallow’s Eve. We couldn’t possibly think of a better marriage than a music festival on Halloween.
From kandi to costumes, we take a look at 5 EDM festivals you need to consider this Halloween.
Check them out below!
Hard Day of the Dead
The Fairplex – Pomona, California – Saturday, November 1 – Sunday, November 2
Hard Day of the Dead is one of the most anticipated events on the music festival circuit regardless of the occasion. The team at Hard has developed a reputation for throwing some of the most well organized events with lineups that are second to none. When it comes to West Coast EDM events, only Insomniac is up there as the competition.
This year’s lineup is no different. With Knife Party, Pretty Lights, Deadmau5 b2b Eric Prydz, Calvin Harris, Zedd, and Bassnectar headlining, you will be HARD pressed to find a lineup that is better than this one.
Moreover, The Fairplex is an absolutely massive venue. Since 1922 the site has played host to the L.A. county fair, drawing tens of thousands of people each year. Event organizers do an awesome job of taking advantage of the space to ensure that you have enough room to move and dance throughout the weekend.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by clicking here.
Watch the Hard Day of the Dead 2014 preview video below.
Voodoo Music & Arts Experience
New Orleans City Park – New Orleans, Louisiana – Friday, October 31 – Sunday, November 2
Dating back to the French colonies in Louisiana in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Voodoo has been heavily rooted in the folklore and traditions of New Orleans and The Pelican State.
The only festival on our list that isn’t strictly electronic dance music, Voodoo Music Festival still packs a heavy electronic influence. The local culture, the festival itself, and the fact that it is Halloween creates the perfect trifecta for jamming out all weekend. Besides, as much as we eat, sleep, and breathe all things EDM, it’s nice to have the option to switch things up every now in then.
If for any reason you should get sick of head bobbing to Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Flux Pavilion, Fedde Le Grand, Galantis or any of the other heavy hitting producers that grace the lineup, you can head over to catch Outkast, The Arctic Monkeys, Thirty Seconds To Mars and more.
Voodoo presents the perfect opportunity to take full advantage of what the city has to offer. Located smack dab in New Orleans City Park, once the festival lets out you can scoot on over to Bourbon Street and keep the festivities going in true NOLA’ fashion.
For more information and to purchase tickets be sure to visit the official Voodoo Music & Art Experience website by clicking here.
Watch the official Voodoo lineup announcement below.
Something Wicked
Sam Houston Race Park – Houston, Texas – Saturday, October 25 – Sunday, October 26
Bassnectar, Dillon Francis, Kaskade, and Martin Garrix. You won’t find bigger headliners on any lineup any where. Touted as Houston’s largest and most amazing lineup ever, Something Wicked will see 44 artists perform over two days.
They say everything is always bigger in Texas and event organizers Disco Donnie Presents and Nightculture are out to prove it this year. The fourth largest city in the United States, Houston will be rocking. With no other EDM events of this magnitude taking place within a couple hundred miles, you can bet every raver within state lines will be making the trip to Something Wicked Festival.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
Watch the official Something Wicked 2014 trailer below.
Suwannee Hulaween
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park – Live Oak, Florida – Friday, October 31 – Sunday, November 2
Hulaween is, hands down, the smallest of any Halloween EDM festival on our list. The second year event saw approximately 7,500 campers make the trip to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in 2013 but don’t let those numbers fool you. Suwannee is quickly making its way on to the bucket lists of die-hard festheads far and wide.
The venue is steeped in tradition. From the moment you turn on the back country road from Interstate 10 the energy becomes palpable; an energy that has culminated from decades of performances and hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Visiting Suwannee for the first time leaves most people speechless. There is just something magical about the 580 acres nestled on the black waters of the Suwannee River that cannot be put in to words. Nonetheless, after attending you will continue to be drawn back for many years after.
The lineup is almost secondary to the experience created by the venue and the people. Big Gigantic, The String Cheese Incident, Beats Antique, Thievery Corporation, Shpongle and over 40 other performances will ensure that things stay weird in the woods all weekend long.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit the official Hulaween website by clicking here.
Watch the Hulaween 2013 recap video below.
Escape: All Hallows’ Eve
Nos Events Center – San Bernadino, California – Friday, October 31 – Saturday, November 1
Any list of music festivals would not be complete without an event organized by Insomniac Events. There is no other company that invests more passion and production in to creating an experience than Insomniac and CEO Pasquale Rotella. No matter what event, no one is better at implementing live performers, art installations, and extra curricular activities.
Over 70 performances including Adventure Club, Andrew Rayel, Loco Dice, The Chainsmokers, Umek and more will ensure that there is something to satisfy every preference. In addition to this, Pasquale has announced that the mega structure from Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas will be making the trip to the Nos Events Center.
If you are looking for a safe bet, rest assured that you can never go wrong with Insomniac Events.
More information regarding the event and tickets is available by clicking here.
