Whet Travel and Groove Cruise commemorated their 20th anniversary as the premier floating music festival with nearly 5,000 dedicated Groove Cruise “Captains” as the festival’s biggest edition yet. Sailing from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas on the Norwegian Encore, the festival was the largest floating dance music event ever and featured headliners Tiësto, John Summit, and Diplo among others.
The four-night excursion hosted 96 hours of nonstop dance music across 11 stages, over 60 artist-hosted activities, various experiences and workshops, interactive art, gaming, and so much more. Championing self-expression, Groove Cruise Captains submerged themselves into the daily themes with imaginative spirit. Among these themes were the vividly-hued celestial experience of ‘U Are The Universe,’ the nostalgic throwback of ‘Dancing Through The Decades,’ the whimsical ‘50 Shades of Nintendo,’ an aquatic ‘Naughty Nautical’ affair, and more.
As eager attendees flooded the Norwegian Encore on Wednesday, Groove Cruise commenced the annual Sail Away party on the Pool Deck with Markus Schulz, Joel Corry, Blastoyz, and Adam Scott.
In the Theatre, Diplo hosted Groove Cruise’s first-ever Higher Ground stage takeover on Wednesday with VNSSA, LP Giobbi, Gene Farris, Biscuits, and Casmalia. Gene Farris also played a surprise set on the Pool Deck during the Abyss presents Dark Waters afterparty alongside Alley Kay, Gem & Tauri, and a sunrise marathon set with Kyle Walker and Ranger Trucco.
The Atrium featured sets from AMIDY, Trivecta, Years of War, and GG Magree, who celebrated her birthday on Groove Cruise.
On Thursday, the Rising Tides party kicked off on the Pool Deck at 11am with artists like Nate Wyatt, San Pacho, Deeper Purpose, Disco Lines, Speaker Honey, and more. The Atrium stage hosted the Coldharbour daytime party with Grube & Hovseplan, Haliene, Markus Schulz, Daxon, and Nifra. Later in the evening, Gene Farris hosted Carnival with Max Low, Anthony Attalla, Kyle Walker, and KsoFresko.
GG Magree and Mija hosted the Taking Back Emo party in The Social as So Tuff So Cute while the Casino hosted a Decades party with Lizzie Curious, Doc Brown, Boris, Adam Scott, and Kyliente. Aly & Fila hosted the Future Sound of Egypt stage takeover in the Theatre on Thursday with trance titans like Gabriel & Dresden, Craig Connelly, and Factor B.
On the Pool Deck, Lilly Palmer brought techno to the main stage with the Spannung party which featured a surprise techno b2b with Joel Corry and Markus Schulz, Brennen Grey, Pig & Dan, and a packed sunrise set with Lilly Palmer.
Groove Cruise veteran LP Giobbi returned to perform 3 sets and host the first-ever all-female Main Stage takeover with her Femme House imprint. Additionally, Groove Cruise partnered with Femme House for their annual Undiscovered DJ Contest, and the winner Hai Life opened the Femme House takeover on Friday, followed by Max Low, Casmalia, VNSSA, LP Giobbi, Mija, and a special b3b with LP Giobbi, VNSSA, and Casmalia.
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In the evening, the Incorrect Pool Deck party featured a smashing set from Max Styler, a marathon set from Anthony Attalla, and a sunrise set from Groove Cruise favorite Gene Farris.
The Theatre hosted Siren’s Echo presents RE:BORN on Friday with K3SS, Years of War, Amidy, Gem & Tauri, Haliene, MitiS, and Trivecta. The Atrium featured Trance, Bro! with Aly & Fila, Blastoyz, Craig Connelly, and more.
The fourth and final day of Groove Cruise brought the highly-anticipated beach party on Great Stirrup Cay headlined by Tiësto. As attendees entered the idyllic location of Great Stirrup Cay, breathtaking views of the beach provided the perfect backdrop for the 20th anniversary celebration.
Sunday also welcomed John Summit and Friends to close out the Pool Deck with performances from San Pacho, VNSSA b2b Max Styler, Joshwa, Biscits b2b Deeper Purpose, LP Giobbi, and a closing set from John Summit.
Markus Schulz played open to close in the Theatre on Sunday from 10pm – 3am before John Summit, Max Styler, Kyle Walker, and Ranger Trucco went back to back to back until the ship was docked back in Miami.
Throughout its 20-year history, Groove Cruise has established a community-oriented atmosphere that has welcomed devout attendees back year after year.
In addition to the involved daily themes, Groove Cruise consistently bridges the gap between fans and artists with a wide variety of artist-hosted activities. This year, the flagship sailing featured the largest selection of over 60 activities hosted by various artists on the lineup. Captains could opt-in to experiences such as go-kart racing with Gene Farris and Ranger Trucco, teppanyaki dinner with Gem & Tauri, yoga with LP Giobbi, tequila tasting with So Tuff So Cute, and so many more to choose from.
Offering a respite from the 96 hours of nonstop music, attendees could relax and unwind in the Whet Oasis which was hosted by DJ Kaheal with ambient sounds, meditation, and other soothing ceremonies.
In addition to the musical programming, Groove Cruise also featured various activities such as Frick Frack Blackjack where you can gamble with anything BUT money, The Great Bingo Revival, Drag Brunch, body painters, arts and crafts, immersive hosted experiences with Pretty Cool Productions games and activities hosted by the Little Deck Legends, and much more.
The festival also hosted a bevy of impressive sponsors including Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, Jameson, Molson, Coors, Chillbean, and more to take the experience to the next level for the Groove Cruise Captains.
Groove Cruise also welcomed back The Martian Circus 5D Experience, an immersive and interactive art collective that melds music, visual art installations, and fashion with mind, body, and soul to bring everyone together to a higher plane. It included live instrumentation and provided cosmic jams that blended psychedelic rock with cerebral dance music.
Started by Whet Travel and Groove Cruise‘s founder Jason Beukema, the Whet Foundation nonprofit (501c3) continuously impacts the communities visited by Whet Travel’s events. This year, the foundation gave back to the local community in the Bahamas by providing essential items like clothing, food, school supplies, beach and community cleanups, painting and art programs, and more.
In an effort to connect with the communities in the Caribbean, Whet Travel participated in several charity initiatives for Groove Cruise 2024 including their annual Destination Donation. Led by the Groove Cruise team and a group of volunteers, the trip aimed to give back to the community of the island of Great Harbour, which is just a short boat ride away from Great Stirrup Cay and is home to around 800 individuals who face many challenges due to limited resources. Whet Travel raised $20,000 for musical equipment and other needed items and also donated building supplies to a single mother who lost her home in a fire in April 2023.
Whet Foundation, in partnership with the 4ocean organization, gave Captains a special bracelet as a parting gift. For each Groove Cruise bracelet that was handed out, 5 pounds of plastic was removed from the ocean.
Additionally, Groove Cruise hosted various mental health panels and workshops with When The Music Stops to shed light on the importance of mental health within the dance music community. To celebrate loved ones who are no longer with us, founder Jason Beukema hosted a Celebration of Life where attendees had a chance to share their stories and write messages to loved ones to add to a biodegradable wreath that was thrown overboard. Neon Owl was also on board again co-hosting a series of panels with artists and industry professionals.
Marking an important milestone in Groove Cruise history, the festival hosted its largest edition to date with elevated production, world-class headliners, and a tight-knit community of attendees for its 20th anniversary. Despite the sprawling amenities of the cruise ship, the intimate nature of the festival continues to keep fans coming back to Groove Cruise year after year.
Groove Cruise 2025 will sail from Miami, Florida from Thursday, January 23 – Monday, January 27, 2025, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas to the breathtaking location of Labadee – a Royal Caribbean private beach destination that has been voted #1 in the entire Caribbean by the GCFAM.
Allure of the Seas will be the largest and most innovative Groove Cruise ship to date and the biggest music cruise of any genre in history. Allure of the Seas is part of the Oasis Class of cruise ships, which is one of the largest ship classes in the world with a length of over 1,187 ft, 18 total decks, and a full capacity of 6,780 passengers. The ship boasts 7 neighborhoods with 40 bars and restaurants.
Groove Cruise 2025 Trailer
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