Tucked away on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, is the Wolf Run Ranch. This is where Euphoria Festival found its home, and where thousands of festival-goers found out why this festival is one of the best that Texas has to offer. An all-star lineup, three stages, phenomenal food, and inspiring art all played a part in making that weekend one to remember. Over the course of three days, we had a chance to experience it all and soak in this festival for all that it was.
The festivals lineup hosted the likes of Bassnectar, Above and Beyond, Autograf, Eric Prydz, and countless others. All weekend was spent debating how each set was better than the last, and it just didn’t stop. If you talked to anyone that weekend, they would undeniably say that Griz threw down one of the dopest sets of his career. Everyone you met at this festival seemed to have had the time of their lives while he threw down that funk-filled grizzle on that saxophone. On the other side of the festival, Eric Prydz worked his magic as he always does by playing out a progressive set with seamless intensity.
The music kept all the beautiful attendees going hard from start to finish. Keeping people moving in the fourth quarter of a festival can be tricky, but Wave Racer and Jai Wolf easily kept people on their feet with that lush and unique sound we expectedly unexpected from both of them. As the sun was setting, Jai Wolf began teasing Indian Summer throughout his set to the point of pure perfection when he finally brought in the full mix.
The music was as impressively diverse as the stages. The three stages, Euphoria, Elements, and Dragonfly, were all perfectly spaced apart so that there was little to no noise bleed between the two. While Euphoria Stage definitely brought the biggest names, seeing as it was more the main stage of the festival, it was no denying the brilliance of the Dragonfly stage. Set smack dab against the water, the LED lit image of a dragonfly subtly changed as the lights shifted across it. The amphitheater-like arrangement of the dance floor made it easy viewing for anyone hand banging the bass artists that played here, and the trees set off to the side were perfect to setup relaxing hammocks in. It is hard to deny the energy level that the daytime acts like Space Jesus and Luca Lush brought to that little patch of heaven.
The weather was undeniably hot throughout the weekend, but the festival provided more refreshments than you could have hoped for. Ample mini bars served anything from soda to cider to quench your thirst at a reasonable price. The numerous food trucks spread across the festival were a true testament to Austin’s food scene, and we made sure to try out as many as we could. Chicken wraps, sandwiches, and beer kept us sustained for most of the festival, and we never went wanting for any of it.
The art installations and exhibits were something to awe over as well. Local artists had their booths setup left, right, and center across the festival and their tents were perfect to take a breather in and check out hand crafted posters, clothes, and everything else.
All in all, I must say that this is one of the best festivals I could have attended. While of the pieces mentioned above made the perfect foundation for the festival, the crowd and the attendees are what always make a festival magical. It is safe to say that this festival had it all. While many festivals get ahead of themselves and invest too much attention into the glitz and glamour, Euphoria put its attention into the people so that all any extra bells and whistles that it boasted were the perfect icing on the cake. I, and anyone even remotely close to Austin, would be insane to miss this festival next season. Until then, I know we all will be searching high and low for a euphoria that comes even close to what we all found there.
