With roots dating back to 1999, Global Dance Festival has stood the test of time. In it’s first year they only had two artists, Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers, but managed to attract a few thousand people. At that time it was called “Rave on the Rocks” (as it is hosted at Red Rocks) but had to change its name because of pressure from the amphitheater and police (some things never change). In response to what they thought was a ridiculous stereotype the promoters changed the name to ‘A Weekend of E’, with ‘E’ standing for Electronic of course. The promoters attributed lower tickets sales to the name change so they changed the name of the event again, this time to ‘The Event Formerly Known as Rave on the Rocks’. In 2003 a final name change to Global Dance Festival took over Rave on the Rocks, and with new promoters Triad Dragons, the festival transformed into a celebration of electronic music combining natural beauty and technology.
Attendance continued to grow until the festival sold out in 2007 and became the largest electronic music festival in the region. After selling out three years in a row, Global Dance Festival decided to add another day and more artists including Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Rusko among others. In 2011, the promoters added a third day and live acts for the first time featuring Empire of the Sun, Kid Cudi, and Big Gigantic. The three day format has continued to 2014 and with the release of their initial lineup, there is no evidence that Global Dance Festival is slowing down.
Although the initial announcement contains 11 names, it shows the firepower that this festival has. Given it’s reputation and names like Zedd, Destroid, and Wolfgang Gartner, you can tell that Global Dance Fest is going to bring the juice. In 2013 their lineup included 60 names spread across three stages so you know that there is more to come. Tickets go on sale next Wednesday and are limited to 3 day passes only. Stay tuned to WRR for all the news and updates about the Global Dance Festival and festivals across the country.
Check out the madness from last year’s Global Dance Festival.
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