The Twitch-sponsored hybrid IRL/streamed festiVAL is set to kick off this weekend, and Gabriel & Dresden and Chris Cox swung by to share their thoughts.
Twitch might be home for a wide range of livestreamers, but the ones providing the beats have continued to turn an increasing number of heads in recent years. Flashback to the pandemic, and you’d find DJs and producers flocking to the platform to connect with fans while staying safe at home. The numbers might’ve dipped after the return of live shows, but that hasn’t stopped DJs on the platform from pressing on—and now they’re taking a leap forward with the debut edition of festiVAL.
The core of Twitch is the community, and that’s precisely what festiVAL looks to celebrate. The debut edition of this 24-hour hybrid, IRL/streamed experience is set to take place on July 26-27, with the backing of Twitch and a lineup of talented artists who will perform. This includes Gabriel & Dresden and Chris Cox, who started their careers as touring artists but quickly transitioned to the platform, calling it home ever since.
Dave Dresden was one of the first artists to fully embrace streaming on Twitch during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Already backed by the Anjunafamily, his channel blossomed during that time with Club Quarantine shows, eventually evolving into its own thing. “Once the world reopened, we definitely lost a chunk of casual viewers, but the core community stayed strong,” Dresden shared. “They call themselves the ‘pine cone fam’ and bring ‘PLAMP’ signs to shows all over.”
The stream has added real value to touring, boosting ticket sales and deepening the connection with fans. It’s become more than just a platform. It’s a community we live with every week and keeps us from having to make reels to get the word out.
Dave Dresden
In a similar vein, Chris Cox had already toured live for many years, which had led to a small fan base that followed him onto the platform. What he has come to love the most are the new people he has met and the relationships he has developed. “I’ve literally made friends from all over the world with both music fans and other creators,” he shared.
The best part of streaming has been connecting with people I would’ve never crossed paths with in my normal touring and studio work. During COVID, we started doing monthly Zoom parties alongside regular streams, and those have turned into real-world meetups and tons of adventures with some truly amazing people.
Chris Cox
Both artists have spent years building fan bases in the real world and on Twitch. Although there has been some crossover, when Valdudes teamed up with Twitch for festiVAL, Gabriel & Dresden and Chris Cox immediately jumped on board to support. Dave shared that he “always admired and raided Valdudes,” continuing to say he also respects his hustle, musical knowledge, and one-of-a-kind personality.
When I heard that Twitch was officially backing this event and putting it on the front page, it felt like a tone shift. It said, “Twitch is taking DJ culture seriously,” and I knew I had to be part of it. This kind of event could help set the blueprint for how streamers can actually turn this into a sustainable, living-wage career.
Dave Dresden
For Chris Cox, the idea of festiVAL was a dream come true as it married the aspects he loved performing live, especially the unified experience and “big summer camp” feel of backstage, with his global fanbase on Twitch.
“The real fun at a festival is the hang with all the artists and fan interactions,” Chris said. “It’s just really enjoyable when a bunch of people come together, excited for a unified experience. I love talking shop with other DJs, and I’ve been learning tons about streaming since day one. This lineup won’t just be fun – I expect to learn a bunch of stuff too.”
Twitch sponsoring festiVAL is a huge step forward for the newly launched Twitch DJ Program, which, according to Dave, has already helped streamers gain followers, increase visibility, and more. “When you’re on the front page carousel, your visual needs to pop to get someone to click, and once they do, you have to deliver entertainment that keeps them there,” he explained. “Has it blown the doors open for DJs on Twitch? Not quite yet. But it’s given a lot of us hope and momentum, which is huge.”
I’d love to see Twitch go even deeper… partnering with more streamers and creating opportunities for crossover visibility. Imagine Diplo or James Hype guesting on someone’s stream the way they’d do a late-night TV appearance. That kind of spotlight moment could elevate both the streamer and the platform. There’s real potential here for Twitch to become a major player in music culture if it keeps leaning in.
Dave Dresden
While the future is never certain, the hybrid nature of festiVAL is painting a brighter picture of where this community can continue to expand moving forward.
“I think this format—24 hours in a bespoke venue, streaming the entire time, with front-page visibility—is a winner. The energy of a live audience adds something you just can’t get in a home studio,” Dave shared. He then went on to explain that the natural next step would be for Twitch to use label relationships to bring in bigger artists and fund more events.
The streaming DJ community has proven we’re here to stay. It’s great to see the platform starting to recognize and invest in that. Watch this space.
Dave Dresden
Chris agreed, saying he hopes that festiVAL will provide a proof of concept for more editions in other cities. “I think it’s a scalable event that could happen all over the world – bringing people together for amazing experiences in really cool and unexpected locations,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential with this, and I hope to be an active part of it in the future.”
festiVAL is set to take place on July 26-27 and will be livestreamed for free on Twitch. Tickets for the IRL side of this experience are on sale via the official website.
