What a year it has been! Just some months ago we were getting ready for festival season and now we’re ready to ring in the new year. From exceeded expectations to some unfortunate events, the EDMTunes editors and writers attended some of the best festivals in the world this year and we came together to select the top 5 festivals of the year. Incredible productions, amazing lineups, beautiful vibes, and some of the best core memories were created.
5. Arc Music Festival
This hidden gem has impressed ravers since its inception in 2021. This festival honors the birthplace of House music, the windy city of Chicago. It features three days with some of the best House and Techno DJs in the World, an intimate atmosphere with 4 stages, and a huge afterparty selection. ARC remains one of the newest best festivals in the world. And it will just get better and better.
4.Electric Forest
A fairytale like festival, Electric Forest has stolen our hearts deep in Rothbury, Michigan. The four day camping event is a magical fusion of arts, music and spiritual awakenings. The festival takes advantage of the beautiful Sheerwood forest to provide an otherworldly, highly interactive experience with seven stages and tons of side quests for everyone to explore. The music is alive in nature and it’s a can’t skip festival for EDM Tunes.
3. Ultra Miami
Bring on the heat! Ultra Miami hits the top 3 spot of our list this year. The city itself turns into a giant festival. Ultra happens during the weekend of Miami Music Week, meaning people use the entire week to explore different sounds and locations. Ultra is one of the few festivals that is accompanied by insane pool parties and afterparty takeovers from different productions, such as Dreamstate, or Arc. After an insane lineup and a never-ending struggle for city permits, the festival remains victorious in Bayside Park and it delivered some of the best sets of the year. The production was as insane as ever, and the Ultra team welcomed the very first Residency of Resistance at M2 in Miami.
2. EDC Las Vegas
Once again we met under the Electric Sky, and yet again it brought out the best in us. This year the festival hit over half a million attendees, and it welcomed its first Hotel EDC residency at Resorts World. From some of the craziest camping experiences, to the amazing sets we heard. Insomniac has made Las Vegas a better place for EDM. This year’s highlights include a lady giving birth at Zedd’s set, and the tease of luxury studio homes to rent on the campgrounds.
1. Tomorrowland Belgium
*Drumroll* And… the number one spot goes to none other than Tomorrowland Belgium. With two glorious weekends this summer the music comes alive in the Nr. 1 festival. The event is one of the largest productions, with state of the art sound systems and extremely elevated experiences. Moreover, it included luxurious glamping and never-ending surprises. The attention to detal makes the mark that differentiates Tomorrowland Belgium from all others. Lastly, it consistenly raises the bar as to what a festival should be and how it should feel like.
