5 EDM Festivals In July That You Don’t Want to Miss

A stage with lights and people in the background.

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By Gabi Symons

Blog Writer for Raveraide

Looking for a list of the best EDM Festivals in July?

If you’re anything like me, you are constantly on the lookout for a new music festival to add to your yearly lineup. Summer is especially packed with so many amazing events that you don’t want to miss out on. In July, you can find some of the most incredible venues, lineups, and experiences that the EDM scene has to offer! In this post, you’ll find a list of information on some of the best EDM festivals in July to give you some clarity on which festivals you want to full send to this summer!

In this post, I’ll be talking about five EDM festivals in July. I’ll give you some general information about each one, like genres, locations, and what makes each one unique from the rest. July offers festivals with all different vibes and types of music, so hopefully this list will help you and your rave fam decide which festivals will fit you the best!

Best EDM Festivals In July

1.) Audiotistic

July 8-9, 2023 | California

July starts off strong with Audiotistic in California. This festival has taken place in San Diego and Southern California, but typically calls the Bay Area its home. For the past two years, Audiotistic has been held at Shoreline Amphitheater Grounds in Mountain View, CA, so it’s safe to assume that they will continue using this venue in 2023.

Audiotistic boasts an impressive lineup year after year, with EDM artists of a variety of genres. Some names from the 2022 lineup included Rezz, Chris Lake, Svdden Death, Dom Dolla, and John Summit. Whether your rave fam enjoys house, bass, techno, or anything in between, this festival will have artists for you! The venue accommodates up to 30,000 guests, making this a decently sized festival, and there are two stages to choose between, Frequency 1.1 and Frequency 1.2. If you’re looking to dance all night in beautiful California, Audiotistic is definitely a festival that you don’t want to miss.

Photo from Audiotistic Website

2.) Global Dance Festival

July 14-15, 2023 | Denver, Colorado

The next festival on our list keeps us towards the west coast, in one of the EDM community’s favorite cities, Denver. Global Dance Festival holds around 10,000 attendees per day at Empower Field, making it Colorado’s largest summer festival. They also have 5 stages with a variety of genres represented, like house, techno, dubstep, drum and bass, and more!

What makes Global Dance Festival so unique is its offerings outside of just the stages. The festival also includes huge art installations, performers throughout the grounds, a food truck marketplace and, my personal favorite, a silent disco at their fifth stage throughout the entire day. Global Dance Festival is a perfect home for admiring the art installation “playground”, dancing your heart out, and creating new memories with your rave fam.

Photo from Global Dance Festival Website

3.) Shambhala

July 21-24, 2023 | British Columbia, Canada

Our third festival crosses international borders into British Columbia, Canada, which is on the country’s west coast. Shambhala is undoubtedly one of the most unique music festivals in the world, and is considered a spiritual and life changing experience by many of its attendees. One fact that I found interesting was that the festival was founded in 1998 on a family farm, and has been run by that same family ever since. Shambhala is also a dry festival, meaning no alcohol is served or permitted inside, which is an amazing and unique opportunity to further connect with the world around you!

Shambhala is packed with unique aspects, like art installations, yoga platforms, meditation nooks, and ethical fair trade vendors throughout the venue. Another beautiful addition is the organic garden housed in the middle of the festival grounds, Shambhala is a camping festival with six stages and around 15,000 attendees per day, and if you choose to attend, it is sure to be unlike any festival you have ever experienced! I would recommend this event to any raver looking to try something new, or anyone who enjoys the community sense that music festivals offer!

Photo from Shambhala Website

4.) Big Dub Festival

July 25-30, 2023 | Artemas, Pennsylvania

Big Dub Festival in Artemas, Pennsylvania, is what I would consider the most underrated festival on our list. Big Dub is a 5 day camping festival in rural Pennsylvania, and it is definitely the place to be if you are a bass lover. Last year’s lineup had names like Riot Ten, Ray Volpe, Bear Grillz, Barely Alive, and more! The main stage offers more upbeat electronic sounds, while the two smaller stages make way for more experimental artists. As one of the smaller festivals on our list, Big Dub is also going to give you that close knit, community vibe throughout your stay at camp and during the festival.

Big Dub is also unique in its offerings, with activities like yoga workshops, a video game happy hour, silent disco, seminars, and even an inner tube float in the river. This festival is home to major art installations to admire, and endless places to connect with nature and the music. After researching this festival, Big Dub quickly climbed to the top of my 2023 bucket list!

Photo from Big Dub Festival Website

5.) HARD Summer

July 28-30, 2023 | San Bernardino, California

Rounding out our list is HARD Summer, which is easily the largest festival here, with upwards of 70,000 attendees per day! We return to the west coast for this festival, which is held at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California. HARD Summer offers five stages, with both EDM music and rap. This festival differs from the rest on our list because of that unique mixture of music genres. HARD Summer simultaneously hosts big names in EDM like Griz, Subtronics, and Sullivan King, while also booking major artists in other genres, like Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, and 21 Savage.

HARD Summer truly encompasses its name by providing activities heavily associated with the season, like carnival rides and a pool party. The festival also has massive art installations and plenty of space to sit and relax with friends. If you are the type of raver who enjoys large, fast paced festivals, and may even want to see some sets from artists you couldn’t catch at other EDM events, HARD Summer is for you.

Photo from HARD Summer Website

After a wild month of amazing festivals, we are finally wrapping up our list. July is such an amazing month for the EDM Community and there is truly so much to experience! I cannot wait to attend a few of these events myself this summer, and I hope to see some of you there as well. I hope this post helped you get an idea of what to expect at these fests and even add a few to your personal bucket list! Be sure to check out our other articles, like 10 EDM Festivals in September, to help you plan the rest of your events this year!

This post was all about the best EDM festivals in July that you don't want to miss

Gabi Symons

Gabi is a senior at the University at Albany, SUNY, studying marketing. When she is not in school, she lives in Tampa, Florida, and enjoys attending all types of EDM shows. Gabi started raving in 2021 and has been hooked ever since. Her favorite festival is EDC Orlando and her favorite artists are Subtronics, Chris Lake, and Sidepiece. Follow her on Instagram @gabz.444 !