San Diego’s Into The Horizon returned to Waterfront Park with a lineup of dance music icons, exciting special guests and local up-and-coming acts across its 3 stages. Amicable weather and a gorgeous view elevated the experience, marking another successful edition of the local festival.
As before, Into The Horizon felt less like a full-scale Insomniac festival and more like a massive summer party: a fun day out with friends and an opportunity to catch top-billing DJs locally. Stricter than usual rules (21+ age limit, wider list of banned items, relatively early closing time) felt present, but ultimately did not impact the most important part of the weekend, the music. Despite the intimate atmosphere, the large grounds allowed for a comfortably spread out festival site, and it never felt overcrowded or difficult to navigate.
Into The Horizon featured standard food/drink vendors expected at festivals, plus a dedicated area for brand activations, with sponsors distributing freebies and samples to those stopping by. Additional amenities included a Ferris wheel for a view of the city’s skyline and coast, and a “puppy petting zoo” as part of a partnership with a local animal rescue.
Notable Performances
Tiësto regularly plays at Into The Horizon, and this year’s set showed why people keep coming back. A mixture of his trance and big room eras kept the crowd engaged and dancing even as it started to rain, presenting the perfect opportunity to bring back his mashup of Adele’s ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ and Tiësto and KSHMR’s collaboration, ‘Secrets.’
James Hype took over Sunday’s sunset slot with an intense house set, bringing his over-the-top “Real DJing” mixing style in front of an audience ready to match the wild energy. Martin Garrix closed the night with his first show in San Diego since 2016! While the stage was unable to accommodate the massive Americas Tour production rig, Martin Garrix proved yet again that music reigns supreme. His set featured new hits including ‘Repeat It‘ (with Ed Sheeran) and ‘Bizarre‘ (a new collaboration with Madonna) as well as classics, including ‘Animals,’ ‘Waiting For Love‘ (co-produced for Avicii) and a closing edit of ‘High On Life.’
The main stage production focused on the expected bright lights, LED screens and lasers to amplify the musical experience. In lieu of fireworks, both nights featured an elaborate drone show, with over 100 individual units flying in sync to create signs, animated icons and text.
All in all, there’s a reason people keep coming back to Into The Horizon: it’s convenient and a lot of fun, with an audience that understands everyone’s simply there for a good time. While it may not be an international destination, Into The Horizon brings a giant party to a beautiful park, perfect for Southern California locals or visitors looking to amp up their weekend.
