It has been almost two years since I have posted to this blog. Why do I write now? Over the past three years I took a break from my digital media company Nightlyfe and nightlife …
Read the full story »At the beginning of each year I like to map out what my MUST attend dance music festivals and conferences are for that year. My 2010 Dance Music Festival & Conference Agenda is not much different then my 2009; starting in Mexico, then Argentina and then through the States, on up to Canada and ending in Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities.
For those of you who haven’t quite found the perfect festivals or conferences I highly suggest any of the following. Warning: March is a busy month but it can be done!
January 1-10, 2010
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
$250 (for VIP 10-day pass)
15,000+ industry and party folk
Why I go…Thousands of industry professionals, top notch Djs from all over the world, a party held inside of a giant cave and of course the beautiful people and landscape. What else can you ask for?
More info…The BPM Festival brings thousands of industry people and party people to the coast of Mexico BPM is a newbie to the scene, with their first event in 2008. The event is the first festival of the year, kicking off January 1st and lasting a whopping 10 days. To save the hassle of holiday travel, it may be best to head their early to ring in the New Year, although do beware that you don’t tire yourself before the event even begins.
One of the most epic events during the 10-day long festival is the Cave Party, this year being held on January 7th. The Cave Party as you might have guessed is thrown inside of an actual cave with natural acoustics. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE. How many chances are you going to get to say you got down in a cave with some of the worlds best DJs and hottest people in Playa del Carmen, Mexico…
BPM is geared towards not only the electronic music scene, but also the hospitality crowds, so be ready to get rowdy with Bartenders and Promoters from around the world, who finally have a chance to have some of their own fun. The event boasts daytime partying at the Kool Beach Club, and then nighttime partying commences at clubs all around town, most infamous being El Cielo, Blue Parrot and Coco Maya. See you around the pool.
For more info visit thebpmconference.com or email info@thebpmfestival.com
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2010 dates TBA, early March
Buenos Aires, Argentina
90-160 pesos
The who’s who of South American electronic dance music and their fans.
Why I go… It’s the first and only conference South America which has some amazing talent and dance tracks coming out there as of late. Plus, the plethora of Latin women and amazing music for 12 straight hours helps.
More info… The South American Music Festival, which started in ’04, is hosted in one of the most amazing countries in the world – Argentina. It’s the best place to go if you like your steak juicy, your women and men hot, and your music bumping. The SAMC is a celebration of South American electronic music culture, as well as international talent. It’s a five-day conference full of after-parties leading up to one big night of partying.
Electronic music conferences and how-to’s are held at Emba – an Argentinean music school. Hundreds of people attend the conferences and lessons. And thousands more attend the official party of the conference.
The first few days of the event are for the more dedicated, only offering classes and different educational events, but the real party kicks off with the SAMC official party, which is always a blast and the people party as hard here as they do in Ibiza. With over 40 DJs and 4 different rooms of entertainment this is certainly not one to miss. Definitely come down to the festival if you want to learn about the Latin American electronic music scene, enjoy some amazing culture and have the time of your life.
For more info visit samc.net. It’s in Spanish only – so you may need a translator or visit the excellent coverage by Beatportal here.
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March 12-21, 2010
Austin, Texas
$325-$1225 per ticket
30,000+ indie rock snobs, web nerds and film buffs
Why I go… While not known for electronic dance music, Austin is a party town and one of the best towns for live music. This festival provides one of the, if not the best, opportunities to make connections in the music business and meet new acts. Plus, I love technology and film.
More info…South by Southwest (SXSW) is a annual 10-day music, film and interactive festival which has been getting better and better each year since its inception 23 years ago. SXSW is the perfect place to go if you are an up and coming band, DJ, promoter, or if you just want to enjoy some new music. Official “parties” are thrown with the support and guidance of SXSW and are hosted by anyone from Soundcheck Magazine, your favorite music blog, or by various record labels/promoters.
During the 10-day event, the mornings and afternoons are relegated to industry meet ups and discussions. Nighttime is fun time, with film and interactive award shows, film festivals, block parties, and the music festival (which is 5 nights long itself). You can buy all-access badges to get you into all the events or if you’re more media specific you might want to go for a badge that is only for one specific category – film, interactive, or music. DJs and electronic music fans will have plenty to ogle over, including DJs sets by innovative people like the Sycons, who use solar power to play their sets.
SXSW is definitely an event that you need to pace yourself for. Between the all day conferences, block parties and showcases it will be hard to keep up, but worth the effort. By the end you’ll be exhausted from all the drinking, dance parties, and indie rock shows and hopefully completely satisfied with your adventure!
For more info visit www.sxsw.com or email info@sxsw.com
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March 23-27, 2010
Miami, Florida
$235-425 (the earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper)
70,000 industry professionals and electronic music lovers from all over the world
Why I go… Over 500 events in one week, the best electronic DJs and acts in the world, and an extremely diverse international crowd representing top record labels and well known industry brands. It’s in Miami bitch! Plus…Ultra Music Festival which is one of the best EDM festivals in the world.
More info…We’ve all been to South Beach at least once in our lives. The memories are usually a blur of loud dance clubs, bottle service and waking up on the beach with your shoes missing… But if you haven’t been during WMC, than you seriously haven’t even approached the potential of South Beach. There are many different reasons to attend WMC. 25 years ago it started out as an education and networking platform for professionals in the electronic music world, but has since then evolved into something so much bigger than that. The professional side of WMC is still a main attraction but let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you’re probably more into the action than the education. Don’t feel bad, everyone needs a break sometime.
People come from all over the world to see their favorite DJs perform in various events around South Beach. The conference is held at EdenRoc Hotel while the subsequent after parties are held at clubs and hotels along the main strip in South Beach and occasionally in the downtown Miami area.
The event ends with the Ultra Music Festival on Saturday, a day-to-night outdoor music festival for ravers, D’n'B heads and dub steppers alike. After this festival wraps up, there is no doubt you will be in need of a nap.
For more info visit www.wmcon.com and check out my own Guide to Winter Music Conference or email info@wintermusicconference.com
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April 16-18
Indio, California
$269 for a 3-day pass
160,000 bity city hipsters & small town rockers
Why I go…Over 100 of the hottest live acts in the world outdoors in sunny California. Plus, I love the super cool Music Loves Fashion pool parties at the Palm Springs Riviera Resort and Spa.
More info…Coachella Music Festival is a 3-day long festival held in the sweltering desert of a little known town called Indio. With huge headliners such as Paul McCartney and Prince taking the stage over recent years, along with the standard indie rock fare, the actual festival appeals to a broad range of concert goers. More appealing to us here though are the numerous dance-worthy performances from the likes of Daft Punk, Boom Bip and Kraftwerk to name a few. Coachella does a pretty good job of rounding up an eclectic line-up of electronic music stars, which play the well-known Sahara tent every year. One previous epic performance included a string of disco and electro dance jams in 2007 with back to back sets by Justice, LCD Soundsystem and the Rapture.
Coachella is definitely more than just the 3-day official event though. Unofficial day and night time events are thrown by big brands that we know and love. The Fader, Anthem and Vice Magazines are three tastemakers that always through epic parties during the festival. Even huge brands like T-Mobile, Adidas, and GQ join in throwing events – marketing to electro-loving hipsters. These events are held individually from the actual concert, so attendees don’t just get an automatic-in with their Coachella tickets. And although the actual concert is a blast, I prefer to pick and choose the days to go and then reserve the other days to pool party it up with my favorite DJs in the sun and then dance away into the desert night. Just make sure to RSVP and arrive early to any of the hosted events, as they do fill up fast.
For more info visit Coachella.com or email info@coachella.com
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May 29-31, 2010
Detroit, Michigan
$55 for a 3-day pass
80,000 locals and techno lovers from around the world
Why I go… Even though it has changed hands and names over the years it still remains one of the best independent outdoor music events of the year with 36 total hours of electronic music. With four stages and more than 70 performers it offers a lot. Plus, with Detroit being the birthplace of techno they typically get the music right.
More info… Detroit has a made a name for itself in the music industry being the home of Motown Records and more interesting to the readers here, the birthplace of techno.
The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) now called Movement, celebrates just that. Starting in 2000, it has always been held in Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit. It offers a huge line-up of pretty diverse proportions. Although originally it was meant to celebrate specifically artists from Detroit in the techno scene, in recent years they’ve had performers like Z-trip, Tiga, RJD2, and Ellen Alien on the bill. The 3-day festival is a pretty affordable one too, costing around $55 for a weekend pass, whereas most festivals these days are asking you to drop a few hundred for 2 or 3 days of partying. With 4 stages, approximately 70 performers and 80,000 attendees (2009′s count) this festival is not one to miss.
For more info visit www.myspace.com/detroitmusicfest
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June 2-6, 2010
Montreal, Canada
$118-185 for early bird tickets
70,000 electronic music lovers and forward thinkers
Why I go… Probably one of the most avant-garde showcases of original performers in the world. The festival provides a great way to see a wide variety of digital creativity, up-and-coming talent and seasoned pros from all over the world.
More info… Over 5 days, attendees can take part in different conferences and showcases to stimulate the mind (and feet) at Mutek. Most of the events over the week have individual price tags so you can pick and choose what you would like to attend. They also offer various passports and packages so you can get the most bang for your buck if you plan on attending multiple events (which why wouldn’t you?!)
There is definitely something for every type of electronic music lover at the Mutek Festival. Experimental performances abound, as well as fetes of DJing strength, as seen when Villalobos and Zip tore up the stage with a 7-hour set during the 2009 festival.
Really this event is about the culture of Mutek, being recognized as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking electronic music festivals. Go to this festival if you want to explore what’s going to happen NEXT in the electronic music scene. You won’t find the typical ‘It’ DJs here, instead you’ll find exciting and new music that your mind will probably have trouble wrapping itself around at first, but don’t worry it’ll all come together in time.
For more info visit www.mutek.org or email info@mutek.org
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Last week in October- 2010 dates not released yet
Amsterdam, Netherlands
90,000 + international electro lovers & industry professionals
Tickets sold individually per event
Why I go… Within only three days I get to see 150 key note speakers, 700 performers from over 42 countries, and check out 40 venues! Very well run and a must for anyone working in the industry – especially Europe.
More info…Amsterdam Dance Event just wrapped up their 2009 event at the end of October and people are already anticipating 2010′s event. The actual conference is located in one central area, the Felix Meritus Building. Much like other music conferences, attendees get badges that allow them entrance into the conference and after parties during the 3 days.
Multiple different DJ events a night at clubs all the over the city call for packed schedules to see all your favs. This festival is definitely for the more serious DJ/electro-lover. You won’t find the rock star qualities of Los Angeles or Miami here… Instead you’ll find a laid back scene that knows how to shut it down at night with mostly trance, electronic and house music ruling the decks.
For more info visit amsterdam-dance-event.nl
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I am budgeting $10,000 to attend all of these and have an amazing year enjoying my favorite artists and networking with other industry professionals…well worth it in my opinion.
Can you recommend any other electronic music festivals or conferences for 2010? Have any advice for me?
The 3rd Annual 2010 BPM Festival in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico features ten full days of electronic dance music from some of the best artists from around the world from January 1st to the 10th.
www.metrowize.com
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