The Digital City of Decadence NYE Dazzles on Night One
On Friday, December 30th, music lovers traveled from far and wide for the first night of Decadence NYE. This annual electronic music festival takes place in Denver, Colorado, at the Colorado Convention Center. For two days, tens of thousands of people come together to dance their way into the new year.
Not only is there music, but there are also unique photo opportunities, immersive art displays, food trucks, and more. This year, the digital city of Decadence did a fantastic job of transforming the venue. As soon as the citizens of Decadence entered the venue, they could begin to explore the beautiful city full of lights, art, and music.
A Massive Lineup
Doors for the venue opened at 6:00 pm, and festival entry began at 6:30 pm. Attendees did not hesitate to get there early to check their coats and be the first ones inside. PAWS got things going on the Mainframe stage while CloudNone took over the Motherboard stage. Both stages had crazy production, including enormous LED screens and unique lighting on the ceilings.
On the Mainframe stage, FrostTop, Kompany, Trivecta, LSDream, Clozee, and Griz all played insane sets as well. The Motherboard stage saw Kaskade (Redux), Jai Wolf (DJ Set), Big Wild, Tiesto, and Chris Lake.
Throughout the night, the Hyperdrive stage also hosted tons of great music! For the silent disco, attendees had headphones with three different channels to choose from since three DJs were always playing simultaneously. Halfrican, Chocolate Drop, SAVAGE, Method, Globzter, and more spun some tunes.
Beautiful Art
As citizens navigated through the venue, they found different pieces of art at every twist and turn. In the Cyberhub (by the silent disco), large inflated flowers were scattered around. Multiple tall color-changing light bars also made for great photo backgrounds! An illuminated Decadence NYE sign, a Be A Good Person resolution wall, photo walls, and LED arches to walk through all made the entire venue so much fun. Plus, different performers were also wandering around and interacting with citizens. Did anyone else see the characters on stilts?
Loads of Amenities
Decadence NYE is a marathon, not a sprint. If your rave squad decides to be there from start to finish, that’s over seven hours at the venue. Luckily, the venue had two water refill stations and three food trucks to keep everyone hydrated and nourished. Lounge areas were also plentiful if citizens needed to get off of their feet for a bit. ATMs were located throughout the venue as well in case attendees needed some extra cash.
Three huge merch booths were also open! These included signature Decadence NYE merch as well as merchandise for most of the artists on the lineup. There were a handful of other booths as well, including Sober AF. Medics, phone charging stations, and smoking areas were also available for those that needed them.
For night one, the bathroom and drink lines were insanely long. Citizens took to social media to voice their frustration, since going to the bathroom and getting a drink would take about an hour. When you’re at a festival hoping to see your favorite artists, the last thing you want to do is miss a big chunk of music just to go to the bathroom. On Saturday, Decadence NYE announced that they would be add additional bathrooms and bar staff to get wait times reduced! Hooray!
Night Two Up Next!
Once again, Decadence NYE brought the heat. From the crazy stacked roster of artists to the art installations and food trucks, this festival is always a great way to ring in the new year. This festival is always packed, so if you’re considering going next year, get your tickets early. You don’t want to risk missing it once tickets sell out!
Follow their social media accounts below to keep updated on next year’s edition of the festival!
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Digital City of Decadence, Colorado
Are you still finalizing your plans for New Year’s Eve? If you want to welcome 2023 in style, you’ll want to grab your tickets for Decadence, Colorado ASAP! This massive 18+ music festival takes place this weekend on December 30th and 31st at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.
This venue is huge – over 400,000 square feet, to be exact. Citizens will travel from far and wide to explore two breathtaking main stages, a silent disco stage, and this year’s new Cyberhub. Food trucks, water stations, bars, and charging stations will be available to keep you energized into the new year.
Extremely limited tickets are still available, so grab your rave squad and keep reading for more details about Decadence NYE!
2022’s Insane Lineup
Once again, Decadence NYE is bringing an absolute fire roster of artists. From start to finish, each day is stacked, to say the least. Artists with different genres and vibes will be making an appearance, so there will be something for everyone in your group.
On night one, names include Kompany, LSDream, Clozee, Griz, Kaskade (Redux), Tiesto, and Chris Lake. Night two brings Zeds Dead (Altered States Set), Boogie T, Porter Robinson (DJ Set), Flume, San Holo, and more. On the 31st, citizens can choose to spend the countdown and balloon drop with Ganja White Night or Dillon Francis.
The Hyperdrive Silent Disco is also going to be poppin’ all weekend long. Some of Denver’s favorites including Alana English, Chocolate Drop, SAVAGE, Decker Rush, and Sektah are definitely worth checking out.
What to Expect
The level of production at Decadence NYE is simply unmatched. The arenas that hold the main stages have enormous LED screens and lighting designs that go all the way to the back, so you feel completely immersed in the experience no matter where you’re dancing. While walking between stages, you’ll go through various art exhibits and photo op stations. There are plenty of places to lounge and take breaks as well!
In this year’s brand new room called the Cyberhub, there will be food trucks with plenty of food options (including vegan!). Bars, water stations, charging stations, extra restrooms, a merch station, and more will make up the area next to the Hyperdrive Silent Disco. Talk about a good meeting spot for your group!
The line for entry takes place entirely indoors, so you won’t have to worry about standing outside in the cold. In fact, Decadence NYE offers a coat check so that you can stay cozy right up until you get in line.
Tickets and Pricing
General admission and VIP tickets are available for Decadence NYE. Both of these options are available as single-day or 2-day passes as well.
Single-day GA tickets are currently $169 while 2-day GA tickets are currently $269 (both before fees).
Single-day VIP tickets are currently $229 while 2-day VIP tickets are currently $349 (both before fees). If you choose to splurge on VIP tickets, you’ll get a separate VIP entrance, a collectible VIP pass, a VIP bracelet that grants access to VIP viewing areas at both main stages, private bars, and private lounge areas with seating. Keep in mind that all VIP tickets are will-call pickup only and are non-transferable.
Let the Countdown Begin
Decadence NYE is almost here! Imagine being able to ring in the new year with your rave squad as a citizen of the city of Decadence. Your favorite artists are on stage and you’re dancing under shimmering lights, confetti, and balloons. We already have goosebumps just thinking about it! This isn’t a festival to miss, so if you still need to secure your tickets, do so ASAP.
Keep up with updates from Decadence NYE by following their social media accounts below. You can also download the Global Dance app for set times, alerts, and more. And last but not least, grab your tickets here!
Three and a half hours southwest of Anchorage is the small town of Ninilchik, Alaska. This town made history on the weekend of September 9-11th with the help of music fans from around the Kenai Peninsula. Sacred Acre was the first Electronic Music Festival in Alaska and they went all out making sure festival attendees had the best experience possible!
Seeing History Unfold
Before the festival started, Party Guru Press (PGP) had the opportunity to explore the grounds and get a feel for the outdoor stages. The main stage was an amphitheater that opened to a meadow of trees and lush grass. The immense VOID speaker stacks promised that the weekend’s sound quality would be amazing. We asked keyboard artist Jason Leech what he thought of the speakers at Sacred Acre
“I haven’t played on a Void sound system before, but I was blown away by the fullness of the sound. I loved how you could hear such a well-balanced mix, all while feeling that deep sub. They are probably the coolest looking speakers I’ve ever seen apart from the sound!”.
The second stage, which would later hold some of the after-hour festivities, was a geodesic dome that members of Party Guru Press had the pleasure of helping build from start to finish. Witnessing this stage come together made it all the more special to listen to fantastic local Alaskan artists later in the weekend. From the second Party Guru Press showed up on-site to the production area, they saw that this team had a fierce love for electronic music and that they were dedicated to making this festival special for all the attendees.
Photo Credit: Timmy Sperling
A Day Meant To Be
As the first day started, the weather was a crisp 60 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. DJ Fractal Theory threw down some heavy bass beats that had the crowd dancing hard for the beginning of the festival. Next was Clint Samples. In addition to enjoying his music, Party Guru Press got to sit down with him and interview him about DJing in Alaska and the geodesic dome PGP got to work with earlier. Following Clint Samples was Voss and Things, out of California, who set a house vibe perfect for the afternoon. Jenny Voss had a voice that reached every blade of grass in the meadow, making the performance a pleasure. The night continued with Dredlok, Megan Hamilton, Defunk, Opiuo, and ended with Clozee’s first magical set of the festival.
Special Sets From Artists on Day Two
When day two started, camping attendees could sleep peacefully past the early hours of the morning because the sun did not start baking people inside their tents. The lowest temperature for the weekend was 40 degrees, which for festival-goers who rented gear from Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental, was never too chilly because all the gear they had was top-notch. This is just one of the perks of camping in the land of the midnight sun. The music lineup for day two was filled with funk and bass that kept people dancing all day and night. The day started special for PGP because a Denver local DJ Grim started the day off heavy with some very recognizable bass-heavy favorites, ending his set with “Eskimo” by Colorado’s own SoDown. PGP wanted to catch up with DJ Grim and get his impression of the first-year festival:
“I’m so thankful I got to not only DJ but attend the first ever Sacred Acre. It was an amazing event with amazing vibes and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. In three days, a family was built. The feeling of community, positive energy, and the willingness of the festival goers to help each other out was beautiful. Not to mention Sacred Acre is in one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever seen. Alaska is so vast and majestic. A place of endless exploration and beauty. This was my first time in Alaska, and it will be a place I will visit for the rest of my life. I am very grateful to everyone who was a part of this first-year festival. Major thanks to my boys, Chris Miller and Sterling Skodack. You created something magical. I’m definitely looking forward to Sacred Acre 2023!”
Sacred Acre continued with a funky afternoon of music starring McWacy,Megan Hamilton and Balkan Bump. Each artist had the perfect mix of vocals, live instruments and djing that led to unique performances. Another artist that played later in the evening was Defunk. He also had a great impression of Sacred Acre’s inaugural year:
“I really didn’t know what to expect for a first-year festival out in Alaska, but it exceeded all of my expectations. It was well organized, everything was on time, the hospitality was great and very welcoming, and the stage and sound were incredible. I was blown away by a first-year festival running so smoothly, and every other artist I talked to said the same thing. Being at such a remote location in Alaska, you had this feeling like you were at the edge of the world, yet it still felt like such a warm space with great energy, great staff, and wonderful production.”
Photo Credit: Darian Southerland
The night was far from over. Opiuo stepped on the stage and announced he was going to play a rare throwback set full of music that was made decades ago! Party Guru Press got to speak to Opiuo briefly after his set about his experience at Sacred Acre, and of course, about his favorite pair of sneakers:
“The festival has been amazing! Amazing people all around. That’s the standout. Lovely hospitality and everyone just wants the best for each other. It was magic! Currently, my favorite pair of sneakers are the purple pumas I got from a store in New York!”
After the throwback set of the ages, LSDream led festival goers through a magical hour of good vibes and reminded us of how we all deserve self-love. Clozee’s set, which closed out night two, was one of the most ephemeral experiences of the weekend. Not only did she play her collab with Griz, “Color of your Soul”, she also had LSDream come out on stage to play an unreleased song together. This all happened in what seemed like a mystical, sparkling rain controlled by Clozee herself. The main stage may have been over for the day, but Sacred Acre offered two after-hours options that went until 5 AM.
Photo Credit: Darian Southerland
Surprise on Day Three
After two incredible days, Sacred Acre still had more special experiences in store. LSDream started Sunday morning with a special indoor LIGHTCODE set. Attendees sat on the ground with LSDream as he played sounds that sent healing, soothing sounds throughout the room. At one point, viewers had the chance to lay down and feel the music through their whole body. After the sound bath, the third day of music continued out at the main stage with KONGLO and Jason Leech. As they started setting up Jason Leech’s keyboards on the DJ table, it instantly felt like an intimate performance for attendees was about to happen. His ability to remix classic songs of all genres had the crowd movin’ and groovin’ on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. We also got to ask him what he thought about his first time in Alaska and being at Alaska’s first EDM festival,
“I’m glad it was in a remote part of Alaska. I wanted to go deep into the state so I could adventure around and see some of the natural beauty. I’ll come back next year. It was an unforgettable experience. I’d also like to add that the hospitality from Sacred Acre was one of the best I’ve had at a festival. The chefs served us wild Salmon and Halibut, and the mixologist made me some of the best drinks I’ve had. I loved the time spent in the green room with those guys!“
Balkan Bump and Antennae ended the weekend with their second sets of the festival. Throughout the weekend, the artists playing two sets brought out something unique for each one.
That’s a Wrap
As the first year of Sacred Acre finished up, it imparted a lasting impression on attendees and performers alike. The opinions of those people could not have been higher, which is very important for an event wanting to come back for many years. Party Guru Press asked those very people what impressed them over the weekend, and answers like a great artist lineup, huge production (including lasers, screens, and VOID sound), clean facilities, enough drinking water, and great camping grounds were said many times. With an event that asked people to come to such a unique area, it was important they made it convenient. Between shuttles to and from camping sites, camping gear rental, and clear answers to any questions festival goers had, they succeeded on all fronts . Another aspect that impressed people were the Tranquility and Sanctuary tents. There you could attend workshops of all kinds and find refuge in a warm, comfy place without judgment.
The Cosmic Ayre production team did a great job with the first Sacred Acre and all the other teams that came together to make this happen!
