Dreamfields México brought The Color of Harmony to life during its 2024 edition at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, México.
Dreamfields México is a young festival that has made a big splash in the worldwide scene. Serving as the Netherlands flagship event’s counterpart, Dreamfields México stands on its own as a premiere event in the country with top-tier production, a unique atmosphere, and stunning lineups. In 2024, more than 30,000 Dreamers filled the festival grounds for another epic edition outside of Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, México.
Last year, Wolfpack Entertainment delivered an event themed around the Evolution of Love. While they set a high bar, this year’s The Color of Harmony theme further advanced the festival’s reputation as a key player in the scene.
In 2023, I attended Dreamfields México as a last-minute decision while I was roaming the entire country of Mexico. This year, however, I made the journey down south on purpose, and with more experience. Upon entry, everything was nearly the same in terms of stages and carnival rides available, which wasn’t a problem given that the event already has a near-perfect layout.
Besides the stunning look, Dreamers were treated to great food all over the festival grounds, like traditional dishes and snacks such as tacos, burritos, tostilocos, and chicharrones. This year, the food vendors were more Americanized with loaded potatoes, sliders, and the iconic chicken tenders as options, too. The extremely low prices helped people stay hydrated and full as opposed to other festivals, where ravers operate the entire weekend off of one chicken tender and a dream.
Despite everything about the festival being nearly identical, the musical offerings couldn’t have been more diverse.
This year of Dreamfields México was stacked to the brim with an epic lineup. It included dance music from all corners of the genre, like hard dance, house, techno, big room, and diverse local talent. Big names like Radical Redemption and Vertile caught my attention — but beyond hard dance, there were headliners like Nicky Romero, John Summit, Carl Cox, Infected Mushroom, and so many more.
The local talent shined bright as She!, LiquidFlux b2b Velowen, and Jenny Anaya dominated the hard dance stage early on. Victor Amaya, D-Sides, RNDR, and XTABAY highlighted the diversity in Mexican dance music at all stages.
Upon the announcement, there was no way I would miss Dual Damage or Mish playing so close to the States. Their sets ended up being the weekend highlights. Dual Damage brought the heat with a blistering performance that included fan favorites like “Get Wrecked 2024 Tool,” “Burning Down,” and “Can’t Get You Outta My Head.” Fans in attendance even got a taste of the upcoming collaboration with Sub Zero Project rumored to be titled “All For One.”
Although unreleased, the record is destined to be a chart-topper and one of the year’s best collaborations thanks to its unique kick rolls, a heavenly melody with angelic vocals, and an epic climax. I truly can’t wait to hear it in all its glory, and I’m happy I got a preview of it on a giant speaker system.
Mish took the stage shortly after Karina Rosee delivered the Mexican heat — and as with Mish’s online presence, the hype is real! Mish tore the house down with a set that included the best in raw hardstyle, unforgettable kick rolls, and an energy like no other. As she mentioned in our previous interview, Mish wants to have fun in everything she does while still catering to her diehard fans, and her set at Dreamfields México was the perfect example.
Her bubbly personality and fiery passion shined bright throughout her set, which made for an unforgettable experience through the harder styles. Mish is set to make her US debut very soon in Los Angeles next year, so make sure to snag some tickets to her can’t-miss debut.
Frequencerz also stopped by for what could possibly be their final booking as a duo in Mexico. As they continue on their final tour together, it was great to see the legends in action among a dedicated crowd.
The man of the hour, Vertile, also took to the hard dance stage for a set that ultimately surprised me. I had seen Vertile once overseas and I admittedly wasn’t convinced. This time, however, he won me over with records that remind me of how beautiful the hard dance genre can be, like one of his key releases this year, “Golden Hour.”
Afterward, I ventured outside of the hard dance stage to the mainstage where there was even more hard dance (see: techno)! Shlømo brought a banging set to the mainstage. Although it was branded as hard techno, this was ultimately a hard dance set in disguise, and I had no complaints.
Dreamfields México stunned with another successful edition, but I’m ready for something different as I look at international events in the future.
Last year, Dreamfields México ended up being my favorite festival of the year. It was something completely new for me and felt like a hidden gem as I hadn’t heard much about it in the States before. This year, while marking great edition, didn’t have that same effect. Everything was nearly the same as the year before and I wasn’t looking forward to much outside of Mish and Dual Damage as neither had US visas at the time.
All in all, I believe that Dreamfields México is a great festival if you happen to stumble upon it as I did last year. However, my experience in 2024 was almost identical to the year prior, which made me feel like that magic and wonder was lost. For the next editions, I highly recommend that new fans attend as it’s one of the best dance festivals in the country. As for myself, I plan on taking a break for a few editions to explore other options and come back when it feels like a refreshed event to me.
Pre-registration for 2025 has begun, so visit the official website to secure your spot for another magical year of Dreamfields México in 2025!
