Lightning in a Bottle continues to provide one of the most unique and elevated experiences for festival-goers, and this year’s edition went above and beyond.
There’s some magic hiding in the grounds of Lightning in a Bottle that lights up the vibe for the weekend. I’ve been to many festivals in my career, and LiB is one that I will always strive to return to every year.
The storytelling of each stage, the intricate art installation layout, seemingly infinite easter eggs, and soulful energy of the community are just a few notable points of value LiB has brought to Buena Vista Lake every Memorial Day Weekend. This year had notable upgrades around the festival that elevated my personal experience to even higher heights.
Given this was a year full of rainstorms, the venue showed out with a greenery makeover. The lake was clear blue, the trees were full, and the air was way less dusty and harsh on the lungs than in previous years.
One of my biggest qualms with the Kern County venue was previously the amount of dust. It was still prevalent at the campsites (gold star if you caught one of the tumbleweed tornadoes), but the water trucks helped manage it throughout the weekend. Overall, the maintenance of the grounds was a noticeable upgrade from last year.
The lifeline of the festival is the amount of interactive art installations and art cars that decorate the grounds.
Since its first gathering, the DoLab has consistently added more and more artistic elements and endeavors to Lightning in a Bottle’s experience. Overall, though, they still keep it cohesive within a theme.
LiB always reminds me of some sort of alternate alien dimension, with different regions for each area within the fest. There’s the Western quirky world of the Grand Artique, the sensual and provocative Unicorn Palace, and the blacklight blitz of the Martian Circus — all a short walk from the Thunder to the Woogie Stage. I appreciated the expansion of the ArtClave next to the roller rink, greeted by the mushroom princess statue I recognized as the famous one at Electric Forest.
Of course, one of the highlights of LiB is their art car parade. Some familiar visitors from past years including the monster with the tongue bed, the LED banana (on which I saw a Josh Teed set), and the Vibeapple, bumping tunes all weekend long to invite attendees to jump on board (if they’re quick enough).
My favorite new addition to the lineup was the cuttlefish rainbow dragon hybrid (I’m not kidding), which hosted many surprise guest DJs over the weekend. The art cars are always a fun way to catch renegade sets away from the main lineup, among some of the silliest setups ever.
This year, LiB also upgraded their easter eggs around the grounds. Memorable additions included a bigger and better Mixtape house, where the tunes were strictly from cassette tapes in an art deco-styled house. It was comfy, nostalgic, and went all night!
Other additions were the new treehouse behind the Stacks, which hosted many rooms of adventure. You could watch VHS movies in one, play piano in another, and get an amazing of the lake on the roof.
The most elusive (but chaotic) was the Brodega, which looked like a rundown bodega in the middle of the festival, but inside was a wrestling match of giant inflatable pickles. I wish I was making this up.
My personal favorite are the Grand Artique pickle stands scattered around. There, you could get the best dill on this side of the West Coast. It’s the best late-night snack after a mind-blowing set at the Woogie!
I always appreciate the amount of local talent and rising stars the Stacks brings to the festival. I often find my new favorite artist here.
Kicking up wood chips and dancing on PKs, the Stacks is where the feral attendees go to play. The stage may be small, but its sound is crisp and clean. Open the latest, the stage played music from 1:30-4am, so this became my home front. Rising artists in bass music, dubstep, and drum and bass threw down here — including notable acts from Kurei, Dara Genesis and MYTHM, as well as Wraz, Vial, Whys, and Connor Q.
The Stacks also hosted many surprise acts over the weekend, including a notable 3am set from Skrillex, who played out his bangers to a surprised (and packed) crowd. This stage also reminded me that sometimes an elaborate light show and visual setup are not needed for a good musical experience. The crowd was completely immersed in music and good conversation without needing a massive visual stimulant to accompany the tunes. For me, the Stacks resembled the energy and culture of a renegade stage, but with a professional setup.
One of the most anticipated aspects of this year’s LiB was the completely revamped Woogie Stage, which drew some of the largest crowds I’ve ever seen on that side of the lake.
Ever since LiB announced their return for 2024, there were hints of an upgrade to the beloved and famed Woogie Stage. The revamped style debuted on the DoLab stage at Coachella this year, decked out as floating ribbon trees in the sky that now danced in the wind harmoniously to the techno grooves right by the lake.
At night, the silks in the trees came to life and reflected the light shows. At first, I felt a wave of nostalgic disappointment as I missed the light-up fan trees with their trippy patterns (which were already a massive upgrade from years before). Over the weekend, though, I started to respect and understand the beauty of the 2024 design. The trees had more vibrancy and animation as the wind would bring them to life, almost as if it was continuously breathing and moving with the crowd. The Woogie also seemed to have more of an open space and concept this year, with more room to dance and platforms on which you could stand.
The Woogie has always been my favorite area to spend my time. The vibe of the crowd is unmatched, with everyone on the same wavelength as melodic techno and deep house fill the air. Sets from Qrion, Bob Moses, Miss Dre, and Honey Dijon blew me away, with an honorable mention going to Jasper Tygner‘s set that struck an emotional chord within me. I always seem to find an artist I’ve never heard of here since I’m mostly unfamiliar with the genre, but I leave listening to their Spotify discography the whole way home. That was Jasper this year.
I am even more excited to see how much higher the Woogie will elevate over the years. I see the vision blossoming over time to something otherworldly.
Of course, the main stages also got their fair share of upgrades, in both sound and design.
This year, I was so happy to see shade structures added over the Thunder stage, providing the best setting for getting down to grimy bass without overheating. The sound system was also noticeably upgraded as well, which melted my mind during my most anticipated performances by Skream, Barclay Crenshaw, Nia Archives, goddard., and Rohaan.
Notably, the transition from Of The Trees into Tipper was some of the best two hours of music I’ve experienced in a long time, with everyone collectively getting down to next-level sound design and A/V experience. Although I shed a tear accepting that may have been my last-ever Tipper set, I couldn’t have asked for a more elated experience with next-level visuals and a setlist of almost all unreleased tunes.
The Lightning stage was one of my favorite areas to hang out during the weekend, with the lineup of vendors and food on the side right by the entrance, the roller rink with perfect views of the stage, the Jive Joint just nearby, and all the art installations surrounding the green grass field. I could not get over the fact they put googley eyes on top of the stage. It seemed to stare me down during James Blake‘s emotional set and Overmono‘s groove-heavy dance party. Mid-cry sesh, I couldn’t help but giggle at this giant monster stage gazing upon the audience in such a silly way.
Of course, the biggest set here was Skrillex’s weekend closing set. It started with unreleased, uptempo tunes, but had an almost untraceable mixing style, flipping through dozens of songs. Towards the end, he played out iconic tunes like “Bangarang,” “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” and “Rumble.” I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to finally catch the guy live after listening to him for a decade plus.
Without a doubt, the reason I keep coming back to Lightning in a Bottle is not only the setup, or the music, but the people I meet.
This was the most crowded LiB I’ve ever attended. It was noticeable, but I still had plenty of room to dance. Of course, the surprise RÜFÜS DU SOL sunset set at the Junkyard brought almost the whole festival into the small stage (even people venturing into the lake to get a good spot), but I never felt bad vibes or any sort of hostile behavior from anyone I encountered.
I also met a lot of people for whom this was their first ever Lightning in a Bottle experience. They expressed to me that it’s been their favorite festival yet (I am jealous of them for missing the dust storms of 2022). The landscaping, added misters and water stations, and attention to detail in all the structures and stages isn’t lost on me.
Whether you’re screaming your heart out at Big Lou’s Karaoke, grooving to a live band at Martian Circus under blacklight, bartering trinkets at Grand Artique, or watching a pole dancing show at Unicorn Palace, there’s something for everyone here. I also always appreciate how family-friendly LiB is, with its section for families and kids to bond and have a good vacation experience.
This, out of most of the festivals I’ve attended the past few years, has felt the most safe and mellow, allowing me to feel like I could fully express myself. Every time I leave, I always feel like I missed something and I want to spend an extra day exploring more outside of the music. It’s worth it to stay the whole five days!
If you’re thinking about attending Lightning in a Bottle next year, I highly suggest putting it on your list.
LiB has so many facets. There are so many genres presented on the lineup, from pop to drum and bass to progressive house to reggaeton. Even someone who isn’t an avid electronic music listener could have a ball here!
There’s also a beautiful balance between it being a fun, silly experience and providing a complete transformational journey. The Compass and Beacon stages provided endless workshops, yoga, classes, and talks that make it more than just catching sets. The landscape has also massively improved over the years, with dust management, more greenery, and the bluest lake I’ve seen here in a long time.
I do believe Lightning in a Bottle sets the standard for camping festivals. The community around it is so strong that it continues to bring in a new crowd that leaves elated and refreshed. The organization is impressive and the music is always top tier. I can’t wait to brave the dust next year — congrats to the DoLab for another successful Lightning in a Bottle!
