Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2016 – Festival Recap!

Alesso performing at Beyond Wonderland Photo by: aLIVE

After a full weekend of music, dancing, art and camping, the 6th annual Beyond Wonderland, Southern California has come to a bittersweet close. Over the course of the two-day festival, approximately 65,000 enthusiastic Headliners danced their way through Insomniac’s colorful world at the beautiful San Manuel Amphitheater & Grounds in San Bernardino. More than 50 incredible artists performed across four newly designed stages and two booming Art Cars, while pyrotechnics and confetti rained above the crowd.

Photo by: aLIVE

Entering through the festival gates, fans were gifted custom-made Beyond Wonderland kaleidoscope glasses, creating twinkling projections underneath the neon-lit Star Port tunnel. Once inside, Headliners were met with the sight of a giant chess piece surrounded by handcrafted Zomes – wooden art installations that doubled as climbable chill zones for scenic views atop Lookout Mountain. As guests wandered down the hillside, the Outer Realm stage and its winged-eye medallion pulled fans in with the sounds of Bassrush and Dreamstate acts.

Photo by: aLIVE

Deep house and techno poured out of the Cheshire Woods’ dimly lit circus tent, taking guests on a journey beyond with extended artist set times. The Queen’s Domain united fans with its pyramid-inspired design, spectacular water fountains, and a mind-blowing five-minute pyrotechnics finale as big hitters like Marshmello, Galantis, Alesso and Deorro played fan-favorite tracks.

Photo by: aLIVE

Festivalgoers enjoyed new whimsical activities and adventures in every corner of the event including an inflatable playground, giant ball pit and two incredible art cars. Pulled straight from Beyond Wonderland’s thematic trailer was the golden Wench Art Car, brought to life as it roamed the festival grounds. This brand new art car ship was helmed by the beautifully costumed Alice and the intricately dressed Wench Queen. VIP Headliners also had the chance to attend the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, complete with delectable pastries, specialty hot beverages, complimentary food truck tastings and kandi-bracelet crafts.

Photo by: aLIVE

Thousands of guests slept under the stars in the vast Beyond Wonderland Campgrounds. Early morning yoga and crafts were available, alongside a slew of water conservation education activities put on by non-profit, Global Inheritance. The environmental organization brought campers the Oasis Water Bar, equipped with a variety of fun water tastings, as well as the Rain Supreme art exhibit, showcasing eccentric rain barrels curated by 32 artists across California. As night fell, Headliners were treated to the Silent and Not So Silent Discos with appearances from Chris Lake, Go Freek, and DJ Major Airborne.

Photo by: aLIVE

See you on May 14-15 at the 5th annual EDC New York at the iconic Citi Field! For more information, visit the Insomniac website here .

To stay connected to Beyond Wonderland , visit the socials below!

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About the Author

Nicole DeRosa joined the All Access Music Group family in February 2012. She loves the infectious energy and enthusiasm of the music industry and she feels right at home having music compliment her every day. Nicole blends her experience and skills which she has culled from her time working in New York as a photo researcher and editor at Entertainment Weekly and Harpers Bazaar Magazine. After New York, Nicole moved to London for school and there she stood in line for hours on Oxford Street to hear Paul McCartney play an impromptu concert on a rooftop. Another notable experience while living in London was her first time ever calling into a radio station, she won an invite to a record release party with the Beastie Boys for their album 'Ill Communication'. "I love London as it has such a vibrant and diverse music scene and I couldn't help but go out every night to check out gig after gig. It was a wonderful time." Living near the notable Sherpards Bush Empire music venue one of her most favorite concerts to date was seeing Bjork. Nicole has also worked for Walt Disney World in Product Development and later went on to work at Disney's Feature Animation Archives in Florida. Nicole has a passion for travel and adventure and has always wanted to live in California so she packed up and moved four years ago to the "left coast" and has been loving it ever since.