The ABGT Weekender is sadly over, it’s been a few days since I’ve returned to Texas and the Anjunablues are severe! To say this festival was amazing or extraordinary would be selling it short. This festival was life-altering. The ABGT Weekender wasn’t just a regular EDM festival it was a family reunion. A coming together of Anjunafam from across the world for a weekend of music, dancing and living as one underneath the Washington sky.
Above & Beyond and everyone at Anjuna HQ did an outstanding job organizing this massive event. There weren’t just the main shows on Saturday and Sunday. There was a Silent Disco on Friday and campground popup sets throughout the weekend. There were daytime activities such as Daybreaker Yoga, Artist meet and greets and “A State of Anjuna”, where you could share your ideas for the community. Everything was planned out perfectly for you to be able to enjoy yourself for a weekend of pure bliss.
I attended ABGT250 and did Oasis camping and this year we decided to do the same, and this time around Oasis was totally upgraded! I can not express enough how friendly the staff was and how helpful they were with anything we needed. We drove in on Friday afternoon and after we set up our tent, boy were we in for a treat. Josh Gabriel and Sub Teal performed an acoustic set in the Oasis Lounge area at sunset. This felt like a surreal event; surrounded by nature, lounging in the grass and taking in this amazing show.
We soon made our way into the venue and took in the layout of what’s to come for the next few days. There were art installations and lounge areas, and plenty of space to relax under the bright beautiful moon. The silent disco was packed and the party inside the Meadow Area was bumpin. We made the trek to the Premiere camping area where the popup sets were going on and there were parties on top of parties!
I started Saturday with Daybreaker Yoga in the Meadow Tent. To be able to stretch your tired muscles and get ready for a hectic day was just what I needed. Once the music started, that’s when it really got crazy. Every set was phenomenal and to be able to take it all in with The Gorge’s astonishing landscape was really a sight to behold. A few of my Saturday favorites were definitely Gabriel and Dresden, Andrew Bayer, Ilan Bluestone and of course Above & Beyond. Hearing Above & Beyond play Flying by Candlelight was soul-stirring but there were so many favorites throughout their two-hour set, far too many to name. Saturday was perfect but we still had one more day!
Sunday started out with a special Above & Beyond yoga set performed by Paavo and lead by famous yogi Elena Brower. I was not going to miss this! I didn’t make the ABGT250 Sunday session and regretted it ever since and to have another chance at it was unbelievable. Elena was so inspirational, spiritual, and positive that she brought me to tears several times. This set moved me. I was also able to meet Paavo after Yoga and I was ecstatic.
The remainder of the day, my group and I chilled in the lawn area and took in the sunshine and wonderful vibes that only the Anjunafam can provide. Sunday’s Anjunadeep performances set the tone for a flawless day. As the sunset over the magnificent Gorge, and James Grant and Jody Wisternoff were performing, life felt like it couldn’t get any better. Then Luttrell and later Yotto brought the place down with their impressive sets. When Yotto Played “Rhythm of the Night”, you could feel the pure excitement in the air and the place erupted with dancing.
At the end of the night Tony from Above & Beyond announced that this is not an end to the ABGT Weekender, we have another one to look forward to in 2021. So, start saving my friends, another Anjuna reunion is just around the corner. The Gorge was closing but that didn’t mean the party was over, it moved to the campgrounds for the popup sets that took us into the next morning.
Not only was this a weekend to remember but this event brought our friends closer and allowed us to make new ones. We came to the realization that a lot of us either met at ABGT250 or right afterward through Anjunafamily Worldwide. To have a community like Anjuna is something special and everyone that is a part of it knows we are all connected and no matter where we are, We Are AnjunaFamily.
*Featured Photo | Via @alivecoverage*
