Relentless Beats and Global Dance teamed up to deliver a fantastic New Year’s experience at Decadence Arizona, but there’s some room for improvement for future editions.
Decadence Arizona is one New Year’s festival I’ve always been curious about but never thought I’d actually attend, usually opting for Southern California festivals closer to home year after year. So when the stars aligned in 2025, I gravitated toward a new experience and decided to conquer my first experience at the event. With the festival going strong after more than a decade and friends having attended consistently in the past, I figured a new year spent in Arizona would be an invigorating way to kick off 2026.
Taking place from December 30-31 at the Phoenix Raceway, Decadence Arizona brought together a selection of the scene’s most in-demand artists and rising stars, many of whom shared the stage with sister show Decadence Colorado over the same two days. Between the stellar lineup, thoughtfully curated stages, VIP opportunities, fair rides, art installations, photo ops, midnight balloon drop, and more, Relentless Beats and Global Dance promised an air of electricity at this year’s event.
Long lines that moved quickly awaited my group and I on the first day of Decadence Arizona.
Getting into the Phoenix Raceway was a bit confusing, with limited clear directions on which way we should go for general parking. It didn’t take long for us to hop in the right line, though, and soon enough, we were inside the raceway. We made sure to park relatively close to one of the exits and didn’t mind the seven-minute walk to the festival entrance. If you need to pick up your wristband at the box office, I highly advise going to the early off-site box office days before the festival, if you can, as I heard people waited up to two hours in line here on day one.
Long, winding lanes of gates awaited us at ID and bag check, an infamous staple of Decadence Arizona that returning ravers have come to expect. While we felt like cattle being herded through to get to the front, this process moved extremely fast, with attendees constantly moving. If you’re looking for a more seamless entry into the festival, I recommend upgrading to a VIP or Platinum option with express entry.
Starting off the first evening’s lineup was a long-awaited Throwback Set from Adventure Club, transporting us to the golden era of EDM.
Adventure Club will always hold a special place in my heart, and the boys continue to demolish their sets to this day. Classics like their remixes of Foxes’ “Youth” and “Need Your Heart,” featuring Kai, had attendees going full throttle for these early 2010s smashers. This was where I first noticed that opting for VIP at Decadence Arizona is a smart move. While enjoying various sets in both the GA crowd and VIP throughout the festival, it became obvious that VIP is worth the extra money, primarily for more space to dance and a solid view of the elevated decks.
The elevated viewing decks at the Grand Palace and Royal Ballroom offered an escape from the hectic crowds below, and an exclusive area with upgraded restrooms, food vendors, seating, a glamour garden, and other amenities enhanced the VIP experience. With New Year’s festivals notoriously known for being extra crowded, it’s worth the investment to upgrade to VIP, so go ahead and treat yourself.
Decadence Arizona’s footprint wasn’t too large, making it easy to get around and meet up with your rave family.
With two main stages, three smaller ones, and a silent disco, everything was in close proximity to each other, making the walk between stages fairly quick. Whether you wanted to enjoy a set, ride the Ferris Wheel, get some grub, or use the restroom, you didn’t have to go too far. Always be sure to set meet-up spots and times with your friends if you split up from them, as service can be spotty.
While I didn’t partake in the food options, I mainly noticed the offerings were what you would see at the county fair, with the same signage and some typical fair foods in the GA area. VIP might have had a different assortment with some food trucks as well. I mainly stuck with grabbing drinks and water throughout the night, and there were plenty of carts and bars available around the festival with short wait times.
Popping back and forth between Grand Palace and Royal Ballroom, the first night offered the perfect assortment of sounds as I grew accustomed to the festival.
Beats from Meduza, Sammy Virji, Whethan, and Hamdi carried us into the night before girlboss Sara Landry packed the Grand Palace to the brim. Taking a breather from the nonstop hard, industrial techno after, I caught a groove with Max Styler and Zedd. Kai Wachi b2b Sullivan King closed out the evening and pulled out all the stops for their first-ever set together. I left night one of Decadence Arizona feeling satisfied and exhilarated, but night two was a different story.
New Year’s Eve drew a larger crowd to the festival, but the vibes remained high for the final moments of the year.
You could surely feel the extra bodies meandering around the festival, with more bottlenecks at certain areas of the main stage and in the bathrooms. While the main stage remained very full, especially as the sets dwindled down toward midnight, the rest of the festival was still generally easy to navigate around.
If you’re looking to lock into the main stage and secure a good spot ahead of the countdown, definitely get there a few sets before midnight, and be prepared to battle attendees coming in from all angles. This goes for the VIP viewing decks as well, as they filled up pretty densely.
My group and I opted to stay toward the back of the main stage for most of the night, where there was a bit more space, catching coveted acts like Kaskade, Tape B, GRiZ, FISHER, and Subtronics. While I would have liked to venture out to the Royal Ballroom to split my time with Chase & Status and Odd Mob, I was extremely happy to remain dry under the main stage during the torrential rain that plagued a few hours of the night.
GRiZ’s NYE Countdown Set was the highlight of the evening.
As the countdown began, ravers lost their minds when Rüfüs Du Sol’s “Innerbloom” began playing. Friends hugged each other close and surrendered to the music, enjoying the final moments of 2025 in good company. Giant balloons dropped down from the ceiling at midnight, as GRiZ hopped on his signature saxophone to usher us into 2026. It truly was a special moment spent among friends and fellow ravers, and the pure joy in the room was surely palpable.
Getting out of the parking lot after the festival is the one major headache that would deter me from attending again.
I had read on social media that getting out of any event at the Phoenix Raceway is typically a horrible experience. Preparing ourselves for the worst, my group and I tried to park as close to the exits as we could on both days. We definitely found a cheat code the first night, as we immediately left the venue after arriving at our car once the festival ended. Being near the exit already, we avoided lines of cars and found a gate to drive out of, which, surprisingly, no one was using. We were back at our Airbnb within 30 minutes.
The second night was a different story. Even with walking out of the festival 20 minutes before the show ended and being parked near the exit again, somehow my group and I were stuck behind a line of cars that barely moved for two hours. It was the most ridiculous way to end the night, especially seeing parking attendants sitting around and doing nothing. Traffic needed to be directed, and many ravers were falling asleep at the wheel, further causing lines to stall.
After the two-hour mark, a few other attendees approached our car and let us know they had forced open another exit gate. Within a few minutes of getting there, security had blocked it off. At this point, my group decided to follow another car down to the very far end of the raceway and through a dirt path as a final Hail Mary, where we finally exited via another open gate that no one was using. We made it back to our Airbnb almost three hours after the festival ended. This whole parking fiasco left a very bad taste in my mouth and will affect my decision to return to Phoenix Raceway.
Overall, Decadence Arizona delivered on a lively New Year’s experience.
I was met with nothing but good vibes and trinkets from the Arizona rave community, even making local connections with ravers who had flown out from Southern California. People were generally pleasant and kind. I did hear from friends who had previously attended that it was more crowded this year, so I do hope Relentless Beats and Global Dance keep it at this capacity to prevent overcrowding.
I did wish to see more on the production side. While lasers were omnipresent at the stages and the balloon drop was a fun touch, I couldn’t really understand what the overarching “Portal of I11usions” theme was. A more immersive environment, walking between stages, perhaps with lights strung over the whole festival, and an increase in performers walking around, would enhance the experience.
Parking needs to be improved at subsequent editions held at the Phoenix Raceway. I understand this may be an issue with the venue itself, but no attendee should be waiting two or more hours to exit a parking lot. Preferred Parking was not even worth it, as attendees who paid extra for this up-front lot reported they were among the last groups allowed to exit the venue.
Seeing that Decadence Arizona is held at the Phoenix Raceway again next year, I’ll have a decision to make as to where I’ll ring in the new year. Regardless, this festival is still worth attending, and the Arizona rave scene made the experience a positive one. Whether you’ve been coming for years or are curious, consider adding this event to your New Year’s festival lineup.
