Planning a rave can seem overwhelming, but with the right knowledge it can be an amazing experience.
Ravers enjoy EDM events year-round in Southern California, as they take concert-going to the next level and find a sense of community in the inclusive colorful environment.
Electronic dance music (EDM) is a popular genre often intended for dancing and dance clubs. In contrast with common pop music, EDM is characterized by its repetitive synthesized beats. It attracts lovers of funky sounds, artistic festival grounds and best of all, lasers.
Raving has also become a staple weekend event for many UCI students. Its popularity is supported by Irvine’s accessibility to larger hotspot cities. Irvine’s proximity to LA makes it especially easy to enjoy the plentiful opportunities and attractions the city has to offer.
The best way to attend a rave event is to understand what genres of EDM stand out the most according to one’s preference. EDM enjoyers tend to frequent larger festivals that include many different DJ stages, so every attendee has a genre they can enjoy. The most popular genres played at raves are house, dubstep, techno, trance and drum and bass.
All of these genres have their charm, but house music is the most popular EDM genre. Originating from the disco, house tracks back three decades, now commonly found within mainstream music and dance clubs.
Knowing the event’s lineup also assists in choosing the perfect event for each person. Larger raves usually have a variety of popular artists who design the production of each stage with their own personal flare, which makes seeing a favorite artist all that more special.
Larger rave festivals in Southern California are held at different times of the year, and some even celebrate holidays with festive decorations and themes. Many of the popular raves in the area are run, produced and designed by a company called Insomniac.
Insomniac produces fully immersive rave events, festivals and artist appearances. Some of the popular raves UCI students attend in Southern California include Escape Halloween, Countdown, Beyond Wonderland and HARD Summer.
Escape Halloween is the first rave of the school year, held on Halloween night into Nov. 1 at the NOS Event Center. The NOS Event Center is a common spot for Insomniac EDM festivals and is about 52 miles away from the main Irvine campus, making it an easy journey to plan. This spooky rave combines the thrill of haunted house attractions and EDM into a festival themed perfectly for the holiday. Celebrating Halloween is not just for kids to trick or treat — now adults can dress up in their favorite costumes and dance at this rave.
Insomniac also celebrates New Year’s Eve at the NOS Event Center every Dec. 31 at their festival Countdown. Many DJ stages celebrate the new year by displaying a large countdown, striking midnight with their own unique performance.
The NOS Event Center is also home to another popular Insomniac festival, Beyond Wonderland. This year it will be held on March 28 and 29. As the name suggests, the festival is inspired by the classic children’s novel and movie Alice in Wonderland. It even features themed stages like Queens Domain, Mad Hatters Castle, Caterpillars Garden, Cheshire Woods, The Looking Glass and Sea of Wonders.
For those wanting to conclude summer break with a bang, HARD Summer will be hosted this year at Hollywood Park LA on Aug. 2 and 3.
“My favorite event so far was HARD Summer. The production was great, crowds were friendly with good vibes and I went with a good group,” UCI fourth-year history major Greg Telbaum said in an interview with New University.
For ravers interested in smaller crowds, shorter sets and less scheduling, nightclubs offer independent DJ events as an alternative to EDM festivals. At these clubs, it is much easier to see a specific artist of interest and take in the music while making new friends. Some of the popular 21+ clubs in SoCal for EDM are Academy LA, Exchange, Sound Nightclub and Avalon Hollywood.
For a convenient choice, TIME Nightclub is located near campus in Costa Mesa and offers a large selection of DJ appearances. For younger audiences, both The Circle OC and Yost Theater have 18+ EDM events.
While raves tend to gather large crowds, the community is said to be very lively and accepting.
“I appreciate that most people involved with raving are fun to be around and very open,” Telbaum said.
Not only is EDM filled with extravagant festivals, but it has also been proven to be great for mental health. A 2024 study by The Intake even revealed that “more than 1 in 10 [respondents] say EDM is their go-to genre when feeling sad or depressed.”
The rush of emotion that EDM evokes is unlike anything else, facilitating a special community of positive, welcoming attendees.
“The special part about raves is that it’s a getaway, it’s a different world out there,” UCI third-year business administration major Jaihden Torres told New University. Torres has attended rave events for three years. “It puts into perspective that nothing really matters in this world — hating, stressing. Music brings everyone together and those memories you make are priceless.”
For DJ Calvin Scott, “music has been a savior.” It had been Scott’s dream to be a DJ since he was 13 years old and he has now been professionally producing music for five years, even co-producing an album with popular DJ SNBRN for Ultra Records. Scott’s parents met at a festival, and the genre shifted how he was able to grieve and cope with the loss of his mother in 2020.
“Being an artist coming through this industry, it’s all about togetherness, coming together as a whole. It’s family and I think that’s what keeps me in it,” Scott told New University.
Caroline Ambrose is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at carolisa@uci.edu.
Edited by Alaina Retodo