On Saturday November 2nd, 2019, New York City was thrown into the Garden of Madness at the New York Expo Center. Hosted by Tomorrowland and DEG Presents, this marked the celebrated event’s U.S. debut.
Ever since 2014, the Garden of Madness series brings Tomorrowland’s cutting edge technology along with high class DJ talent to a selection of cities along its tour. Not including festivals, the hype around these events is insurmountable. Fronted by Belgian duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, there was no question that this was the Halloween event to be at in New York. Alongside the recently crowned #1 DJ’s of the world included the likes of Knife Party, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Gianluca Vacci, and Matt Medved.
Taking place at the New York Expo Center, it is one of the more recent venues that has popped up in the NYC scene. with a max capacity of 15,000 people, there was more than enough space for the carnage to take place. The cavernous warehouse space was dark and open with high ceilings that added towards the spooky Halloween feels. Fixated right in the center stage was the beautiful Amare eagle which has become a trademark of the event. And right in the middle of the space was the 10,000 square feet Blood Manor popup. Now in its 16th season, the festive popup establishment has become one of the go to places to get spooked during the Halloween season. Attendees had their adrenaline pumping as they walked through labyrinth like corridors and escape the room style novelties.
The night started off early with sets from Matt Medved, Gianluca Vacci, Knife Party, and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano. The energy was surprisingly high early on and only continued to build as partygoers decked out in costumes continued to pile on in. Then as the clock hit 2am, the main headlining duo made their blazing entrance. In most NYC shows, attendees are already considering on leaving the show but not this night. The venue was packed from wall to wall to see the number one DJs in action.
From start to finish, their set featured an onslaught of cathedral sized drops, electrifying transitions, and non stop energy. Starting off with crowd favorites like ‘Ocarina’ and ‘The Hum’, the Belgian duo had the crowd dancing their hearts out. In addition to playing a selection from their impressive discography, a few oldies and classics were also snuck in. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘Old Town Road’, and ‘Gasolina’ had the crowd singing along in unison. With all that being said, Dimitri and Mike really brought their A game – proving that they really know how to bring the madness. The unrelenting hype and energy in the venue was indescribable and is something one has to experience in person. Huge props to them for making this an unforgetable night for all in attendance.
