In May, Washington, D.C.’s, dance music festival, Project Glow, returned for an exciting fifth edition, bringing a variety of musical genres and styles across its roster of EDM stars and up-and-comers. With a small footprint and three stages, Project Glow minimized set conflicts and possible logistical issues, making it easy for attendees to let loose and enjoy themselves. Plus, a pleasant instance of good weather blessed the venue with clear skies and comfortable temperatures.
Notable Acts – Saturday
Dimension made himself an early contender for the set-of-the-weekend, delivering his brand of high energy DNB records and remixes to the bass-focused Pulse Stage. Ray Volpe followed, switching gears to headbanging heavy dubstep, keeping the crowd in a frenzy.
On the Eternal Stage, Sara Landry proved, yet again, why the high priestess of hard techno deserves her title. Meanwhile, the Lebanese duo of Nicole Moudaber and ChaseWest played an extremely fun, generation-spanning tech house B2B at the Secret Garden. Eric Prydz closed out the first day, with a set full of exciting IDs (as usual), and finished with his gorgeous mashup of M83’s ‘Midnight City’ (private remix) and The Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’.
A quick shout-out also to Insomniac’s Discovery Project winner, Home By Dawn, who was hand selected by Gryffin to open the festival’s main stage. Hoping (and expecting) to hear a lot more of his modern take on the festival-progressive sound soon!
Notable Acts – Sunday
Ninajirachi drew a massive crowd, clearly embracing her growing main-stage energy as she encouraged the audience to emphatically sing along to ‘iPod Touch.’ (She also returned to the stage later in the night, joining Porter Robinson to play their upcoming collaboration, ‘WannaCry,’ first premiered at Coachella).
The Pulse Stage brought a lineup of house stars, with energetic sets from twin sisters, Coco & Breezy, and a B2B from Discip and Roddy Lima. Max Styler followed, with his addictive take on the genre, setting the stage for LP Giobbi, Cloonee and a powerful closing set from Mau P.
Gryffin’s melodic sunset performance and Porter Robinson’s eccentric DJ set appealed to the fans’ emotional sides. They were followed by Excision B2B Sullivan King, who switched the vibe to intense dubstep, a great closing set for anyone looking to unleash their final bursts of energy of the weekend.
Logistics and Considerations
D.C.’s metro provided an easy way in and out of the festival, with an added bonus of the train gradually filling up with attendees as it neared the final stop. Some people elected to use the onsite parking or rideshare pick-up/drop-off, both also viable options. The grounds are fairly small, but well laid out and easy to navigate. Project Glow brings smaller production than some of Insomniac’s premier offerings, but the sets still feel immersive and satisfying, provided you’re deep enough in the crowd.
Like many other events, Project Glow allows totems, so expect to see a sea of signs, placards and statuettes lifted over the crowd. Inconsistent phone service slightly dampened the experience, making it difficult at times to find people. I’d recommend scheduling meeting points ahead of time once inside, either next to specific tents or any of Project Glow’s highly visible art installations. (Outside the festival, phones quickly started to work again).
Since its inception in 2022, Project Glow continues growing and improving year after year. It’s a fun, smaller festival with minimal issues and a great excuse to take a weekend trip to the area. Project Glow is set to return to Washington D.C. on June 5-6, 2027.GA, GA+ and VIP tickets are already available for purchase and layaway on the official website.
