Imagine Music Festival '16 Recap

The third annual Imagine Music Festival, presented by IRIS Presents, took place August 26-28 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Catering to 45,000 music fans, this innovative festival production wowed all who entered the space.  Continuing with the magical aquatic theme, IMF meshed together several elements to create one unforgettable EDM playground.  For the first time, IMF added camping as an option and moved to the incredibly spacious Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Here are the top three things we loved about this year's Imagine Music Festival.




#1.  The Magic

There are hundreds of music festivals held in the U.S. each year, making it tough to stand out and be unique. IMF had no issue solving this dilemma.  By paying attention to detail and visualizing the experience through the eye of the fans, Imagine truly created a scene for just that: imagining.  When entering the speedway, the attendees were hit with a vibrant scene: amusement rides, flashing stage lights, booming beats, and sparkling costumes.

With the new spatial freedom provided by the Atlanta Motor Speedway, IMF added a brightly flashing ferris wheel and a swing ride carousel.  Partaking in this fun could only send attendees back to their childhood, feeling young and free.

Also adding to the feeling of freedom, IMF provided a break from the extreme heat with an enticing and refreshing wading pool.  Here, Imaginers could play ball, cool-off, and hang with friends between sets. Continuing with the water theme, a  bouncy water slide was also widely used near the Amazonia stage.  Each of these elements added both fun and much needed heat relief.

#2.  The Essentials

This was a brand new year for IMF, with a bigger and better mentality all around.  Included in this thinking was the opportunity to camp for the first time.  Imagine did an amazing job of providing safe, clean, and comfortable camping.  Some of the perks included were free showers, air conditioned bathrooms, and consistently cleaned portable bathrooms.  Everyone who camps regularly knows, it's the little things that matter and the words "air conditioned" and "clean" go a long way when living the festival life.

Inside the Speedway, IMF also paid special attention to meeting peoples' essential needs.  Misting tents were provided throughout the grounds and a chill room was available for cooling off at any time. These are small perks that mean a lot when sitting in the heat all day.  Once again, well-done, Imagine.

#3.  The Music

Save the best for last, right?  No music festival is complete without a stellar lineup and IMF did not disappoint in this department either, bringing in headliners like Dillon Francis, Zed's Dead and Excision.  No headliner can perform to his true potential without proper staging and Imagine really expanded on that this year, making the stages ornate, bright, and loud enough to be heard 30 miles away, literally.  Fans had 7 stages to choose from, ranging in size and decoration, but each one brought a clean sound quality and visuals to make anyone's eyes and ears pop.

The two main stages, Oceania and Amazonia, had grand scale on their side, but the smaller stages were each impressive in their own way.  The Disco Inferno possessed a futuristic feel with a steel globe that shot fire, surrounded by LED screens blinking various shapes and designs.  This is where DJ Hanzel went Von Deeper, making his first festival appearance that drew in a large crowd with his raging beats and comedic tone.  SNBRN was also a stand-out on this stage, inducing a joyful dance party with fans donning dolphin floaties, mermaid tales, and foam shark heads.


The Amazonia stage housed several jam bands and brought on the funk both Saturday and Sunday.  While there were an abundance of notable artists to grace this stage, the strongest performances came from Break Science, OPIUO, and of course, Gramatik.  Each of these artists combined just the right amount of bass, lights, and mind-blowing visuals to keep everyone enthralled and dancing.

Practically every show at the main Oceania stage was unforgettable.  IMF did not hold back on making this stage a true spectacle.  On Friday, SNAILS killed his set, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend.  Dillon Francis and Zed's Dead went back to back on Saturday, making for two hours of delightfully intense beats.  They took the audience on a fierce roller coaster ride of classic favorites, pulsating tempos, and a visual performance created with a sole purpose of blowing minds.  No one can throw down harder than Excision, making for the perfect closer of the festival.  Complete with head-banging beats, perfectly timed fireworks, and flashing visuals, Imagine Music Festival 2016 came to a close.



After two successful years of being a smaller festival, there were some concerns about IMF growing up too much.  Why mess with a formula that works?  Clearly, the great minds behind Imagine new exactly what they were doing.  From comfortable camping, to the stellar lineup, to the unforgettable stages, IMF '16 was definitely a success.  So, what will IMF come up with for next year?  We can only imagine. 

*Photo credit for photos 1-5:
http://www.alexgperez.com/

Imagine Music Festival Drops Phase 1 Lineup

Already earning considerable buzz after adding camping to its offerings in 2016, Imagine is continuing the momentum with what promises to be the best lineup yet, including:  Benny Benassi; Borgore; Dillon Francis; Excision; Nero; Showtek; Zeds Dead; 3LAU, 12th Planet; AK1200; Aphrodite; Beats Antique; Black Tiger Sex Machine; Bleep Bloop; The Bloody Beetroots (SBCR DJ set); Borgeous; Break Science; Buku; Caspa B2B Rusko; CAZZETTE; Champagne Drip; Corin Roddick of Purity Ring DJ set; Cosmic Gate; Delta Heavy; Dirtyphonics; Dirty South; Doctor P; Drumsound & Baseline Smith; EDX; Eoto; Funtcase B2B Cookie Monsta; G Jones; Grantheft; Herobust; Ill Gates vs KJ Sawka; Liquid Stranger; Lotus; Michel Minert & The Pretty Fantastics; Moon Hooch; Opiou; Pantyraid; Pendulum DJ set & Verse; Phutureprimitive; The Polish Ambassador; Space Jesus and Terravita. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We were really happy with the lineup from last year, but the first phase of 2016 has us over the moon," says Iris Presents founders Glenn and Madeleine Goodhand. “We constantly challenge ourselves to bring something even better, and this year's challenge was well worth it. "

As one of the country’s last remaining independent festivals, Imagine is an all-encompassing, 360-degree sensory experience that blends music, circus troupes, performers, dancers, art, workshops, classes and more. The festival will continue to build on its immersive aquatic fairytale with an abundance of performers, live acts, unique atmospheres, vendors and The Imaginarium’s variety of sacred teachings, ceremonies, and transformational workshops. Welcoming close to 26,000 attendees in 2015 from across the country, Imagine is poised to join the ranks of some of EDM’s biggest and best, which will be further underscored when the venue is released in the coming weeks.

Tickets are available now starting at $169 for a 3-day pass. VIP passes, with front row pit access, elevated viewing area, VIP (no line) access, air conditioned chill lounge, bottle service, cocktail service, complimentary champagne toasts, private security, clean trailer bathrooms with running water and air conditioning, giveaways, meet and greets, and more are available starting at $299 for a 3-day pass. Camping passes are now available to purchase as an add-on to the festival tickets, with prices starting at $69. Four camping packages available including GA Camping, VIP Camping, GA RV Camping and VIP RV Camping.  Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.

 

Imagine Music Festival is produced by Iris Presents. Visit www.imaginefestival.com for the most up-to-date information. Stay connected on Twitter at www.twitter.com/imaginemusicfes and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/imaginemusicfestival.