Global Dance Festival 2021: The Name's Global for a Reason [REVIEW + PHOTOS]
BY MATTHEW DEMARKO AND ELIZABETH WINDHAM
Atlanta EDM went to Global Dance Festival in Denver, CO. Why? Because with the soul-crushing cancellation of festivals and events last year we now realize the precious gift of live music. With a giant question mark still hanging over the rest of the year, it feels important to take advantage of all the festival love that we can. And thus we were off.
With a name like Global Dance, expectations were high. As we explored a little bit of Denver, spoke with local EDM fans, and paid attention to the numerous posters announcing what seems like an unfathomable amount of musical choices, we began to realize the music scene of Denver, CO runs deep.
In fact, Denver was a vortex of music lovers that weekend, as fans from all over the country (including a large Atlanta contingent) descended not only for Global Dance but also STS9 at Red Rocks. Denver is a city that can handle multiple festivals at once.
As we approached, the hosting stadium appeared in the background, casting an epic Coliseum shadow over the official festival field. Entering, we were met with a unique festival full of heart and packed to the freaking gills with stages everywhere.
I’ll write this without exaggeration: the entrance to Global Dance was the most welcoming and wild walkthrough I’ve seen in 10 years. The gates itself weren’t the exciting part; it was the seemingly never ending number of eccentric troupes that came to frolic and play, getting everybody in the spirit. They were like human tequila shots the second a guest was scanned in.
Having interactive, costumed and photogenic characters isn’t a new concept. But these squads were world class (Global-class?) At first we thought it might just be a troupe of cute hopping deer-ladies. But then the Golden Goddesses showed up. Followed by the Blue Mermaids. Willing to trade Kandi with everyone, the Hippies were next. Then stilted foxes lumbered into the entrance. And last but not least, it was the Circus of Clowns, with their noisemakers, bubble guns, painted faces and “missing” teeth, all smiles and fun.
After forming a virtual tunnel for the guests to glide down, the clowns proceeded to “bubble check” anyone and everyone. It was madness. It was hilarious. It was contagious. Their ornery attitude set the stage for a day of debauchery, rippling through those entering the festival realm.
Once drenched in bubbles, you could proceed down to the main center field. From here, stretching out in most directions, there was a different stage with a different genre for everyone, five stages in total. Lining the courtyard was merch, food trucks, a meet-and-greet tent, and a (temporary) tattoo parlow.
Within the courtyard itself, perfectly springy green grass provided a restful mattress for those with weary legs. And adorning the courtyard were giant fire-breathing metal spikes, reflective massive LED dandelions, and the classic dragon-fly copters. Selfie central.
Four of the five stages were covered, a preventative measure we’d guess was taken after some disastrous weather in 2019. But with 95 degree days, tents were a welcome reprieve from the mile-high proximity we had to the blazing sun.
The loudest and closest stage was the biggest tent: the Northern Lights stage. If music were a magnet, you were immediately drawn here upon entering the festival. It’s bass rumbled your curiosity every step after the main entrance and well into the courtyard.
This was the home of head-bangers and dubstep dreamers. What it lacked in decor it made up for in voltage. The music was the standout attraction here, hosting heavy hitters like Midnight Tyrannosaurus, Zomboy, Getter, Doctor P b2b Funtcase, and an INSANE set from Decadon.
For that last set especially, we were reminded of Heaven at the old Masquerade, insanely sweaty, ratchet, and wild. Precisely the type of magic a festival should gift us.
Walking out of the Northern Lights Stage another tent probably met your eye, and curiosity surely pulled you to the back left of the festival: the Tundra Stage. Host to the wookiest and weirdest music all weekend, this stage was adorned with floating spiky inflatables, resembling anti-submarine mines. Fun and funky, this stage hosted names like Smoakland, Luzcid, Yheti, and Mersiv.
When you were properly warped, it’d be time to leave and go back around to the main courtyard. Passing this way you’d happen upon the VIP entrance, inviting guests in with a whole new host of decorations, the biggest bar at the festival, and honest-to-god comfortable couches!
Kudos to Global Dance for making the VIP so affordable - it only cost $50 for a VIP upgrade, and never have we seen it so worth it. Their clamshell style loungers stole the show, but everything from the couches to the beanbags offered a level of relaxation we found novel for a festival.
But it wasn’t strange to find people still lounging in that sweet, sweet green grass again. We came to relax here OFTEN. You actually felt very important there, basking under the sparkling neon trees or hanging mirror stars. Each time, we’d find more and more happy customers rotating around the space. Also surprising was the unpretentious attitude that pervaded the VIP area, most likely because of its affordable rate. Well. Done.
After restocking your beverages and taking a break from being so vertical, walking out of VIP you’d be beckoned by the site of some classic carnival rides. Elastic trampoline jumps, merry-go-rounds, rock climbing and bull riding were surprisingly free, and an ecstatic addition to the festival right next to the main stage.
Lines never got very long, but the wait was incredibly entertaining watching all the costumes take their turn at having a fearless stomach.
Maybe at this time a tent wouldn’t be enough to cool you down from all that activity. That’d be the perfect time to head across the festival to the Silent Disco. This stage was creatively housed inside the Denver Stadium, making you feel like the festival athlete you are when you walked down through the corridor.
Once inside, the trippiest visuals of the fest were there to greet you (and the coolest air). Perhaps Silent Disco’s routinely do 3 DJ’s at once now - I remember most being two. Regardless, there was a plethora of music to enjoy, and a bar to help that cool down get even cooler.
Back out into the courtyard, you probably couldn’t help but take more pictures somewhere. The aforementioned Dandelions were a major hit, complete with many well-dressed girlfriends telling their boyfriends to get lower to capture it all.
The amount of people also just chilling in the grass here gave it a peaceful picnic vibe (considering the madness brewing around). For an urban festival that was mostly on concrete, the manicured lawn was a beautiful contributor to the heart of the festival.
Another fun surprise we stumbled upon in the courtyard was the Bass Capital Meetup, hosted by Friskyhug and Kandi Diva. This bunch of well dressed and perfectly misbehaved ravers captured our hearts quickly with their energy and passion for the scene. From their outfits to pervasive gratitude and embodiment of PLUR, we’ll be excited to run into these hooligans at Imagine Festival in Atlanta.
From here, you’d probably want to go to the main stage, but the Amazon Stage would most likely ensnare you first.
With its incredible array of vines and jungle flowers that actually spit out confetti pollen on the crowd, this aesthetically pleasing stage filled up quickly, and was the home of House for the weekend. Artists like John Summit, Claude Vonstroke, Green Velvet and Claptone got down in this jungle.
When you just couldn’t hold out any longer, the main stage, Summit Stage, called you in. The largest stage by a long shot, it stretched the full length of the festival grounds on the right hand side. The only open-air stage, it was lined with cabanas on the left side and a Ferris wheel at the back. This stage was hot all day and night, inviting crews from the beginning hours to sit on the rail till the headliners at night.
The famous troupe of dancers made a perpetual return on the wings of the stage here, dancing just as hard as anyone in the crowd.
This stage also held the other gem of a VIP upgrade: the VIP pit. Sizeable enough to still dance in when it was packed, this view of the main stage was the best seat in the house.
See the first ever Illenium b2b Said the Sky b2b Dabin from 4 rows back? Check. Follow that up with Kaskade? Wow. Next night do the same with Tiesto throwing down a widely eclectic set, and finishing it all off with Excision. Damn, that does feel Global.
For those unable or unwilling to buy tickets, locals lined the bridge at the back of the festival next to the Ferris wheel. It was an incredibly entertaining site to look back and see the light dancing across all their stunned faces.
Coming from the Southeast to Denver’s music scene was a natural transition. They get down, they vibe. They live in a state where weed is legal for heaven’s sake. This scene is impressive. Lining all the fences were aesthetic billboards for other upcoming Global Dance shows and experiences. For a scene that houses Red Rocks, it shouldn’t have surprised us how natural a fit the festival was. Now that this year’s festival has wrapped, we can’t wait to get Global again.
