What do you do when it rains? You go out and dance! Shitty weather, including rain and lightning, didn’t stop the party at Paradiso 2018. From trance to drum-and-bass, this year’s festival offered a little something for everyone. An all-star lineup led by two legends, DeadMau5 and Armin van Buuren, combined with new additions to the venue, such as a flow garden, generated some serious hype leading up to last weekend. Did USC Events’ seventh annual Gorge spectacular live up to expectations? We certainly think so! Here are some highlights:
Best Mainstage Set: Armin van Buuren
Photo: Stanley Sutton/ DMNW
The Godfather of Trance made his much-anticipated return to the Paradiso mainstage on night 1, bringing with him all the pyrotechnics, lasers, psytrance, and hardstyle (!!!) we could handle! Forget the best mainstage set, Armin might have had the best and most talked about set of the entire weekend!
Honorable mention: DJ Snake
Best Wreckage Set: Eptic b2b Must Die!
Leaving our neck braces at home was a mistake as Eptic and Must Die! played all things bass as they closed the ever-growing Wreckage stage.
Honorable Mention: Pendulum (DJ Set)
Best Digital Oasis Set: Claude von Stroke b2b Justin Martin
An hour-long lightning delay on day 2 turned out to be a blessing in disguise as a re-adjustment in time slots gifted us a surprise back-to-back set from two of our favorite Dirtybirds!
Honorable Mention: DJ Sven (Seven Lions) b2b Dimbio
Best Momement: Sing-Along with DJ Snake
https://instagram.com/p/BkIgBp4h3fm/
Let Me Love You, DJ Snake’s infectious collab with Justin Bieber, was the second-to-last track played during the festivals closing set. Thousands of people singing in unison gave us the chills!
Honorable Mention: The fireworks at the end of Armin’s set while he was in hardstyle mode.
Best Intro: Snails, Paradise Mainstage
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Performing a sunset set on day 1, the mayor of Sluggtopia unleashed right from the start, opening his set with Shake the Ground. A flaming-hot collab with Kill the Noise and Sullivan King, Shake the Ground will be released next week Wednesday. Judging by the crowd’s reaction at Paradiso, this might be one of the headbanging anthems of this summer!
Honorable Mention: Virtual Self, Paradise Mainstage
Best Totem: The Ear Plug Plug
Our New Favorite Plug (Photo: Stanley Sutton/ DMNW)
It’s easy to forget about the long-term impact music festivals can have on our hearing. Luckily, this guy came through in the clutch: passing out free earplugs at the loud and rockin’ Wreckage stage- a bucket of them attached to a totem. Good looking out fam!
Honorable Mention: Check out our top 5 totems of Paradiso 2018!
What were your favorite sets, and/or moments, of Paradiso 2018? Let us know in the comments below!
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