Step Into the Magic of Imagine 2023

This year, Imagine Music Festival took place from September 14-17 at Kingston Downs, Atlanta. To kick things off, Brownies and Lemonade hosted an official pre-party on September 14 which featured exciting sets from ISOXO presents KIDSGONEMAD!, Wavedash, Squired and more. The following three days featured a wide sampling of dance music across 4 stages: Oceania, Aeria, Amazonia, and Disco Inferno.

The Oceania Main Stage featured insane and rare b2b sets such as Dab The Sky, Dillon Francis b2b Knock2, NGHTMRE b2b DIESEL, and Subtronics b2b Ganja White Night, along with other well-known acts such as Chris Lake, Rezz, and Trivecta. The Amazonia stage layout was like that of an amphitheater with plenty of steps to sit and stand. It featured vibey, experimental, and heavier bass music, with acts such as SVDDEN DEATH, Detox Unit, and Big Gigantic. Over on the Disco Inferno Stage, folks shuffled along to John Summit, Kasablanca, Sofi Tukker, and more. The Aeria stage showcased a variety of genres as well as a Monstercat Takeover, with artists such as Crankdat, Shock One, WHIPPED CREAM, Infected Mushrooms, and more.

The festival had great vibes all around. The weather was fairly comfortable as most evenings we were able to keep warm with a light jacket. On Day 1 after checking in, we arrived at the festival grounds to a beautiful, smiling sunset over the rolling green hills and trees. Some of the sets we caught included Trivecta, Subtronics b2b Ganja White Night, and NGHTMRE b2b DIESEL on the Oceania Main Stage, and Kasablanca, Sofi Tukker, and Elderbrook at the Disco Inferno stage. It was during Elderbrook’s set that we got to try Elephant Ears, which is a sweet, savory, doughy, and crispy snack.

On Day 2, we arrived to rain and mud, but that did not stop the party. We kicked off the day catching our friends Sam Wolfe and Max Kim (formerly a DJ duo known as “White on Rice”) throwing it back to their college days for a special b2b. Some of the other highlight sets included Big Gigantic, Dab the Sky, Detox Unit, Slander Presents: Before Dawn, Leah Culver, and again our friends Sam Wolfe and JD Farrell throwing down a b2b with  live violin. After Leah Culver’s stunning hybrid set where she sang, danced, and DJ’ed across various genres, we got to sit down with her, along with Sam Wolfe and JD Farrell, for some interviews.

Day 3 was a relatively chill day for us, and we were met with amazing weather once again, with clear blue skies and cozy, warm sun. Some of the sets that we caught included Nostalgix, ShockOne, and Crankdat at the Aeria Monstercat Takeover stage, SVDDEN DEATH: INTO THE INFERNO at Amazonia, and Dillon Francis b2b Knock2 and Rezz at Oceania. Along the way, we also got to sit down for an interview with Drum and Bass legend ShockOne, who came all the way from Australia and threw down an incredible set consisting mostly of unreleased tracks.

The people were very amicable. Some festival-goers complimented me on my outfit, while others exchanged hugs and gifted stickers and kandi. From dozens of mesmerizing lasers and hypnotic visuals at Rezz’s set, to stunningly trippy visuals at Big Gigantic’s set, the stages themselves featured top-notch production. Additionally, while each of the four stages attracted sizable crowds, we did not feel overcrowded and could easily get in, out, and around to enjoy the sets from various vantage points.

The festival also had several art vendors that sold unique handmade goods like jewelry, shirts, sweaters, hoodies, hats, pins, tapestries, paintings, and more. The event also made sure attendees were well-nourished with various food vendors that sold food like Island Noodles, Fusion hot dogs, chicken teriyaki, and more, even boasting a Celsius stand that handed out these energy-packed drinks for free.