Global week is upon us! The annual Denver dance music powerhouse is fully locked in with the final preparations underway. Likewise, all attendees should now be loading up the wagons and charting a course to rage-town. As usual, there are a plethora of opportunities to help you make those memories that you won’t remember. With this in mind, how do you determine the best course of action? Well, that all depends on the nature of your desired experience. Nevertheless, if you’re a ‘raver noob’ or a tenured ‘festival bro,’ EDMTunes has you covered! This is your guide to killing it at Global Dance Festival 2019.
Prologue
For the sake of simplicity, the guide will be broken down into two parts. The first is for noobs; the second for bros. However, even if you don’t fall into one of these categories, you may still benefit from the info in this guide. Now, to make the most of the tips and suggestions provided herein, it’s wise to first obtain a clear indication on which of these two categories you fall into. To make this easy for all, here is some information which should kick-start you on your path to killing it.
- Have you recently referred to all forms of dance music as “techno?”
- Are you unfamiliar with the term b2b?
- Do you think Kaskade invented EDM?
- Are you looking forward to giving the DJ a song request?
- Are you excited to hear DJ Jazzy Jeff play, ‘Summertime?’
- Is this or this the only reason you even know who Diplo is?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you’re a noob. You will want to follow the tips highlighted in green. Break out the scratch pad young buck and start taking notes.
If you’re still not 100% sure, here’s a short video which should fist-pump your brain into certainty.
If you relate to the person in this video in any way, shape, or form, you sir (or madam) are a bro. You’ll want to follow the tips highlighted in orange. Dust off that bro tank soldier, it’s time to get, “lit!”
Pre-Event Prep
The first step to killing it at Global, or at any festival for that matter, is to prepare for the insanity ahead. Depending on your situation, you may want to start this process several days before the event. The last thing you’ll want to do is scramble around the day of the show trying to figure things out. The gates pop at 3pm with closing sets starting at 10pm each night. Out-of-towners beware: liquor stores close at midnight across the state. with last call coming at 2 am at all bars. There’s a lot to consider, so it’s always best to knock out the finite details ahead of time. Here are some things to think about.
Lodging
Downtown Denver boasts a robust system of hotels, motels, and hostels. This is great especially if you’re coming from out of town. Although if you plan on going extra hard, it’s probably wise to lock in a room close to the venue so you can avoid long drives to and from the stadium, traffic, parking, and the risk of getting a DUI. Go here for an exhaustive list of accommodations in the area.
There’s a cluster of hotels within a mile of Broncos Stadium. That’s just a 15 minute walk from the venue! This is the perfect set up for pregame activities with plenty of food options nearby. Furthermore, you’ll be just minutes from downtown so getting to the afterparties will be cake. Accordingly, there’ll be higher than usual prices for hotels this time of year. However, this cluster of hotels is priced reasonably in the $130-$180/night range. That’s chump change when split up among a group of friends. Click here to see what’s available.
Option one: The only way to truly bro-out like a boss is with a luxury suite. It’s perfect for pre- and post-GDF shenanigans. Additionally, there’s plenty of space to just pass out anywhere in the room Hangover style. Real bros don’t need beds. You’ll really be killing it by booking the Four Seasons Denver. Peep the options here. Then, grab your dad’s American Express and swipe away! Oh, and option two: There’s always plenty of space in your mother’s basement, bro.
Supplies
Get ready for two long days in the hot sun, two days of pregaming, and multiple afterparty options. And don’t forget all the things you’ll burn through at the show. There’s quite a few things you’ll want to stock up on. For instance, every standard outdoor festival kit should come with the following: gum, chap-stick, smokes, sun screen, lighters, snacks, aspirin, eye drops, lozenges, sunglasses, ponchos, beer, liquor, chasers/soft drinks, and plenty of water.
Besides that, don’t forget about things such as a boom box, device chargers, and extra shoes/clothing. Likely you or someone in your crew already has all or most of these items. If not, making a quick stop at a local retail store should be atop your pre-event planning checklist.
Festakits puts together prepackaged kits perfect for any festival occasion. Noobs should go here to see what they offer!
Check out this footage of festival bros in their natural environment. Every true bro-kit should include all of the items seen here. Also, grab several cases of Keystone Light, Axe Body Spray, Monster Energy Drink, and condoms (there’s always hope brah!)
Navigating Global Dance Festival
After thoroughly gearing up for the event, the next step to killing at GDF is to plan out your time at the party. The biggest things to consider here are things like food, rides, attractions, and chill time. Sections 6 and 8 should cover all of this for you. This is perfect as it falls in the center of everything. It gives you easy access from anywhere in the festival and will always be easy to find.
Consider choosing a landmark somewhere in section 6 as the meeting spot for the crew. Noobs getting lost or separated should remember to head to the meeting point to find everyone. Moreover, this area will generally be less chaotic and congested.
Bros only travel in packs. Whether it’s a bathroom break, a puke session, or “cruising for honeys,” bros never separate. Meeting points should be of little concern to you. Focus on section 7 (VIP Village) and section 8 for bars. Easily, they’re the prime spots for ‘killing it’ with the ladies.
The Sets
Sections 1-5 are your stages. Global Dance and AEG locked in a stellar lineup in typical fashion! There’re dozens of fire sets on deck on both days across all the stages. Section 4 (Summit) is of course the main stage. this is where you’ll catch Kaskade, Diplo, BTSM, Galantis, Illenium, and Excision.
The major issue, however, is that the other 4 stages each have sick lineups as well. In particular, the Monstercat stage (Section 2, day 2 only) boasts a nasty lineup, start to finish. You could park yourself there, but you’ll miss Joyride, Green Velvet, Chase & Status, and Chris Lake at the other stages. That’s not exactly killing it. Although organizers did their best to stagger some of the set times, only so much could be done. Thus, the best course of action is to first figure out who you have to see. Then, plan the rest of the day around that. The map in conjunction with the set list should make this a breeze.
Planning It All Out
As a noob, you’ll want to get a good mixture of big names and mid-level talent. Certainly, the quickest way to de-noob yourself is to immerse oneself in the music and the people. Remember this is a festival with some of the biggest DJ’s in the game. Posting up in one spot all night only leads to redundancy. Every headlining set is going to be comprised of the same chart-topping mainstream songs. This is what’s known as festival EDM. Unless you aspire to bro-dom, avoid falling into this trap.
Consider using Day 1 for headliners and and Day 2 for mid-level. Or, perhaps, attack the lineup by camping out during the day and roaming at night. Truly, the options are endless. Check out all the stages and mingle with the crowds. Don’t skip the silent disco either. It’s loaded with Denver’s best local artists! They always go super-deep into the crate to deliver unique and eclectic sets. Follow these tips noob and you’ll be on the fast track to killing it.
Day 1: Section 4, front-and-center. That is all. El-bro your way to the front if you have to. Be sure to establish dominance over the other bro cliques in the area immediately. Day 2: Hydrate, rally, repeat.
After Parties
The only major drawback from Global Dance Festival is the early 11pm end time. For many of us, this is when the night is just getting started. On the other hand, logistics likely went into the decisions regarding the festival hours. Denver’s nightlife scene is as vibrant as ever. Combine that with sporting events and other attractions in the area and you end up with a traffic nightmare. Therefore, getting people out of the area quickly is not such a bad idea. On the bright side too, this opens up the chance for area crews to cash in on after parties. Hence, if you’re serious about killing it during Global week then you won’t dare let the night end for you at 11. Look here for the official after parties associated with Global Dance Festival.
You’ve made it this far, noob! Don’t get burned out yet. The official afterparties should be awesome. Plus, they feature some of the headliners from the festival. However, they could be pricey and crowded. Another thing to think about is the likely 2 am end time. You may want to consider hitting up one of the all night after parties. Prices may be much more reasonable and these events usually have a professional yet laid-back atmosphere. If you are hell-bent on killing it, the underground is the way to go. Check out the events listed here for the underground after parties going down in the area.
Go Home Bro, You’re Drunk
If you’re hunting for an after party, you probably failed to score at the festival. At this point, you should seriously consider taking off the trucker hat and calling it a night. Here’s why:
- One of the bros is probably bordering on alcohol poisoning and needs medical attention.
- One of the bros got in a fight and got ejected from the festival hours ago yet no one has heard from him.
- The remaining bros clearly have no game and their presence would only ruin the girl/guy ratio of the after party. No one likes a sausage fest, bro.
Besides, you probably need to get your mom’s mini van home, right?
Good luck, and have fun!
In short, no matter what you do during Global week, you’ll want to remember one thing- don’t sweat the small stuff! Whether or not you are actually killing it this weekend truly depends on your own perspective. No guide can choose what makes you happy for you. This is the case regardless if you’re a noob or a bro. Nevertheless, use this tool to help take the stress out of the planning process. Above all, have fun!