Hocus Pocus Gave Me Hope for US Festivals

Hocus Pocus was everything I’d hoped for in a festival, with every detail nearly flawless.

Miami and Halloween go together far better than most people might expect. The city isn’t necessarily known for its spooky season festivities, but after years of visiting the Magic City for its larger events — like Miami Music Week in March and Art Basel in December — I’ve always wondered what events like III Points and Hocus Pocus were like.

Hocus Pocus, five years in, is a relatively new multi-day event. Short set times, overcrowding, questionable attendees, and bad vibes can ruin even the most promising lineups. But Hocus Pocus 2025 not only met but also exceeded my expectations. It delivered a level of magic the United States music scene really needs.

This wasn’t the first time I had been to Factory Town, either. Over the years, I’ve experienced Damian Lazarus’ now-retired 24-hour marathon, Get Lost, and a handful of memorable Miami Music Week events. What sets Factory Town apart from other venues is its permanence. It isn’t just a shell built for a weekend, but an outdoor club complex with real, year-round infrastructure.

Since Insomniac took over renovations, the space has only become more dialed in. It’s typically outfitted with three to five stages, depending on the scale of each event. For Hocus Pocus 2025, they went all out, transforming the grounds into a spooky festival playground that hosted over 90 artists across three days and a staggering 37 hours of music.

The lineup featured artists like BLOND:ISH, Damian Lazarus, Loco Dice, Sara Landry, Disclosure, Vintage Culture, CamelPhat, 999999999, Interplanetary Criminal, Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Ki/Ki, and so many others. It also platformed many different local Miami artists, some of whom are Club Space residents.

Photo Credit: ADINAYEV

There’s something special about a festival that feels like a single, unified experience, rather than a space hosting a bunch of isolated events.

Hocus Pocus nailed this. The sound throughout the venue was exceptional. I distinctly remember standing amid the packed crowd for Jamie Jones b2b Seth Troxler, thinking how incredible it must be for the artists to play on such a large sound system. Each stage had perfect sound with zero complaints from me or my group.

One of the other nice things about Hocus Pocus was the simple production for each stage. No flashy visuals or huge LED walls — just a few lights, some simple pyro at the mainstage, and that was it. Stages like the Chain Room only had a few lights and decorations. The focus remained on the most important things: the music and the connection between the DJ and the crowd.

Speaking of sets, Disclosure’s was easily the most high-energy I’ve seen in a long time. Guy created some of those moments. Leaning into the Halloween vibe, he dropped a clever mashup of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the duo’s own “No Cap” featuring Anderson .Paak, much to the crowd’s delight.

I also caught a great set from Ruze, whose track “The Rider” I’ve had on repeat for the last year, as well as from Josh Baker, Slugg, Hamdi, Cristi Cons, Arapu, and Rafael.

Overall, it was a perfect mixture of international and local talent. The real beauty, though, was wandering between stages, discovering new artists, and realizing just how much variety there was. It was really cool to see firsthand how big an influence European and South American artists have right now.

Photo Credit: ADINAYEV

One thing many festivals struggle with is crowd management, but Hocus Pocus pleasantly surprised me in this regard.

With an overall capacity of around 8,000-8,700 and a total attendance under 25,000 for the whole weekend, Hocus Pocus was much more manageable than the huge festivals that pack in tens of thousands per day. Getting in and out was straightforward. Security checks were easy and never felt invasive. Bathrooms remained surprisingly clean. I never felt like any of the stages were overcrowded, and the crowd itself was really pleasant. It’s common to feel like the majority of the crowd at larger festivals isn’t there for the music, but Hocus Pocus felt different. Everyone was dancing.

Holding a festival overnight from 7pm-7am each day also meant that temperatures stayed cool. Food and drink options were right in line with the rest of the festival and fair in price. VIP sections even felt like VIP, offering anything you might expect.

If there’s one element where Factory Town and, by extension, Hocus Pocus could improve, it’s seating. Spending 12 hours on your feet with minimal places to sit was rough. While there was some seating, people were crowded around it.

Hocus Pocus was my favorite festival of the year, not only because it had the best lineup, but because of the venue. It’s such a great space — either for someone who has never been to a festival before or seasoned fans like myself.

Tickets were decent for a three-day festival, too, starting at $120, while many are $200 or more per day lately. It’s especially valuable when Hocus Pocus arguably attracts some of the best international talent to the US.

Miami always delivers no matter what, but this festival couldn’t have been executed any better. I can’t wait for next year’s Hocus Pocus. I’ll be the first in line.