Day Trip Festival’s eclectic lineup and friendly crowd made for an unforgettable weekend at the Queen Mary Waterfront.
Kicking off the summer here in Southern California, thousands gathered at the scenic Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach for Day Trip Festival. Organized by Insomniac‘s blossoming house brand Day Trip, the festival has become a summer staple, attracting crowds eager for sunshine, great music, and a vibrant atmosphere. As someone more familiar with European and Asian festival scenes, attending Day Trip Festival gave me new insight into Californian house music culture.
The impressive production added to the festival’s vibrant atmosphere. The High Tide, Deep End, and Shoreline stages offered great views of the venue and festival grounds, making it easy and enjoyable to experience everything. Lines were short, and logistics were handled smoothly from start to finish.
Musically, the sets on both days were fantastic, offering something for everyone. Whether you preferred house, techno, or simply spending quality time with friends, Day Trip Festival effortlessly provided all three.
House and techno were certainly on full display all weekend.
I appreciated that the lineup included artists from Europe’s house and techno scenes, like Joseph Capriati, Anfisa Letyago, San Pacho, and Eli Brown, as well as Mexico’s Andruss, all of whom have grown in presence in the US in recent years. But I couldn’t help but feel slightly confused by the final full day lineups.
The back-to-back sets from Luuk Van Dijk and Ranger Trucco, East End Dubs and Max Dean, and LP Giobbi and HoneyLuv made things challenging the following day if you weren’t primarily a techno fan. Artists like Patrick Mason, who has an incredible stage presence, and Bart Skils and Layton Giordani, who are a bit more restrained, performed on the same stage. It would have been preferable if each stage consistently hosted a particular genre over both days.
The festival’s highlight for me was LP Giobbi b2b HoneyLuv. Despite technical issues, they delivered an absolute banger of a set, and I don’t think I recognized a single track, making the experience even more exciting. Other notable performances included Ranger Trucco b2b Luuk Van Dijk, Skream’s surprisingly heavy set at the High Tide stage, and Joseph Capriati, a fantastic selector in his own right. It was also great seeing acts like Ky Williams, Athena, and London Summers, artists I’ve followed for some time.
The Queen Mary provided a uniquely atmospheric backdrop.
The venue itself was stunning, with beautifully arranged stages featuring disco balls, greenery, and, of course, the ocean theme, creating an inviting festival ambiance. The High Tide, serving as the mainstage, boasted large-scale production, including extensive lighting and screens. A massive disco ball positioned directly above the DJ booth was a cool touch.
The Deep End, on the other hand, featured a more minimalist setup. This included much-appreciated overhead sun protection via a shade structure that allowed the music to remain the focal point. Great sound and lighting made for an excellent experience, complementing the performances at that stage.
The Shoreline stage and Beatbox Boombox Art Car showcased local and regional talent in more intimate yet impressively produced settings. Surprisingly, neither stage had publicly available lineups until just days before the festival, which felt somewhat unfortunate. Given the strength and size of Los Angeles’ underground scene, failing to promote local artists seemed like a missed opportunity.
Reasonable is the best word to describe Day Trip Festival’s food and beverage options.
The prices for food and beverages weren’t too crazy. Five dollars for cans of water, or for free at the refill station, is what we’ve come to expect, and it beats the prices in places like Ibiza. There were even non-alcoholic drinks for less than $10, which I greatly appreciated. Alcohol was fairly priced and included the options you’d expect. The Day Trip staple fishbowls with a little giraffe rubber duck were priced acceptably, too. For $50, you get roughly four drinks’ worth.
I tried the Island Noodles that many have expressed their fondness for online, and thought they were pretty good. A friend described them as “the Panda Express of festival food.” Everything felt reasonable; even parking was under $20 for the day. The only improvement I would have liked to see was non-plastic alternatives to the silverware, food containers, and the fish bowls themselves. Anything better for the environment is always appreciated.
Overall, Day Trip Festival was a well-run, well-organized experience.
Although the festival infrastructure occasionally felt almost too perfect, particularly thanks to things like Insomniac-branded cable protection, it was overall among the best I’ve experienced at any festival and set the standard. Both days eventually sold out, which did make it feel overcrowded during the evening into each day’s headliner. It left me wondering if the festival could benefit from a bigger footprint.
I think the best way it was described was as a good entry festival, and I’d agree. The crowds were nice — it felt like people were there to hang out and enjoy some good music. There was what felt like a lot of EDC Las Vegas overlap, giving many the possibility to wear something that they may not have worn at the festival back in May. Totems and Kandi were also everywhere, something that made the festival feel uniquely Californian.
While the festival may not have been the exact house music festival I was hoping for, I did come to appreciate it for what it is. It offered an opportunity for people to enjoy house, techno, or even sometimes drum and bass with their friends, all in a very safe environment. I can’t wait for next year.
