5 EDM Festivals in Colorado to Look Out For in 2023

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By Kaitlyn Finley

Raveraide Blog Writer

Looking for the best raves and EDM festivals in Colorado?

If you’re a fan of winter sports, beautiful landscapes, outstanding food, and the best current electronic dance music, Colorado might just have to be your next vacation spot. If you’re planning a trip soon or you’re just a local searching for some next-level EDM events, you’re in the right place! Venues all around Colorado are home to some of the best shows and festivals in the country, with event dates already flooding in for the entire year of 2023.

After doing research on the Colorado EDM scene, I was able to come up with a list of the state’s top three music festivals along with information about one of the most popular concert venues and Colorado’s regional Burning Man event! For all my bassheads reading this, Denver is considered by many as the bass capital of the world, so do with this information what you will! 😉

The Best Events And EDM Festivals In Colorado

1.) Global Dance Festival

July 15th & 16th, 2022 | Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado

https://globaldancefestival.com/

Colorado is clearly the place to be during the summer! You have Sonic Bloom in June, a nice month-long break, and then it’s time for Global Dance Festival! Global Dance takes place at the Empower Field at Mile High, a giant stadium that’s only about a ten-minute drive from downtown Denver. Being so close to the city gives the festival a fast-paced, electrifying energy that compliments the music perfectly.

The 2022 lineup was a perfect mix of genres with well-known artists like Excision, Wax Motif, Liquid Stranger, Above & Beyond, and much more. Honestly, every name on the Global Dance lineup is always an absolute banger! In addition to the awesome music, the festival features art installations, a silent disco, a food truck marketplace, and performers. In my opinion, the five crazy stages, carnival rides, and electric energy make this festival the EDC of Colorado!

2.) Decadence Colorado

December 30th & 31st, 2022 | Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado

https://decadencenye.com/

Next to Countdown in Southern California, Decadence is one of the biggest New Year’s raves in the EDM community. This two-day electronic extravaganza will have you entering the new year in the best way possible with great vibes and even better music. One of my favorite things about this festival is all the different genres on the lineup, ensuring that everyone will be satisfied. The lineup for 2022 leaves little to be desired, with house legends like Chris Lake and Dillon Francis, and bass icons like Zeds Dead, LSDream, and Ganja White Night.

Decadence is held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, so it provides a pretty unique experience and is a great switch-up from outdoor festivals. The convention center spans over a whopping 400,000 square feet and features next-level decorations and over-the-top audio/visual production. If you plan on celebrating the new year in Colorado, definitely consider adding this festival to your list of plans!

3.) Sonic Bloom

June 15th-18th, 2023 | Hummingbird Ranch in Spanish Peaks Country, Colorado

https://sonicbloomfestival.com/

After only a couple of minutes learning about Sonic Bloom, I immediately added it to my music festival bucket list. If you’re looking to completely channel your inner hippie/wook, this is the festival for you. Sonic Bloom is held at the beautiful Hummingbird Ranch, which is home to stunning landscapes and mountain views. You can plan to hear mostly deep dubstep, experimental bass, and the wubbiest wubs at this festival, so get ready to go full alien mode! Some of the most notable names from the 2022 lineup included Tipper, Lab Group, Of the Trees, and Detox Unit.

Sonic Bloom is a camping festival, making the energy of the festival very intimate and community oriented. Just by reading about the festival and looking at pictures, I can tell that everyone who attends has a genuine love for music, art, and friendship. Sonic Bloom puts a lot of focus on physical, mental, and spiritual healing by hosting numerous workshops for your body and mind. The festival also offers many other wonderful experiences like live painting, yoga, flow arts classes, and sound baths. Make sure to look out for tickets and more information about 2023 coming soon!

4.) Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Concert season is usually March-September | Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado

https://www.redrocksonline.com/

Even though it’s technically not a music festival, I can’t do a blog about the Colorado EDM scene without mentioning Red Rocks. Everybody needs to know about this place! It only takes one quick Google search to see how stunningly beautiful this venue is. The top-notch production is paired with mind-blowing views and impressive rock formations everywhere you look. You really don’t know true beauty until you watch a sunset at this mystical place.

The natural wonders of Red Rocks are only a part of the overall experience. Many of Colorado’s best shows are thrown at this iconic venue almost every weekend! The schedule for the next few months is already jam-packed, and it pains my heart knowing I can’t attend everything. Pain! Some upcoming events include EDM legends like Dom Dolla, Subtronics, Mersiv, Svdden Death, and more. Another great thing about Red Rocks is that you can visit the venue during the day to enjoy other activities it offers like hiking, art exhibits, and even the Colorado Music Hall of Fame!

5.) Apogaea

June 9th-11th, 2022 | Valdez, Colorado

https://apogaea.com/

Apogaea is not nearly as large as the other festivals I listed, but I thought it would be cool to include it in this post! I’m not entirely sure how much EDM is present here, but their values certainly align with the love and community you commonly find at EDM music festivals. I also couldn’t find a whole lot of general information about this festival, but the mystery of it only makes it more interesting! What I do know is that Apogaea is an official regional Colorado Burning Man event. If you have always wanted to go to Burning Man in Black Rock City but can’t get tickets, Apogaea may be able to deliver a similar experience and may be better for your first burn.

I couldn’t find any official music lineup, so I’m guessing that the participants play their own music and throw their own shows! Apogaea is meant to be a safe space where you can create anything and express yourself however you want. According to the website, the event focuses on art, performance, sustainability, radical inclusion, and radical self-reliance. If you are looking to elevate your festival game and experience new things, I highly recommend doing more research and checking out Apogaea!

And that’s a wrap! Hopefully this post taught you everything you needed to know about the best EDM events and music festivals in Colorado. Colorado itself is a great state to add to your travel bucket list. In addition to the amazing entertainment, you can find winter sports activities, outstanding food and drinks, and some of the world’s most stunning landscapes. If you plan on making one of these festivals your first, check out our articles on Music Festival Tips for First Timers and Rave Essentials You Need To Bring To Your First Festival to properly prepare!

This post was all about events and EDM festivals in Colorado.

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!