For the first time in over a year 60,000 fans gathered together to hear live music and party. The occasion was the Sunset Music Festival at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. For fans of EDM this was the place to be on Memorial Day Weekend, May 29th & 30th, to hear some of the biggest names in the genre. Featuring four stages and acts from across all subgenres of EDM there was something for everyone.
Mainstream acts such as Seven Lions and NGHTMRE kept the crowd grooving and the event organizers kept the crowd hydrated and cool with free water, misters, and a fire hose raining down water onto the grounds.
The real action took place on the smaller stages where AC Slater and Kendoll gave existing fans what they expected and turned first time listeners into fans. The real winner of the weekend, other than the crowd, was SWARM. The Florida based DJ and producer was the talk of the entire event with his mind-blowing, genre-bending set. With a seldom heard sound that can only be described as Game of Thrones or Resident Evil soundtrack material his bass drops were vibrating the Earth itself.
The weekend was a massive success for everyone involved as live music festivals returned once and for all. With some luck this will be just the beginning of a long and fruitful festival season.
-words & photos: Geoffrey Clowes