The second annual Regenerate Festival, produced by AEG Presents and 128 Productions, returned with a two day EDM extravaganza at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. Held June 7-8, the 2024 edition delivered an unparalleled lineup featuring Electronic music’s finest, including everyone’s favorite accountant, John Summit, the legendary Eric Prydz, Purple Disco Machine, Disco Lines, Gorgon City, Ben Böhmer, and many more.
Established as Denver’s premier House and Techno-focused festival, Regenerate has blossomed into the Mile High City’s largest electronic music gathering. Boasting three distinct stages, the atmosphere of the lush park meshed perfectly with the backdrop of the Colorado State Capitol for a celebratory and electrifying experience. In addition to headlining acts, the festival showcased a diverse array of talent, including Agents of Time (my favorite set of the festival), Ayybo, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Kasablanca, Layton Giordani, Marsh, Miane, Nimino, Qrion, TDJ, Adam Stark, and Torren Foot.
At City Hall stage, the headlining acts were backlit with the spectacle of Denver’s Greek Revival City and County Building, which was purposely built to preserve the view of the front range mountains. A gorgeous sunset was the free light show; on stage, the acts were accompanied by pyro, smoke machines, lasers, and the occasional fireworks display. The bass was loud and the attendees at the upscale gala being held at the Art Museum across the street were probably less than thrilled with the rave going on next door, but them’s the breaks when the city decides to allow multipurpose use in the same district. To Denver’s credit, the restoration of Civic Center Park has been priority since COVID essentially turned it into a wasteland, so seeing life breathed back into the grounds does give you hope for the future of downtown.
The Greek Theatre is where I had the privilege of seeing Eric Prydz lay down IMHO one of the best sets of his career, full of deep cuts and IDs. Even when reduced to a secondary stage, the man takes you on a journey that makes you forget the time, place, and location and all that matters is that you’re dancing and it feels right. The crowd was respectful at this stage and the eerie environment of the crescent-shaped amphitheater at dusk-to-night transported you to another world.
The third stage was the Secret Garden, where just one week earlier I spent most of my time at the Outside Festival (shoutout to the Purina Incredible Dog Experience). At Regenerate, the grassy knoll was the intimate setting for Denver’s impressive class of local DJs — AMBA, Bodega Cats, IIVX, Josh Fedz, Lorely Mur, Pandorah, Paradime, RC3, SISS, Sonrizas, Sparkle, and Wessyde — who keep the scene going even when the headliners fly over us on their way to Los Angeles.
Because it’s Colorado, temperatures were hot in the sun, yet cool in the shade, with relief at night and an ever-present threat of unpredictable storms. There was a brief sprinkle of rain on Day 1 and the wind was intense for a period on Day 2, but overall the weather held up and you couldn’t ask for much more. As with all festivals, lines for the bar and food trucks were long but cleared out as the big names took to their individual stages. Alcoholic drinks were up to $17 but my $8 mocktail was more than enough to keep me hydrated through the day. Ending at 10 PM due to the public park’s curfew, the night was young for attendees as they headed off on Lime scooters and ride shares to continue the party.
Regenerate Festival solidified its place as a cornerstone of Denver’s vibrant Electronic music scene, leaving attendees hopeful for its return next year. Stay up-to-date at regeneratedenver.com.
Photos courtesy of Regenerate Festival and 128 Productions.
