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TomorrowWorld 2015
TommorrowWorld 2015
TomorrowWorld 2015
TomorrowWorld 2015
Felix Jaehn at TomorrowWorld 2015

Tackling the Mud at TomorrowWorld 2015 by GypSeaLemonade

Year three of TomorrowWorld has come to an end. This magical festival, which originated as TomorrowLand in Belgium, attracted 140,000 attendees in 2013, 160,000 in 2014, and presumably even more this year, as electronic music lovers from all over the world swarmed the woods of rural Georgia for a long weekend of dancing and revelry. It is held in the deep hills of Chattahoochee, Georgia on 8,000 acres of usually stunning farmland. This year, however, Mother Nature had different plans; three straight days of rain turned the festival grounds into a giant mud pit.

The festival this year featured over 200 artists across 7 stages that are produced like no other festival we have ever seen. Even though it was a mud pile this year, the production on display at this festival never ceases to amaze me. The attention to detail that designers put into the building of the stages really comes to life. One stage was placed atop a boat that anchored on the shore of a lake on the festival grounds. Another, the Mythical Frames stage, was composed of several gigantic mirrors in the background that display the unique visuals of each performer occupying the stage. The Grand Theatre, the smallest stage, was tucked into the trees with new artists, and made us want to stay dancing there forever. The Main Stage is always a spectacle to behold, towering into the air and adorned with a giant, speaking animatronic face, a rotating watermill, performers bouncing on trampolines, and choreographed fireworks that are shot off of the top of the structure to the tune of your favorite EDM drop. Every year the theme of the festival changes, and the theme of the Main Stage changes with it; this year it was a keyhole to be unlocked, last year a giant volcano, and the year prior a massive book with turning pages. Say what you will about the originality and spontaneity of the performers who graced the Main Stage, but TomorrowWorld is second to none when it comes over-the-top production quality.

TommorrowWorld is America’s most highly trafficked live streaming event (23 M viewers, 2014) and most popular U.S. festival on Facebook (6.5 M + likes). It attracts people from all 50 states and 75 + countries. In 2014 it brought an economic boon of $94 Million (!) to the state of Georgia. As we know, and as you may have read, this year left a lot to be desired in terms on safety, comfort, and logistics (to say the least).

We are writing based on our experience as campers in Dreamville, and even though we were camping in straight-up mud and water for the past four days, we had an absolute blast. We were there for the music and for the people that we camped and danced with, whether it was old friends or new, we were all there for the music. On those terms, it was as magical as it always is. We tackled the mud and embraced the rain as the excitement of the festival took our minds off of the weather.

The spectacle of the Main Stage is, of course, a huge trademark of the TomorrowWorld, but the real magic was on the other, smaller stages where festival goers discovered new artists and music. Here, the artists are not bound to the choreographed absurdity of the Main Stage or the expectations of 50,000+ fans waiting to hear their favorite EDM hit. Sunday was our absolutely favorite day, and incorporated many instrumental sets. Our favorite of the day was Porter Robinson, despite the fact that technical difficulties prevented him from performing his new live show. Left with a crowd of antsy fans waiting to see him perform in the final time slot of the festival, Porter delivered an energetic and hard-hitting DJ set full of favorites and unknowns that left no one in the crowd wanting.

As cheesy as this sounds TomorrowWorld has a way of creating memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. People you didn’t know days prior become best friends, and songs you had never heard before become cherished anthems sure to be left on repeat for the next year. That is the beauty of festivals; everyone is there for the same reason; to create positivity, to forge friendships, and to listen to music that brings thousands of people together. Stay tuned for a special one on one with Felix Jaehn, the producer behind the song of the summer, “Cheerleader.”

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Photo By: Hampton Dunlap

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