BLOGS

7 min read

13 EDM Festivals in California You Don’t Want to Miss

A crowd of people standing in front of lights.

Photo from the 2021 Beyond Wonderland Photo Gallery

Home » Blog » 13 EDM Festivals in California You Don’t Want to Miss

By Kaitlyn Finley

Blog Writer for Raveraide

Looking for the best EDM festivals in California?

Calling all west coast ravers! Did you know that the state of California is an absolute hot spot for music festivals? From wooking it out in the forest to shuffling all night under the city lights, California has something for everyone.

I was truly blown away while doing research for this list because I had no idea this many festivals were held in California! Thank goodness I don’t live there because my bank account would constantly be in the negatives if I did… If you need new festivals to add to the roster for next season, keep reading to learn more about the best EDM festivals in California!

EDM Festivals in California

1.) Coachella

April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2023 | Empire Polo Club in Indio, California

https://www.coachella.com/

When most people think of California music festivals, Coachella probably comes to mind first. Coachella has been around for almost 24 years and turns the California Desert into an iconic, wild party every April. The lineup is always super diverse and includes the current biggest names in music. One of the coolest things about this festival is that you will most likely see multiple celebrities just hanging around!

2.) Beyond Wonderland

March 24th & 25th, 2023 | National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California

https://socal.beyondwonderland.com/

Beyond Wonderland is the perfect place to live out your Alice in Wonderland fantasy. Held at the NOS Event Center, the energy of this festival is absolutely incredible and will have you second-guessing what dimension you’re in! There’s always a wide variety of music and the selection never disappoints; last year’s lineup included huge names like Seven Lions, Zeds Dead, DJ Snake, DJ Diesel, and so many more.

3.) Lightning in a Bottle

May 24th-29th, 2023 | Buena Vista Lake in Bakersfield, California

https://www.libfestival.org/

Lightning in a Bottle is a five-day camping festival held at a beautiful venue in Buena Vista Lake. This festival is so much more than the music, featuring amazing art, workshops, and interactive areas. The vibe of Lightning in a Bottle is more bass-focused and alternative, so be ready to channel your inner wook.

4.) Escape Halloween

October 28th & 29th, 2022 | National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California

https://escapehalloween.com/

Escape is the ultimate Halloween rave. This festival takes trading Halloween candy to the next level! (Kandi joke… hehe) The best thing about Escape is that costumes are highly encouraged, so you get to see everyone’s awesome displays of creativity. The production team absolutely kills it with the decorations on the stages and throughout the entire venue. The only piece of advice I have for this festival is that it tends to get pretty crowded, so be prepared for that!

5.) Hard Summer

July 29th-31st, 2022 | National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California

https://www.hardsummer.com/

Hard Summer is the event of the summer in Southern California. Like some of the other festivals I’ve mentioned so far, Hard Summer is held at the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino. This festival is perfect for anyone who enjoys both EDM and hip-hop because that’s mainly what you’ll see on the lineup. Some of the most notable names from the 2022 lineup were Megan Thee Stallion, Subtronics, Lil Uzi Vert, Porter Robinson, and more. The most important thing to remember is that this festival is held in July, so be prepared for the intense heat!

6.) Nocturnal Wonderland

September 18th & 19th, 2022 | Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, California

https://www.nocturnalwonderland.com/

Nocturnal Wonderland is another wonderful festival thrown by Insomniac. Nocturnal is held at the beautiful Glen Helen Regional Park, a naturally stunning venue with incredible mountain views. What makes this festival special is the theme and the art. According to the Nocturnal Wonderland website, you will enter a world of three-dimensional superstructures, colorful, glow-in-the-dark environments, and all manner of LED-infused life forms. Definitely one for the bucket list!

7.) Skyline

February 25th & 26th, 2023 | Skylight Row DTLA in Los Angeles, California

https://skylinefest.com/

This one is for all my house and techno fans! Skyline is a two-day festival held in downtown Los Angeles and focuses on mainly techno and tech-house music. A few artists on the 2023 lineup you can’t miss are Diplo, Dom Dolla, and Charlotte De Witte. I actually went to the Orlando Skyline earlier this year and the vibes were immaculate!

8.) Countdown NYE

December 30th & 31st, 2022 | National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California

https://countdownnye.com/

In my opinion, Countdown NYE is the biggest and best EDM New Year’s event in the entire country. The NOS Event Center turns into a massive party New Year’s weekend with next-level music and production. Head into the new year the right way by celebrating with legends like Deadmau5, Slander, The Chainsmokers, and more at Countdown this year!

9.) Dreamstate

November 18th & 19th, 2022 | National Orange Show Event Center in San Bernardino, California

https://socal.dreamstateusa.com/

Dreamstate is a trance festival held in Southern California. The energy of this festival is dreamy, melodic, and hypnotizing. If you are looking for a slightly calmer and more uplifting music festival, this one would be for you! I have heard so many amazing things about Dreamstate and the people there. Even if trance isn’t your thing, I still believe Dreamstate is worth checking out!

10.) Dirtybird Campout

October 7th-9th, 2022 | Modesto Reservoir Campgrounds in Waterford, California

https://www.dirtybirdcampout.com/west/

The Dirtybird Campout website calls this festival a “summer camp for adults.” Alongside the great music, this festival offers tons of fun things like games, swimming, arts and crafts, and even camp counselors. This festival is definitely more of a lowkey vibe, and the lineup is full of smaller artists just waiting to be discovered! For my east coast people, there’s also a Dirtybird CampINN that takes place in Orlando, Florida next June!

11.) Daytrip

June 25th & 26th, 2022 | Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach, California

https://daytrip.la/

This is another festival for my house and techno fans! Daytrip is a super unique experience because the venue is right on the water, so you’ll get some pretty amazing views while partying. I would consider Daytrip as one of the largest house and techno festivals in the country! The 2022 lineup included huge names like Fisher, Chris Lorenzo, Bob Moses, and much more.

12.) Audiotistic

July 9th & 10th, 2022 | Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountainview, California

https://www.audiotisticfestival.com/

Audiotistic is another summer banger in California! This festival features two massive stages that deliver amazing audio and visual production. The multi-genre lineup has something for everyone and always guarantees a great time. Some honorable mentions from the 2022 lineup included Rezz, Svdden Death, and John Summit.

13.) Northern Nights

July 14th-16th, 2023 | Cook’s Valley Campground in Piercy, California

https://northernnights.org/

Northern Nights combines the best intimate festival camping with epic partying in the woods. The energy and people at this festival are top-notch, and the vibes cannot be beaten. You can find lots of stunning pieces of art all around the festival made by the production team and festival-goers! The music is on the chiller side, with artists like Clozee and Of the Trees, who performed last year.

We have reached the end! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this list and found it helpful. There are a ton of EDM festivals in California and it was really fun to learn about each one while writing this post. I have about five of these festivals on my bucket list, and you guys should too!

This post was all about EDM festivals in California.

Kaitlyn Finley

Kaitlyn was born and raised in sunny South Florida and is now living in Orlando. She is attending the University of Central Florida and working towards a bachelor's degree in marketing. Her music festival journey began in 2019 at EDC Orlando, and it was absolutely life-changing. Her love of EDM grew exponentially as festivals continued to gift her the joys of love, friendship, and belongingness. Her main goals in life are to attend as many festivals as she can and eventually have a career in the EDM entertainment industry. Experimental bass is her genre of choice, Okeechobee is her favorite festival, and LSDream is her current favorite artist. Follow her on IG @kaitlynsexperience!