Beyond Wonderland aimed to take festival goers down the rabbit hole of amazing music and it most definitely succeeded! No matter what stage you ended up at, you were sure to have a blast all weekend! The festival was extravagantly decorated with Alice in Wonderland themed decorations and actors, with a picture perfect backdrop that is the Gorge. While the venue itself is already jaw dropping, Insomniac really went above and beyond to make the
environment even better.
In terms of music, the weekend started off really strong with the return of The Chainsmokers! I went into their set thinking that I would only stay for a few minutes, but ended up staying the whole time because it was that good! They really showed up to play and showed everyone how much work they had put in during their absence! They played the perfect blend of their top hits and their lesser known work! They also played literally every single genre during their set! I recommend that everyone see them when they get the chance! They are not the “radio DJ’s” that people think they are! Some other really good sets from day one include: SIDEPIECE, Virtual Riot, Tiesto, ARMNHMR, Alison Wonderland, AC Slater, Devault, and Dustycloud. Day two featured a very nostalgic set from Benny Benassi where he played a mix of new stuff, remixes of Skrillex songs, and remixes of his own, older songs. The set was very high energy from start to finish! Alan Walker also played a phenomenal set on day two! He was another artist who made it very clear that he put in a lot of work during quarantine! For his intro, he blended lyrics from all of his songs which sent chills down my spine. Other strong sets on day two included: Malaa, Wax Motif, Regard, SoDown, 1788-L, Bijou, and Dr. Fresch. Overall, the display of music at Beyond Wonderland was top tier and no matter what set we ended up at, we knew it was going to be good! Every artist really brings their “A” game to the Gorge!
The stage set up gave the festival a very unique feeling. The main stage was the Gorge stage, which is literally an amphitheater built into the side of a hill on top of the Gorge. Not only do you have a guaranteed clear view of the stage, but you can also look past the stage into the beautiful natural scenery. The other two stages were built in a way that allowed people to be really close to the stage and artists without feeling too crowded. This gave a much more intimate feeling during the sets and it was fun to be able to see the artists really get into their music. Virtual Riot definitely takes the cake for being the most entertaining artist to watch! He never stopped dancing and going wild during his set and still managed to never miss a transition!
Overall, Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge was a fantastic experience and it is a festival that I cannot wait to return to next year! There was not a single set all weekend that I did not enjoy and the sunsets at the Gorge were some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen! The venue itself is worth returning to, but Insomniac made it even more desirable through this rendition of Beyond Wonderland.
