EDM Identity’s Favorite Moments of 2025

From festivals and club shows to unique experiences and industry-driven events, the EDM Identity team was busy in 2025. Check out our favorite moments from this year!

It’s been another wild year for the dance music scene, filled with ups, downs, twists, turns, and more. The community has been through quite a bit over the course of 2025, seeing everything from iconic festivals deciding to take a break and others finding new life, to fresh faces clamoring for attention from the scene, and genre lines continuing to blur.

As the scene continues its evolution, the EDM Identity team has remained at the forefront, covering it all. From massive festivals and intimate pop-up experiences to breaking news and updates on your favorite artists, we’ve continued to bring you the best of what the dance music community has to offer.

Now, with the year winding down, it’s time for us to reflect on the ride we embarked on throughout 2025. Read on to dive into some of the team’s favorite moments from the year!

EDM Identity’s Favorite Moments of 2025

Grant – Catching Above & Beyond at Coachella and Speaking at IndustryHours

This year was marked by some truly memorable moments for me, both personally and professionally. My favorite electronic trio, Above & Beyond, returned to one of my favorite festivals, Coachella, to perform at the iconic Outdoor Stage. Having never caught the Anjunabeats bosses at that festival, it was a surreal moment. Not to mention that all three of them showed up for the fun, making it even more iconic.

On the professional side of the spectrum, having EDM Identity take over IndustryHours in August was such a huge step forward for our brand. It was great to sit down and chat about how this site came to be, dive into our mantra and mission, learn some new things from others, and mix and mingle with other industry members. It was such a fun night, and I can’t wait for us to do it again!

Carolina – Experiencing New Sights and Sounds at Let It Roll Puerto Rico

I feel very lucky to have experienced the inaugural year of Let It Roll Puerto Rico. Let It Roll has been on my bucket list for years, and going to the show in Puerto Rico was the highlight. Seeing drum and bass on a national level was so amazing, and I feel so blessed. Being able to do what I love while listening to what I love has been magical.

David – Heading to Lollapalooza with my Best Friends

One of my favorite memories from 2025 was going to Lollapalooza with my best friends. It was a trip that we planned at the beginning of the year, and it exceeded expectations beyond belief. It was one of the greatest weekends of my life, and one of the highlights was that we finally all got to see a Chase & Status set together. What really made it special was that our group traveled from three different states to make it happen, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.

Destinee – Full Sending Festivals from Coast to Coast

This moment stood out because it perfectly captured what it means to truly full send for the culture. After four nonstop hours of coverage at Escape Halloween, I caught a red-eye to Miami and went straight into EDSea with Grant, running purely on passion and adrenaline. The boat rave, the kindness of everyone onboard, and finally meeting artists I’ve loved for years reminded me why festivals will always be more than just events to me. It was a grounding, reflective moment that reaffirmed my love for this community. PLURR is alive, thriving, and still at the heart of it all.

Erik – Catching Ben Sterling at HARD Summer

My favorite show this year was Ben Sterling at HARD Summer. He had just played NYC, was currently spinning “Rock Your Body” by the Black Eyed Peas, and apparently, was feeling ill the whole time. All I remember is his set starting and ending in what felt like a moment, such an outstanding performance. Really proves how great a DJ he is.

Hannah – Heading to Tomorrowland for the First Time

Attending Tomorrowland for the first time and experiencing Global Journey was truly the most magical time. Despite the main stage burning down just days before the festival, there was so much to see and do across the 16 total stages. I loved getting to connect with dance music fans from around the world and felt the embodiment of Tomorrowland’s motto — Live Today, Love Tomorrow, Unite Forever. Attending via the Global Journey package and staying at one of the theme hotels was the icing on the cake, with extra goodies and amenities customized for each attendee. Tomorrowland quickly became my new favorite festival, and I’m anxiously awaiting the day I can return.

Jaclyn – Experiencing WORSHIP at Red Rocks

Being a part of DnB history and seeing WORSHIP as the first DnB artists to headline Red Rocks was so special. This was my first ever RR show, and everything about the experience was perfect — from meeting the WORSHIP boys at the pop-up the day before, to the two-hour set itself, to the afters. The vibes were immaculate, the weather was beautiful, and I met so many kind ravers who brought the energy!! 10/10 all around, no notes.

Phot Credit: Jake West for Unity

Jacob – Basking in the Glory of Insomniac and Tomorrowland’s UNITY at Sphere

There were so many incredible events this year, but the one that stood out to me the most was Insomniac and Tomorrowland’s UNITY at Sphere. I’ve been raving for over 12 years, and seeing two of my favorite festivals come together to create something so immersive and meaningful is something I’ll never forget.

Watching Insomniac’s story unfold—from its underground roots, to the forest of Nocturnal, down the rabbit hole of Beyond Wonderland, the aliens of Countdown, the madness of Escape, and the beauty of EDC Las Vegas—was incredibly powerful. Paired with Tomorrowland’s fantasy-driven storytelling, weaving themes of sea, love, reflection, and life, it felt like a true celebration of everything dance music represents.

The visuals, the storytelling, and the emotion behind it all were unreal, and then to top it off, Subtronics closed out the final day with insane lasers, surprise guests, and brand-new unreleased IDs, which was the perfect ending. It was easily one of my favorite events of the year, and a moment I’ll carry with me forever.

John – Speaking to USC Students About the Dance Music Industry

I really enjoyed getting to speak on behalf of EDM Identity in Los Angeles. On time was my guest lecture during Sean Nye’s electronic music course at USC, and the other was in a roundtable discussion during a workshop hosted by the university’s Electronic Dance Music Association just off campus. It felt good to share some of the things I’ve learned with the next generation of industry professionals. I hope to do it a lot more in 2026.

Josue – Meeting Legendary Duo TNT

2025 was a wild year, but my favorite moment of 2025 was finally getting to meet TNT (Technoboy ‘N’ Tuneboy) in person after their set in San Francisco. It was an honor seeing them perform and then getting the opportunity to tell them how much I appreciate their contributions to the scene. They say never meet your heroes, but TNT is one of the few who are still humble, grateful, and happy to chop it up with fans! Also, using this as an outlet manifest an in-person, long-format interview with them soon! Thank you, TNT!

Logan – Diving Into Different Eras of deadmau5 at Red Rocks

This past November, deadmau5 brought his annual Day of the deadmau5 show to the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre for two nights of a five-hour extended set spanning his entire catalogue of unmistakable hits. The temperature was low, but the vibes were high as deadmau5 delivered a remarkable opening set from his techno alter-ego Testpilot, kicking the evening into high gear from the very beginning. From there, the mau5 dove into an utterly perfect 3.5-hour set, featuring everything from unreleased tracks off his upcoming album to throwback hits like “Strobe” and “Longest Road,” a song I have been trying to catch live for over a decade.

The night was capped off with a roughly 40-minute set of deadmau5-branded drum and bass. Aggressive, industrial-tinged bangers permeated the high altitude air. While not my favorite style of drum and bass, deadmau5’s breadth of music that evening was astonishing, and after 20+ deadmau5 shows, this one sits incredibly high on the list of best mau5 sets ever.

Marissa – Exploring All That Seven Stars Debut Edition Had to Offer

What a privilege it was to be among the massive sea of GRiZ fans as he made his return to the stage at Seven Stars. The weekend was filled with so many magical moments. It’s rare to experience a brand new festival for the first time. Without any idea of what the festival would bring, we collectively created a community and culture that will inspire attendees for years to come, and I think that’s quite special.

Matt – Taking the Stage at Dreamstate SoCal

My favorite moment was likely also the biggest of my own DJ career – playing the art car at Dreamstate! Seeing all the friends that gathered, the energy of our community – be it San Diego Trance Family, EDM Identity, Trancension, or the vast crowd in general – renewed the sense of pride I have as a part of the community overall these past 20 years. I never expected to have the opportunity to play a major festival, as I’m not really a producer, but having that moment to share my passion, sound, and love for the music with an audience broader than just my hometown. Growing beyond that one set, having two surprise sets in the Passport lounge was a superb elevation to the already amazing experience!

A couple of second items: I also got to share a rooftop with my buddy Josh Taylor at Spin to close out the summer as our duo, Serial Serenity, thanks to Intricacy, and play at LumiCali, but Dreamstate was by far the biggest surprise of my year. I look forward to raising the community even more in 2026!

Paloma – Having a Magical Moment at Portola Festival

A moment that felt extremely special and somewhat like a shift for me was engaging with the community at Portola 2025. After not attending festivals for over a year and taking a pause from covering dance music culture, stepping foot on Portola’s festival grounds this year was a simple catalyst to the special feeling I’d encounter.

After wrapping up an interview with local artist SKIIS and heading straight into the crowd for community engagement and interviews, something was reignited within me. Everything in that moment made sense and felt joyful. It was a reminder of my place in the community and the passion it pours out of me. I’m feeling extremely grateful that EDM Identity has given me a platform to express that passion through trusted and intentional writing and content creation.

Penny B – Having a Blast From Ultra Miami to Escape Halloween

So many special moments in 2025 that I have to share at least two. My favorite moment for the culture was Above & Beyond returning to the Live Stage for the 25th anniversary of Ultra. I still get chills thinking about it! After a rainy day in Miami, it was a beautiful moment for us all to come together and close out the weekend. My favorite EDM Identity moment of 2025 happened while covering Escape. I saw Moore Kismet for the first time, and their set was everything! It was so good that I was literally dancing in a circle, while writing, and just cheesing. Pure joy!

Sheila – Catching Kygo for the First Time at Palm Tree Festival Hamptons

My favorite moment from 2025 was attending Palm Tree Festival Hamptons, because it marked so many meaningful firsts for me all at once. It was my first time in the Hamptons, my first Palm Tree event, and my first time seeing Kygo live, which made it all feel extra special. Everything about the day felt dreamy. It was one of those moments where you just feel really present and happy without trying. I left wishing I could rewind the day and experience it all over again.

Victoria – Going Prehistoric at Lost Lands

My favorite moment of 2025 was experiencing Lost Lands. It was a dream festival to attend, and because of EDM Identity, it was possible! We had the opportunity to capture behind-the-scenes videos, interviews with artists, and capture the energy and PLURR Lost Lands had to offer!

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