Last weekend, Insomniac’s Escape Halloween took over the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA for another weekend of spine-chilling entertainment. From Friday-Saturday, the event center was transformed into a spooky paradise, filled with thousands of costumed attendees, carnival rides, cabaret performers, magicians, interactive experiences, and of course nonstop music from some of the top artists in EDM. Read on for an in-depth event review!
Top Sets
Ravers from across the nation flock to music festivals for one main reason: the music. Escape’s lineup this year was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Featuring headliners like AFROKI (Afrojack b2b Steve Aoki), Martin Garrix, Don Diablo, and Seven Lions, as well as a plethora of top-tier artists like Wooli, Nina Kraviz, Adventure Club, Ludacris, Fatboy Slim, and more, there’s no arguing Escape 2024 was one for the books.
Some of the standout sets of the weekend, for me, include Kream, the Norwegian DJ/producer duo who are hard to catch stateside, and deadmau5, who never fails to mesmerize with his one-of-a-kind sound and entertaining visuals. Another standout for me was Odd Mob, who has such a knack for keeping the crowd energized and engaged. Also, for the record I want to say I’ve never heard Odd Mob play anything other than house music. Toward the end of his set last weekend, he started throwing down some bass music, covering every genre in its wake. He played out one of his top house tracks, ‘Lose Control,’ followed by several short edits of the same track, including dubstep, drum & bass, and hardstyle. What genre can’t this man master?
Production
All seasoned Escape attendees know the massive, animated main stage design that is The Grimm. The beloved skeleton has been the backdrop of artists like Kaskade, Above & Beyond, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet, and more over the last five years. This year, Insomniac announced 2024 will be the last year for The Grimm. As sad as we are to see it go, we enjoyed its tenure and are excited to see what’s up next for the main stage!
This year saw the relocation of the Sewer District to the racetrack, the first time the racetrack has been utilized at Escape Halloween. I will admit, at first I was skeptical, having seen the racetrack in action at other Insomniac events at NOS like Beyond Wonderland, but the stage production at the Sewer District this year was impressive. The sound was crisp and safe from any sound bleed, and the stage design was next-level, with its visual screens, lighting, pyrotechnics, and overall theme. It was reminiscent of EDC’s Circuit Grounds, with its almost 180-degree immersive experience.
Another change this year was the addition of a brand new stage, The Cauldron, to replace The Sanitarium. Boiler Room made its Escape debut this year, with a two-day takeover for the books.
Amenities
One of the best parts of Escape are the interactive experiences offered throughout the festival grounds each year. Crazy Town, home to the beloved flaming cathedral, The Butcher, and The Poison Ivy Bar, was present again, and was relocated to the center of the festival grounds this year, making it easy to get to as an epicenter for attendees.
Psycho Circus featured a circus tent hosting cabaret acts, magic shows, and other talented performers all weekend long, while the surrounding outside area was inhabited by mystics performing tarot readings, palm readings, and fortune telling. If all that wasn’t enough, festival attendees had a few different carnival rides to choose from and vendor booths to peruse, selling everything from food and drink to merch, clothing, and art. This year also saw the addition of Voodoo Ville, a neon lover’s heaven, filled with everything glow-in-the-dark, art installations, and of course, a DJ.
Insomniac delivered yet another successful Halloween weekend at Escape this year, with the addition of a brand new stage, a larger festival footprint, and the return of the after parties. Already counting down the days until Escape 2025? You’re in luck – tickets are already on sale now! Head on over the the Escape website here to purchase.
Feature Photo By: Jamal Eid