Sunset Music Festival Turned Up the Heat

This past weekend Sunset Music Festival made its 8th annual appearance in Tampa, Florida. The two-day festival’s mix of electronic genres including bass, house, and dubstep attracted people from all over the country to Raymond James Stadium. Here, sunsetters shuffled, hula hooped, headbanged, and grew their love for the production of electronic dance music.

The set up featured three stages spaced out in the shape of a right angle, making it easy to navigate from stage to stage. Attendees had no trouble maneuvering around quickly to catch all the artists they came to see. The close-knit atmosphere created a sense of intimacy among the crowd.

Producers including 4B, Droloe, Destructo, Alison Wonderland and Ganja White Night were some of the sets we found ourselves grooving to at the Sunset Stage. It was located just to the left of the festival gates, not letting us waste any time to get right where we needed to be. Acting as the festival’s mainstage, it showcased a broad scope of talents and musical styles.  

The bass stage, known as the Eclipse Stage generally played heavy, bass-infused sets.  Appearances by artists such as 12th Planet, Zeds Dead, Blunts and Blondes and Liquid Stranger attracted massive crowds. The stage resembled the shape of an arch with four layers of screens. Although temperatures reached the upper 90s, there was always someone spraying water onto the crowd to keep it cool. Sunsetters found it hard to overheat when the festival took extra steps like this to keep its attendees safe.

The third stage, the Horizon Stage primarily played house music. With producers like Walker and Royce, Chris Lake, and Omnom, attendees could definitely bust a move at this stage. If shuffling in the blazing sun got too difficult, all we had to do was take cover under the big colorful tent. In fact, every stage featured at least one of these vibrant tents for attendees to seek shelter and cool off for a bit.

All stages were conveniently located by water stations as well. There were also three water stations located in the vendor area, right in the middle of the festival grounds. We never ran into any trouble staying hydrated. If the shade and the water just wasn’t doing it, SMF offered two cooldown areas equipped with air conditioning. These closed tents also provided space for rising artists to show off their skills. Attendees could take a break from the heat while still experiencing the wubs – a total win-win if you ask us. Last but not least, Redbull hosted a cooldown pool area, with a bar, patio and fake pools filled with giant floaties and beach chairs. What could really top a musical festival styled like a tropical vacation?

If you missed out on SMF this year, it’s definitely worth adding to your list of events for next year. Any raver would’ve appreciated the incredible talent and care put into the production of this hot, Memorial Day weekend festival. We’re stoked to say we were a part of this year’s madness.