The DMNW Guide to Seasons Music Festival 2017

After what seemed like a winter that never wanted to end it looks live we’re finally reached spring. As the weather warms up and the sun starts to shine a little more, it’s certainly a signal the festival season is just around the corner. Kicking off things in Vancouver next week is Blueprint’s 5 day, multi-venue, music and arts festival, Seasons. With over 60 artists and 30 events spanning the five days, the entire city becomes alive in the support, celebration and love for music and art. Last year debuted some new venue spaces, some great artwork, showcased up-and-coming talent, and even sent a few surprises our way. With almost 20 years of putting together some of the best events in the city, Blueprint will be pulling out all the stops once again for Seasons 2017.

Rewind back to Christmas 2016 and we were gifted the lineup from Blueprint for Seasons 2017. After a glance we’ll easily say the cost of a five day wrist band ($169.50CAD) is entirely worth it! The wrist band gives you access to each and every one of the festivals events across the city. Last year we certainly took advantage of that freedom and quite often ended up at three or four venues in a night! With Above & Beyond, Excision, Galantis, Illenium, Troyboii, and more, there’s plenty of music to be had.

Getting things going for Seasons 2017 is none other than Madeon at Blueprint’s flagship venue, Celebrities. Thursday will feature one of our favorite events, the Mostercat Showcase, as well as Pomo, Kungs and plenty more. Friday and Saturday will feature the main events of the festival at the PNE Colseum, and capped off with a closing party featuring Loco Dice. We’ll tell you from experience that you should also expect to see Blueprint’s infamous after parties on Friday and Saturday night…and you won’t want to miss those. Last year saw a surprise performance from Porter Robinson, Mija, and even Thomas Jack.

If the full five day experience is a bit much, be sure to check out the event schedule and attend at least one of the festival’s shows. Blueprint offers individual tickets to all their club shows as well as both main events at the PNE, but the savings are definitely in the five day wristband. Worth mentioning is the two day VIP wrist band for the main event, which is the same price as the five day. Last year we really enjoyed having the ability to have our separate bathrooms, bar and viewing area. Seasons is an all-ages event but the VIP upgrade was certainly nice to have.

Seasons is unique in that it offers people an opportunity to venture around the city to get an in depth experience with a variety of music. Rather than being hosted in a single location, you’re free to roam between each of the venues all week…and you should! Things can get a little hectic and busy so we’ve got a few tips to help you make your Seasons experience a little more fun.

• Familiarize yourself with the schedule. If you’re planning on hitting up multiple events in a night, make sure you know when they start and end.
• Make sure you know where the venues are! If you’re visiting Canada from the states, make sure to download an area map to your phone. This will make finding venues a lot easier if you don’t have international data!
• Do not rely on taxis! If you’re planning on taking a taxi to or from events (mostly the main events), don’t rely on the taxis. If you want to take a taxi make sure you pre-book it for your ride there, and leave a few minutes early after. Things around the PNE get quite hectic when the show ends.
  • BONUS! Download the Vancouver Yellow Cab app to order/schedule a cab…it’s A LOT fast than calling.
• Make sure you know what the venue lets inside; this is especially true with the PNE. Standard rules apply to most venues and they generally allow most “rave attire” through the doors. You may want to leave your totems, big backpacks, and water bottles at home though.
• Don’t sleep on the after parties! Seriously…we saw Porter Robinson inside Celebrities last year and it was nuts. Let’s also not forget other after parties that have included some MONSTER b2b sets.

We’re looking forward to another great Seasons Festival and certainly know there are still a few surprises in store. Last year was undoubtedly a great way to start our festival season, and 2017 will be no different. Be sure to stay tuned to the Seasons Facebook page for more info and updates and Blueprint likes to sneak in a few things as we get closer to the event. We’ll be all around the city during Seasons, so make sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter and like us on Facebook to find out where we are!