It was a different venue, but still an exciting vibe for the popular Global Dance Festival in Denver.
The long-running EDM festival packed the National Western Complex July 26th and 27th with a stacked lineup of artists including The Chainsmokers, Duke Dumont, FISHER, Gryffin, Kaytranada, and many others.
The Global Dance Festival has been held at different venues in the past, including Red Rocks and Empower Field at Mile High, so this venue was new to everyone, both festival-goers and organizers alike. The "Summit Stage" took over the main stadium arena of the western complex, with a packed audience for each artist. The smaller "Northern Lights" stage was also inside, and the "Oasis Stage" was outdoors and had the most festival-like feel with food trucks, art installations, roaming performers, a beautiful VIP seating area, a Ferris Wheel, and other festival attractions.
But with a new venue also comes some challenges. The main stadium arena became incredibly hot with so many fans in a closed-door setting. There were industrial fans on the sides of the stages in hopes of cooling festival-goers off, and many brought or purchased their own handheld fans to try to stay cool. It didn't help that it was also a very warm weekend in Denver. There were also reports of pickpocketing happening in such a packed venue. Some on social media reported their phone being stolen. Organizers of the festival say those who are missing items should reach out to Argus Event Staffing or the National Western Complex to reclaim any lost items.
Despite the complaints, the festival had some very impressive stage designs, a great artist lineup, and while very warm, the western complex almost gave the festival more of an "underground" show feel. The festival has been around for decades in different forms, so it will be interesting to see how it grows and changes in 2025.