Take me back to spooky season’s favorite Halloween festival, Insomniac’s Escape: Psycho Circus. Just a few short weeks ago many of the ghouls and goblins of Southern California and beyond gathered to rage in fear. From dusk until dawn, we all partied and danced until the music was gone and we all transformed into the zombies we had become. The spirits were high with the many changes implemented by CEO and Founder Pasquale Rotella including Insomniac’s largest megastructure, The Grimm, as well as Crazytown and named roads to navigate. Such additions led it to become a highly anticipated event, the question is: Was it what we thought it would be? In addition, it’s clear most of us attend for the continuously outrageous lineups however, did you know there is plenty more to do than just ride the rail?
The Changes
I swear each Insomniac festival I go to, they get bigger and more extravagant. Part of the change is the team listening to Headliners’ requests and desires. This year at Escape they added named roads to aid in navigation. I have to say that although there was a large sea of people, walking through Haunted Hay Road, Boulevard of Bones and Inferno Avenue completed helped! Last year there was the Asylum which was a huge haunted house. This year there was the addition of CrazyTown which had a great deal to offer. It had everything from silent discos, some that were even hidden in haunted house buildings, as well as a circus tent filled with all types of shows you could catch- There were even fortune-tellers and swings.
The VIP
I hear Headliners asking all the time whether or not the VIP tickets are with their price. Honestly, for Escape: Psycho Circus they absolutely are. There are so many benefits to go over including the designated dancing areas where you can get up close but not be suffocated in a huge crowd. Also the separate bar areas and luxury food trucks. If you’re not hungry enough to get something at the truck, they had many complimentary snacks like popcorn and candies! If you’re someone that likes to take a break from dancing, the complimentary hookah and couches are a great place to hang out! My favorite part of the VIP was the super fun scavenger hunt that they hosted. There were seven photo ops that represented the seven deadly sins. You had to take a picture with each one of them and they gave you a little necklace prize! Oh, don’t forget the makeup bar where the Lunatics team would spruce you up for the night!
The Music
Like I mentioned above, a lot of the reason we continue to come to each event is because of the insanely talented artists that grace the stage. Day one and day two were both packed with heavy hitters and delicate combination of veterans and newbies. When I first walked in on Friday I walked directly to the new main stage which is was the largest megastructure that Insomniac has created. Not only was The Grimm huge, but it also had moving arms and an extremely sick stage presence. The first set I caught was Duke Dumont who opened with “Red Light, Green Light”. I kid you not, that set the tone for the weekend. It was absolutely amazing and my favorite set of the night. I closed it out with deadmau5, who is a legend and always a great show. Day two was a night I had waited for forever. San Holo is one of my favorite artists I have discovered in 2019. I finally was able to see him perform live on a big stage and it was 100% worth the wait! He brought out What So Not and played their unreleased song! I had a different approach when it came to the closing sets. I decided to check out every single one! It was a lot of walking but again, it was completely worth it! I spent a lot of time at the techno and house sets this weekend but RL Grime killed it and was my favorite way the end the weekend.
Overall the changes, music, and other activities were so on point. The tickets for Escape: Psycho Circus 2020 are available for purchase now! Jump on it now so that you have smaller payments that do not even start until January.
*Featured Image Via Alex Estrada*
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