Pendulum raised the bar on the festival experience by combining luxury, comfort, and stellar music at the debut edition of Worlds Away.
Last weekend, Silicon Valley’s newest festival experience, Worlds Away, touched down on the beautiful California Coast. Experience curator Pendulum promised the start of a new era by combining cutting-edge technology, vibrant art, and killer beats in Monterey, California, a historically ignored location for dance music.
On October 12, the Monterey Country Fairgrounds transformed from a blank canvas into an immersive world that thrived on attendees’ good energy and bright spirits. The night was led by the sounds of dance music’s hottest starts from all corners of the scene. Travelers were treated to mainstage beats from Tiësto, infectious pop music from The Chainsmokers, big room throwbacks from R3HAB, and a ton of groovy music from Sam Feldt, Lost Kings, and Ayokay to accommodate the bright and sunny day.
Even with such a perfectly curated experience, there was no way that headliners were coming to a random city on the coast where dance music has never been, right? Was Worlds Away another Fyre Festival waiting to happen? Why wasn’t this big event taking place in the Bay Area’s dance music hub, San Francisco? All of these are valid questions, but Worlds Away answered everything beautifully and crushed all expectations.
The festivities began on October 11 for the Preview Night, which was exclusive to VIP and Pendulum guests.
Admittedly, I felt uncertain, even after arriving. The parking lot was nearly empty, lights were scarce, and one lonely grounds worker guided me in the right direction after chasing me down on his bicycle.
Upon entry, the producers were kind enough to show us around the festival area, where we got a sneak peek of the marvelous mainstage, carnival, merch, and more. After a quick tour, my doubts subsided. I thought about how great everything would look during the day full of Travelers, as Worlds Away affectionately refers to its attendees.
The rest of the relatively short night was spent at a secret area with a smaller second stage, bean bag chairs, furniture, outside heaters, and a free bar. A crowd of about 100 people were treated to sets from Vicetone and Cheat Codes. I had never seen either act, although they had remained on my bucket list since I was an entry-level raver. It was all the more satisfying that I finally got to catch both in an intimate setting with my favorite person in the world.
The official festival day finally came, and there was a stark contrast between both days.
Preview Night was quiet and relaxing, but the official festival day was high energy and bright, with happiness radiating through every Traveler. Entry was a breeze despite initially feeling like a gamble since this was a new event. Once we were inside, the festival grounds even had a different vibe as comforting and cozy gave way to animated and active.
Before diving into all of the amenities — like the Augmented Reality room, the carnival, or the awesome sets — I took some time to stand around and observe the crowd, immediately noticing how much it varied. The festival drew from all walks of life — like experienced ravers donning Boris Brejcha and Amelie Lens merch, tech and finance bros, gym rats, kandi kids, the elderly, and baby ravers (no, really, literal baby ravers).
After some people watching, I dove into the festival grounds and was pleasantly surprised by how well everything flowed.
There were no congestion points and water was so readily available that I never stood in line for it. There were lots of great food options from local vendors, and the carnival added that little bit of magic and fun to a near-perfect layout. Even in such a tiny space, there was lots to explore. It felt like every inch of the festival grounds was covered with something to do.
The music that filled the venue was the cherry on top. There was house music to accommodate the warm, sunny day, big room beats to guide the crowd into the night, and sets that were the epitome of pop-meets-EDM when Tiësto and The Chainsmokers took the stage.
Normally, I would complain about music being basic, namely the singalong EDM remixes of mainstream records that blasted out of the speakers all day. Worlds Away, however, is the type of festival that calls for it. This event proved that sometimes it’s fun to step out of your bubble and enjoy the simple, catchy music that dominated the 2010s pop and dance charts.
With the first edition of Worlds Away in the books, it’s clear that Pendulum raised the bar in Monterey with an elevated experience that combined luxury and comfort with the best acts in dance music.
If you went into the event searching for game-changing acts or the next rising star, you wouldn’t find it at Worlds Away. It’s not about that. You will, however, find a gem of a festival that caters to all people, whether experienced ravers, casual listeners, or people simply looking for a fun weekend.
Even as a hard dance enthusiast, I loved getting a chance to revisit my memories as an entry-level fan singing the melody of “Seven Nation Army” remixed into cheesy dance drops, listening to records from the EDM boom like “Wasted” by Tiësto or “#SELFIE” by The Chainsmokers, and enjoying the day with my partner and friends.
In my still-to-come interview with founder Ro Sahebi and Festival Director Nelson Diaz, Worlds Away is confirmed to return. When that happens, I’ll be one of the first in line for a ticket!
