Chicago’s festival season is just around the corner. Year after year, Spring Awakening Music Festival continues to bring the fire by packing the festival full of huge names. This year is no different. If attending (which you should), be prepared to have multiple schedule conflicts while trying to choose which amazing artist to see on this stacked lineup.
Spring Awakening Music Festival History
As electronic dance music started becoming increasingly popular in the Chicago area, React Presents saw its potential and created Spring Awakening Music Festival (SAMF) in 2012. The festival has grown immensely from a small concert series in 2008 into a three-day festival, attracting people from across the globe.
In its earlier stages, attendees enjoyed SAMF from inside the magnificent Soldier Field. In 2016, however, the festival moved to Addams/Medill Park, where the festival will return this year. This move did not (and will not) prevent React Presents from producing the biggest EDM festival in the Midwest.
Past lineups have boasted massive headliners such as Skrillex, Afrojack, Diplo, Jack U, Bassnectar, Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Kaskade, Eric Prydz, Above & Beyond, Dillon Francis, Hardwell, and ZEDD.
Spring Awakening 2018 Expectations
This year React Presents is doing it big again with 80 artists across five different stages. On the lineup you will see Hardwell, Afrojack, Kaskade, and Tiesto set to perform on the Solstice Stage and Alison Wonderland, deadmau5, Virtual Self, and Zeds Dead on the Equinox Stage. Whether your heart beats to house, techno, trance, or bass, React Presents is bringing diversity amongst genres to the branded stages: Bass Kitchen, DJ Mag, Heldeep, Requiem, Sunday School, and Trance Arena. There’s something for everyone here.
React Presents is no stranger to festival production, so be ready for days filled with outrageous stage productions, delicious food, thrilling carnival rides, and insane pyrotechnics.
SAMF Lineup Highlights
Virtual Self
If you read our Ultra Recap, you would know we are huge fans of Porter Robinson’s side project Virtual Self. Expect to feel nostalgia and to travel back in time as you relive the sounds of the early rave scene. If you want to connect to an artist so deeply you feel emotions pulse through your body and soul, superglue Virtual Self onto your schedule!
Alison Wonderland
Boss babe alert! Alison Wonderland blew up this year, along with her following. She recently released her album Awake (4/6/2018), so you will definitely be hearing her new music live for one of the first times. Alison Wonderland is also known for utilizing technology to its fullest, creating some epic visuals that interact with her body and her movements. Get ready for her to “fuck you up on a spiritual level.”
Prok & Fitch
These guys have a lot in common with CamelPhat: they’re from the UK and make killer house music. And they’re on the come-up!
Claudia: This track is straight fire, but is it a Prok & Fitch or FISHER remix? I personally think Chris Lake is behind this one. I’ll confirm with FISHER when he’s in Denver on April 18th.
https://soundcloud.com/user-644041675/you-got-me-burning-up-fitch-prok-remix-submersive
Mercer
Claudia: Mercer throws down! His first set on Holy Ship 10.0 was my favorite set of the entire sailing—I could not stop dancing! He’s definitely who I’m most excited to see at Spring Awakening, and I’m really hoping to hear his latest, “Satisfy,” live. He’s known to alternate between electro house and disco house sets, so the type of set he’ll drop is to-be-determined. I’m voting electro house.
So groovy!!
Seven Lions
Claudia: I need a redo with Seven Lions. The first and last time I saw him was when he opened for Above & Beyond at Red Rocks last fall. I was honestly disappointed with his set. The show happened right after he released Where I Won’t Be Found, but he only played one song off that entire album (luckily it was “Freesol,” my favorite one). Fingers crossed for a set more true to his sound this time! Make me cry, please!
SAMF Lineup Honorable Mentions
deadmau5 makes this list for obvious reasons. It’s been a minute since we’ve seen him at Buku Music + Art Project in 2017. We want the full deadmau5 experience at Spring Awakening: nostalgic melodies paired with mesmerizing visuals.
Dirtybird’s Will Clarke is another artist we’re looking forward to catching. If you spot us in the crowd shaking our tiny tambourines and shuffling along to all the fire he’s throwing down, make sure you say hi! (Check out our Will Clarke interview from Miami Music Week to hear what he’s got planned for us!)
Lastly, we cannot leave out our OG favorite: Flux Pavilion. He is one of the first artists who ignited our passion for EDM and will always be a must-see for us on any lineup. The last time we tried seeing him together, security wouldn’t let half our squad inside the venue for no apparent reason. Fingers crossed this time goes a little differently!!
**Disclaimer: Tickets will sell out! Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute—secure your tickets to the best Chicago EDM festival now! Buy tickets here.
Need more convincing or want to get in the SAMF mood? Check out our “Road to Spring Awakening” Spotify playlist and fall in love with all of the artists on the lineup.
Casey: Questions? I’m a four-year Spring Awakening Music Festival veteran and Chicago local, so make sure you reach out about where to stay, directions to the fest, or other activities to check out in the area. Leave a comment or feel free to email!
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