New York’s home-based dance music festival, Electric Zoo, revamped itself with all new additions, technology, and stages. The thirteenth edition of the music festival took over Randall’s Island again this Labor Day Weekend. But, it wasn’t a wild trip with neon animals and themed stages. Instead, the Electric Zoo Festival went 3.0 with the help of new partners and a futuristic theme. Over 100,000 attendees from 50 states and 50 countries traveled to New York City to experience the newly innovative festival. 

It was beyond their most superb edition of the longest-running dance music festival in New York. There was a complete renovation of the layout, stages, VIP entry, and invited artists. A slew of the best rising underground talent from Truth x Lies, Pretty Pink, CANVAS, and Black Carl! On Randalls Island, top-tier sets were heard from globally renowned legends, including Tchami, Loco Dice, Cristioph, Gorgon City, Diplo, Camelphat, Armin van Burren, and Carl Cox. 

Its been three years since the last Moonrise Festival happened in Baltimore, Maryland. Once the first promo advertisement appeared, the dance community was beyond ecstatic. It's known as one of the longest-running festivals in the area. It was seven years ago when I attended my first Moonrise. The festival was very unorganized, although it did bring an incredible lineup. However, the stages were much smaller, and it was difficult to hear most of the sets due to poor sound production. A few sets did stand out, and I made terrific friends that weekend that I still keep in touch with. This year with the rebranding, it will be a sensory experience like no other that will transform the famous harbor city. What to expect was unknown as a new branded festival under the ownership of Insomniac Events and Club Glow. This wasn’t the first time the flagship events company revamped an existing music festival. All expectations were at the highest peak of performances in all realms. The planets and stars aligned accordingly in the Universe as time led up to the weekend of the Moonrise Festival.

After a three-year hiatus with help from dance music and live events powerhouses Insomniac and Club Glow, Moonrise Festival will return. On Saturday, August 6, and Sunday, August 7, the grounds of the Pimlico Race Course will change into a different universe of space, alternate creatures, and immersive art decorations.