Dreamstate SoCal delivered another jam-packed weekend for trance family members and reaffirmed its status as one of the best festivals you can attend.
Dreamstate SoCal is a festival that is different from most others in the scene. Few others offer lineups jam-packed with top-tier talent, boast insane production elements, and draw crowds that are filled with so much love and positivity. I’d go as far as to say that Dreamstate SoCal is a slice of rave heaven on Earth and, quite honestly, one of the only places where you’ll find the vibes that permeated the scene over a decade ago.
The Queen Mary Waterfront became the new home for this trance-fueled affair last year, and the latest edition was another stunner. I’ve become a fan of the new venue. Hotels are close by, the free shuttle is quick and painless, and there’s the ability to go deeper into the night at the afters, with multiple stages nonetheless. This makes for a complete experience that should draw in any trance lover.
As for the festival itself, Dreamstate SoCal once again boasted four major stages – The Dream, The Sequence, The Vision, and The Void. All were in the same location as its debut last year, yet all seemed upgraded. My favorites of the weekend were The Dream, which featured some stunning production elements, and The Vision, which had major enhancements from the previous year with more lights, lasers, and a larger structure.
The late announcement of the Beatbox Boombox Art Car was an added treat, especially since it brought in even more artists rising through the ranks of the scene. I loved its inclusion this year and hope to see it return for future editions.
The food and beverage options were plentiful and easily accessible. In fact, “easily accessible” really defines much of Dreamstate SoCal, as I also never found myself in a “too packed” crowd or anywhere I couldn’t get to within minutes of walking. Perhaps it was the lower attendance. Perhaps it was the older, nicer demographic that was there. Either way, it was a seamless experience for me.
This year’s lineup featured some of the heaviest hitters in the trance scene.
The Dream stage’s headliners, Armin van Buuren and Above & Beyond, have played at the festival before, but having both on the same weekend felt extra special. Add them to the laundry list of other talented acts across the festival’s four other stages, and there was no doubt that this edition would be one of the best yet.
The eye-test for the lineup held true, and although a few artists had to cancel due to visa issues or otherwise, every second of Dreamstate SoCal brought pure energy to Long Beach. Conflicts in set times did cause a few complicated issues for me this year, but the artists I did catch were fantastic.
Friday swept me away with the sounds of Jordan Suckley, John O’Callaghan, Josh Taylor, Giuseppe Ottaviani, a touch of MaRLo, and, of course, Armin van Buuren. I couldn’t find time to check out any of the sets at The Sequence or The Void, which I regret as there was some bangin’ techno and psytrance that night.
I explored more on Saturday to make up for it and arrived a tad earlier, too.
Greg Downey, KIMMIC, and Nifra all threw down at The Void, as did Darude at The Vision, who dosed us with “Sandstorm” at the end of his set. I also found myself at The Sequence a few times, catching Pettra and Giorgia Angiuli to get my fix of mind-warping tunes. Meanwhile, Adam Stark dominated the Beatbox Boombox Art Car, and Ferry Corsten’s Gouryella set was gorgeous and healing, as always.
Capping off the night with Above & Beyond into Andrew Bayer was a dream-like scenario for this Anjunafamily member. The one-two punch of a two-hour Above & Beyond set filled with their soul-stirring tunes in light rain and Andrew Bayer throwing down some pure heat right after hit me in the best way possible. They completely demolished any expectations I had – I was absolutely in a bliss-like state.
If I had any complaint about this year, it was the new shift to a 1pm start time.
Insomniac has continued to creep the start time for its festivals earlier and earlier into the day. While I appreciate the added hours, I’m not sure if I’m a fan of this new concept.
Hotel check-in times are typically sometime around 3-4pm. This means there’s little chance you’ll make it to any early sets on Friday if you’re coming in from out of town, and that is exactly what I experienced this year. Saturday is less problematic, but then you’re also dealing with the fallout of people who partied until 6am on the boat (or elsewhere) the night before not making it in early enough.
This was a bit frustrating to navigate for me this year, as I love to catch rising artists. These are the acts that are supposed to be the future of the scene and should be exposed to more attendees to help make future stars, yet if they’re relegated to a time in which no one can even access the festival, it makes it tough for them to grow.
While I’m sure there are loads of logistics behind this change, I hope there will be a chance for those artists who played early to play elsewhere. Why can’t we ensure they’re locked in for a later set on the art car or at the afters? Day Trip Festival achieved that with some of their house and techno artists, so hopefully, Dreamstate can figure that out in the future.
Dreamstate SoCal might have changed over the years, but it still feels like home.
The early years of Dreamstate SoCal were defined by the trance family finally being “seen” by Insomniac and the larger dance music community. It was a proper celebration of a genre that has influenced many others yet found itself out of favor in the current era. And while Dreamstate has shifted over the years to include genres ranging from melodic house to hard techno, it’s continued to prominently push trance to the forefront, which I appreciate.
The most recent edition continued that trend. Dreamstate brought forth another weekend where I could reconnect with old friends, make some new ones, and dance my heart out to some of the best music the scene offers. Whether you’re a longtime trance family member, a new lover of the genre, or someone looking for a stress-free festival experience, I cannot recommend Dreamstate SoCal enough.
See you all there next year, trance fam!
