Bassrush redesign launch! LOS ANGELES (July 15, 2015) ­– Insomniac announced the launch of the completely redesigned Bassrush.com, now the ultimate destination for bass music fans featuring news, interviews, streams and downloads, mixes and exclusives with the biggest names in drum & bass, trap, dubstep, and all other genres of bass music. Ah Nocturnal Wonderland, where do I even begin? For starters, this festival was my first full weekend as a SoCal citizen – and there couldn’t have been a better way to spend it. The weather was 90 and sunny and the San Manuel Amphitheater served as a gorgeous festival backdrop with beautiful mountains surrounding the festival grounds.

• Beyond Wonderland Gorge 2021
• Beyond Wonderland Gorge Lineup
• Beyond Wonderland Front Gate Tickets
• Beyond Wonderland 2021 Set Times
• Beyond Wonderland Socal 2021 Lineup

With reporting from Boojie Baker, John Ochoa, Rich Thomas and Sam Yu.

Beyond Wonderlandhas quickly become one of the most beloved festivals in SoCal over the past seven years. Serving as the quintessential springtime celebration in the US, it marks the official kickoff to festival season every March.

This year, Beyond Wonderland returned to its original home at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA, for the first time since 2012. To mark the special occasion, we reimagined our much-loved event into a brand-new, fantastical dimension: the Endless Sea, an aquatic-themed creative space offering unforeseen adventures.

And many adventures did we indeed experience: mermaids and mermen, SpongeBob SquarePants and all his Bikini Bottom squad, krakens and sea monsters, and plenty of fish and underwater creatures all across the waters of the Endless Sea.

Here are a few of our favorite things and moments from our maiden voyage to Beyond Wonderland: The Endless Sea.

Headliners Diving Headfirst Into the Aquatic Theme

There’s no question about it: Headliners rule our world. So, we were extra stoked to see you lovely Headliners dive headfirst into our newly introduced aquatic theme. The diversity and creativity of your out-of-this-world costumes and totems left us speechless. Props to all you beautiful mermaids, powerful King Neptunes, silly Left Sharks, and cute Nemos and Dorys for truly bringing out the sea creature in all of us. —John Ochoa

Trippy Projection Mapping at Queen’s Domain

We brought out some new tricks for this year’s Beyond Wonderland SoCal over at the mainstage. While we indeed packed out the entire Queen’s Domain in lasers and lights, we stepped it up about 100-fold with state-of-the-art projection mapping and fancy technology I’m probably not equipped to explain. Just trust me when I say it was lit, fam. On a technologically advanced screen in front of the mainstage, as well as over our heads on the roof of the tented structure, scenes of aquatic beauty and underwater wonder filled Queen’s Domain and created an awesomely immersive audiovisual experience. Production is key to the Insomniac experience, and this innovative approach really redefined the definition of a light show. —John Ochoa

Major Keys

Everybody loves a good photo op, and few places offered up as popular a squad shot location as the winged, cross-key BW logo just outside the Damus building. It’s a growing theme at Insomniac festivals (who waited in line to get pics in front of the glowing EDC logo in Carnival Square?) and one that gives Headliners a chance to #hashtag their location and create major FOMO for their stay-at-home friends. —Rich Thomas

Twirling Those Tentacles

You know how touching the art at museums is always a huge no-no? Well, the installations at our festivals don’t play that. The mechanical octopus, which you hopefully caught chilling by the Beyond Wench, caused a huge splash. Eight at a time, Headliners huddled around in a circular fashion to twirl its tentacles. It was an easy way to kill some time and likely make some new festival friends in the process. A win-win the way we see it. —Sam Yu

Trance Heaven With the Dreamstate Fam

It’s a universal fact: Trance is bae. So of course, we were expecting all the feels to hit us full force at Cheshire Cove, where the Dreamstate fam hosted a two-day trance takeover. The true beauty of these Dreamstate-hosted stages lies in the diverse lineups, which take Headliners on an epic journey through the full spectrum of the trance sound. From the psytrance barrage of Astrix and Vini Vici, the 138 bliss of Chris Schweizer, and the anthems of genre leaders Aly & Fila, Markus Schulz, and Paul van Dyk, Dreamstate offered a true trance heaven for newbies and lifelong fans alike. Bonus points for those floating jellies, which keep the party popping off. —John Ochoa

New Endless Sea Performers

Whether it was the sleek and shimmery Aquatic Aerials suspended from the rafters of Queen’s Domain, or the fan-favorite Queen Tridents strolling through the grounds, the new performance troupes dreamt up for our journey into the Endless Sea captivated the crowd all weekend long. Fishy Fish people? Yup. Sea Foam Sirens on stilts? Got them, too. How about Cthulhu-agogo, the octopus ladies? Of course. —Rich Thomas

Beyond Wench Came A-Rockin’

After making its grand debut last year, the Beyond Wench returned for its second run, and the result was a boat party that had all the motion of the ocean. With the trusted Cats & Boots crew at the helm, the steampunk-style art car was swaying nonstop from the most legit low-end-loaded house sounds you’d find this side of the Atlantic. From the wobble-heavy beats of Dillon Nathaniel to the sweaty rhythms rolling in from all the label regulars, the Wench was the spot you kept sneaking back to whenever there was some wiggle room in your schedule. Side note: Dropping anchor by the lake worked forever in their favor, because it gave them prime real estate as one of the only stages where Headliners could post up on a nice, soft patch of grass. —Sam Yu

REZZ Speaks, Headliners Listen

Something I knew going into this past weekend was that the hype around REZZ was palpable. I caught a sliver of her set at Life Is Beautiful last year and was digging the few tracks I heard. But with all the Gesaffelstein references being thrown around, plus the fact that my time was limited and it was in the middle of the day in an open-air structure, I left LIB intrigued—not so wowed.

Beyond Wonderland was an entirely different beast. Doing her thing between Cut Snake and Shiba San (who closed out the night), REZZ shut it down—literally. She had so many Headliners inside the Citrus building that they couldn’t fit anyone else in. With the doors closed and the room’s energy set to maximum, the situation was primed for the eerie and ominous 100-BPM romp through some seriously hard-edged, twitched-out beats and breaks. It’s not as easy task to be both unconventional and highly functional when speaking to a festival dancefloor, but REZZ threw down for both causes.

Something I learned at Beyond Wonderland this past weekend: In the current climate, where too many DJs sound stunningly alike, REZZ has something unique to say—and I, along with the thousands of Headliners around me, enjoyed listening. Hype is funny thing, but sometimes it’s justified. —Boojie Baker

Lake PLURfect

Ok, it’s more pond than lake, but NOS just wouldn’t be the same without it. The first time I sat ‘round this tiny body of water as a rave raged on was about 20 years ago, and it’s still the PLURfect spot to get your chill and chat with friends (or make some new ones) as the night burns on around you. My mind, body (well, mainly my feet), and soul thank me for it each and every time. What can I say: When you find something you love, you don’t give it up. I’m talking raving. But the pond is cool, too. —Boojie Baker

The Bubbles Were Poppin’

I can’t think of a single situation that couldn’t be made better without a little bubble action. At every stage (minus the indoor Aquarium stage, because slippery floors are a buzzkill for dancing), there were bubble machines working overtime to fill the air with more bubbles than I’ve seen in my lifetime. On top of creating the illusion of being submerged deep in an underwater paradise, the thousands of tiny globes of soap took in a world of color when the lighting was just right. —Sam Yu

The Fuck Salt Guy

If you take in too much salt, your blood pressure raises because it causes your body to store too much water. Which means your heart works overtime just to do what it needs to do to keep you going. So don’t eat too much salt; your heart will appreciate you more. Plus, you don’t want to piss off your arteries, kidneys and brain, because too much salt can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease. Fuck salt. And fuck yeah to this guy right here—I get you, man. And so do the Gastropod heads. —Boojie Baker

Front-Row Headbanging With Team Bassrush

Trust us: We know a thing or two about headbanging. But nobody does it heavier or harder than #TeamBassrush. We saw it firsthand in the front row at the Outer Realm, where bass-heads were losing their minds and banging their heads away to the sounds of Alison Wonderlandand Bleep Bloop on night one and Herobustand 12th Planet on night two. The bass fiends who comprise the international Bassrush squad are always the wildest and loudest at our shows, no questions asked. And the Beyond bass-heads were no different. Keep those horns up in the air and heads banging forever. —John Ochoa

AC Slater Knocking Heads

Word must have gotten out about how many flame emojis have been used in reference to the Night Bass name, because the line to get into the Aquarium felt like it was wrapped around the building right before the label’s head honcho, AC Slater, was scheduled to take the stage. He came out with the bass house bits blazing, obviously, and set the speed of his set with his newest joint, “Head Knockin,” which incited a collective “woop woop” from everyone on the dancefloor. The giant rainbow-colored octopus and glowing jellyfish troupe must have felt the raw energy, because they were flopping around above the Headliners’ heads like fish out of water. Even this shy wallflower made a sad attempt at shaking a limb or two. —Sam Yu

This Freaky Sea Creature

We have performers, and we have Headliners who dress like performers—as with this sea creature meets vampire meets a whole lotta awesomeness right here. Often seen roaming around Insomniac VIP areas, this guy regularly spices up our life and deserves a special shout-out. —Boojie Baker

New Looks at the Merch Booth

We’re kicking down some new looks here at Insomniac HQ. In fact, we officially launched our new lifestyle and clothing brand at Beyond Wonderland. If you stopped by our merch booths over the weekend, you got a firsthand look at our gear in action. The new line of products is a nod to Insomniac’s storied legacy in dance music, mixed with modern wear: classic rave culture vibes for today’s festival warrior. And we’ve brought on a true OG to help lead our vision: Rick Klotz, founder of the seminal brand Freshjive, which became the de facto American streetwear line in the ‘90s, with an especially deep influence in the underground rave scene. The Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2017 merch collection is the first step in our long journey to help shape the future of festival and lifestyle fashion and become leaders of the new style. You can peep our steez at our recently launched Insomniac Shop, the central hub for all our latest looks and products. If you missed out on any of the gear at Beyond Wonderland SoCal, head over to the Insomniac Shop, where we’ll be hosting the collection in full. —John Ochoa

A Full House at the Upside-Down House

The Insomniac Records team has been cooking up tons of new tunes recently, and they showcased some of their latest artists and releases this weekend at the Upside-Down House, where they curated two full days of fire beats and future sounds. Wedged between Queen’s Domain and the Outer Realm, the Upside-Down House hosted proper house party vibes, with special guests Gladiator, JSTJR, Redlight and more. Parisian up-and-comer Dombreskyheld it down on night two with a finessed canon of fly house beats and slick productions. Keep an eye on this rookie: Rumor has it he’s got big things In / Rotation. —John Ochoa

Welcoming Sofia Vergara to Her First Rave

We’re all about inclusion here at Insomniac, especially when we can welcome newcomers to our loving community for a glimpse of the PLUR life via their first-ever rave and music festival. We had the pleasure of introducing Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated actress Sofia Vergara, of Modern Family fame, to the rave world this weekend. Turns out her husband, actor Joe Manganiello, is homies with drum & bass legend Dieselboy. Small world! Here’s hoping the Hollywood couple spent their weekend headbanging to some proper D&B alongside the Bassrush squad. Hope to see you again, Sofia, and please spread the PLUR vibes to all those Hollywood hopefuls. —John Ochoa

The Totem Plug

One of our favorite conversational topics on show days is pointing out the ridiculously entertaining memes-on-a-spirit-stick we see bouncing around the dancefloor. It’s a sight that would make the internet proud. The act of participating and self-expressing is king at Insomniac, which is why we decided to launch a new loaner system called Holy Totems. Headliners can rent one on us for the day; simply swap your ID for a premade selection. As for the totem bearers who are looking to add a dash of pizzazz to their pieces, the booth had an assortment of lights and crafty add-ons that were also up for grabs. Try to think of the booth as totem training wheels, where after a few safe rides, you’ll feel confident enough to take creative control of your own festival statements. —Sam Yu

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Beyond Wonderland is an electronicdance festival organized by Insomniac Events. The event has been held in various locations across the west coast including Seattle, San Bernardino, and Mountain View spanning either one or two days.^[1] As the festival continued to grow from its earlier roots, it branched into two festivals: Beyond Socal and Beyond Norcal / Bay Area to cater to the growing audience. ^[2] However, this expansion of the Beyond series lasted for only four years before founder Pasquale Rotella announced that he would no longer continue having both Beyond Socal and Norcal to pursue expanding and creating other festivals of the Insomniac brand. ^[3]

In 2017, the international debut of Beyond Wonderland took place in Mexico and in 2019 it also has its debut in Colombia.

History[edit]

The history of Beyond Wonderland extends back before its inaugural 2010 date. The first festival was held at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, California. Insomniac Events announced the conception of Beyond Wonderland to be considered as the sister festival of Nocturnal Wonderland (formerly known as Nocturnal Festival).^{[4][according to whom?]} Fans of Insomniac Events called for a return to the past vibrant environment that the Nocturnal Festival once hailed. Insomniac believed Beyond Wonderland could provide this environment. With the success of Nocturnal Festival, Insomniac introduced the Wonderland series with Beyond Wonderland as its first expansion from the Nocturnal Festival, promising to 'return to the amazing hues and vibrance of our original Wonderland event.'^[5]

The festival features multiple stages of electronic dance music artists with such genres as: House, Trance, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, and ambient. The festival has also been known for features such as a light maze, many modern art sculptures, and poi dancers. As the festival continues to grow, new interactive additions are added each year to help enhance the experience, such as various dancing characters and aesthetic decorations.

As Insomniac Events continued to grow, new art installations, characters, and themes that focused more into the Alice in Wonderland motif became the aesthetic for Beyond Wonderland. When Insomniac expanded Beyond Wonderland to include camping in 2015, ^[6] Beyond seemed to be a second wind for festival-goers who had experienced the Nocturnal Series in the Fall prior. However, when Beyond was moved from the San Manuel Amphitheater back to the NOS Center, it no longer offered camping.

Past events[edit]

San Bernardino, CA - March 20, 2010[edit]

The inaugural Beyond Wonderland was held at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA on March 20, 2010 to a sold-out crowd.

Notable artists on the lineup included Sander van Doorn, Paul van Dyk, Groove Armada, Robbie Rivera, Caspa, Pendulum, and Wippenberg.

San Bernardino, CA - March 19, 2011[edit]

The second annual Beyond Wonderland was a great success, with another completely sold-out show at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.

Notable artists on the lineup included Calvin Harris, Dirty South, Dirtyphonics, Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Kaskade, Cosmic Gate, Noisia, and Showtek.

Seattle, WA - May 14, 2011[edit]

The first Beyond Wonderland to be held in the state of Washington took place at the WAMU Theatre.

Notable artists on the lineup included David Guetta, LMFAO, A-Trak, Datsik, Porter Robinson, and Gareth Emery. Beyond Wonderland marked Guetta's first appearance in Seattle.

San Bernardino, CA - March 17, 2012[edit]

The third annual Beyond Wonderland was a great success, with another completely sold-out show at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA with a special showing of A State Of Trance 550 with notable artists such as Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery, Aly & Fila, Arty, Shogun, John O'Callaghan, Sied van Riel, and Fei Fei.

Other notable artists on the lineup throughout the festival included Dirty South, Hardwell, ATB, Magnetic Man, John Digweed, Netsky, Sidney Samson, and Steve Aoki.

This year marked the first year of Beyond Wonderland being expanded to Beyond Socal and Beyond Bay Area.

Oakland, CA - September 29, 2012[edit]

The first Beyond Wonderland to be held in Northern California was located at the O.co Coliseum parking lot in Oakland, CA. The lineup included artists such as Alesso, Sander Van Doorn, ATB, and Thomas Gold, amongst others.^[8]

San Bernardino, CA - March 16, 2013[edit]

The fourth annual Beyond Wonderland Socal saw a change of scenery, moving from the NOS Events Center to the San Manuel Amphitheater.

Notable artists on the lineup throughout the festival included Afrojack, Arty, Dash Berlin, David Guetta, Markus Schulz, and Steve Angello.

Mountain View, CA - September 28 & 29, 2013[edit]

The second Beyond Wonderland Bay Area was held in Northern California, this edition of Beyond Wonderland was held in Mountain View at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and was the first Beyond event to span two days. Roughly 40,000 fans attended the event for two days. Over 100 people were arrested, with people being charged with drug possession, drunkenness, illegal drug use, and furnishing.^[9]

Notable artists on the lineup included David Guetta, Avicii, Zeds Dead, Gareth Emery, Hardwell, Dash Berlin, Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Benny Benassi, Carnage, and Datsik.^[10]

Mountain View, CA - September 20 & 21, 2014[edit]

The third Beyond Wonderland Bay Area to be held in Northern California, this edition of Beyond Wonderland was again held in Mountain View at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and again spanned two days. More than sixty people were arrested due to noise complaints and drug possession.^[11]

San Bernardino, CA - March 20, 2015[edit]

Over 60 acts were performing on this two-day festival at the San Manuel Amphitheater, which was visited by an estimated 70,000 fans.^[12] The lineup featured artists such as [Benny Benassi], [John Digweed], and foreign acts as such as hardstyle duo D-Block and S-Te-Fan, or DBSTF. At this festival there were reports of a 22 year old man that died from a seizure.^[13] Additionally, 300 people were arrested and 32 people were hospitalized.^[14]

This 5th anniversary of Beyond Wonderland Socal was the first year the festival offered camping options for the festival.^[15] With the success of camping options at Nocturnal Wonderland the year prior, Insomniac expanded the camping experience to Beyond Wonderland as well. The campground offered a new layer of festival-going that included day time activities before the festival began. Yoga, arts and crafts, and a silent disco were all different options for campers in this year of Beyond Wonderland.^[16]

Mountain View, CA - September 26 & 27, 2015[edit]

The fourth Beyond Wonderland Bay Area to be held in Northern California, this edition of Beyond Wonderland was again held in Mountain View at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and again spanned two days. The lineup included Calvin Harris, Tiësto, Loadstar, Knife Party, and Yellow Claw.^[17]

San Bernardino, CA - March 18 & 19, 2016[edit]

The sixth Beyond Wonderland Socal was held at the Glen Helen Amphitheater-- at the time the San Manuel Amphiteater. ^[18] This year of Beyond Wonderland Socal offered a new type of format for music festivals, expanding into the various music label brands of Insomniac Events, specifically the Bassrush and Dreamstate brands. In this year of Beyond Socal, Insomniac created curated stages by the two brands to feature the various artists under each label. ^[19] This year featured an expansion of the campgrounds that were introduced in the year prior, and featured interactive art and activities in a whole new light to expand on the Beyond experience.

The Beyond Wonderland Bay Area series was cancelled this year along with EDC Puerto Rico, in an effort to 'focus on exploring new cities and enhancing the experience at some of our other festivals,' as stated by founder Pasquale Rotella. This marked the last year of a Beyond Wonderland Socal and Bay Area.

Beyond Wonderland Gorge 2021

San Bernardino, CA - March 24 & 25 2017[edit]

Beyond Wonderland Gorge Lineup

The seventh Beyond Wonderland was again held at the Glen Helen Amphitheater. In this year of the Beyond series, Insomniac Events created the 'Endless Sea,' featuring an aquatic aesthetic throughout the festival. ^[20] Expanding from the typical Alice in Wonderland aesthetic that had been seen in years prior, this year of Beyond showed an expansion of immersive experiences and interaction from performers and art pieces.

Beyond Wonderland Front Gate Tickets

San Bernardino, CA - March 16 & 17 2018[edit]

The eighth Beyond Wonderland saw a change of venue to one of its former venues, the NOS (National Orange Show) in San Bernardino. This year of Beyond featured acts such as Tiesto, Kayzo, and Chris Lake. ^[21]Because of the venue change, Beyond Wonderland no longer offered camping starting in 2018.

San Bernardino, CA - March 22 & 23 2019[edit]

The ninth Beyond Socal was at the NOS Events Center. ^[22] This year marked a good year in ticket sales for Beyond, with the first day selling out in less than 24 hours. ^[23] This year featured a good amount of music surprises, such as Deadmau5, REZZ, and ZHU. ^[24] as well as a return to the classic Alice in Wonderland aesthetic that characterized the Beyond series.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^'Beyond Wonderland SoCal March 22 & 23, 2019'.
2. ^'Insomniac Unveils Incredible Lineup For 2015 Beyond Wonderland, Southern California'. January 30, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
3. ^'EDC PUERTO RICO & BEYOND WONDERLAND BAY AREA NOT HAPPENING THIS YEAR'. March 30, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
4. ^'How It All Began – Insomniac'. www.insomniac.com. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
5. ^Events, Insomniac (March 1, 2010). 'Beyond Wonderland 2010 Official Trailer'. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
6. ^'Don't Miss Out: Why You Need To Experience Camping at Beyond Wonderland 2015'. February 26, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
7. ^'Beyond Bay Area Announce Trailer 2012'. August 7, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
8. ^(PDF)https://s3.amazonaws.com/beyondBA2012/beyond-ba-2012-schedule.pdf?v=1.Missing or empty title= (help)
9. ^'More Than 100 Arrested At Mountain View Rave'. September 30, 2013.
10. ^(PDF)https://web.archive.org/web/20131007213719/http://beyondwonderland.com/docs/beyond-bay-2013-schedule.pdf. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2013-10-07.Missing or empty title= (help)
11. ^'More Than 60 People Arrested at Beyond Wonderland Rave Concert in Mountain View'. September 21, 2014.
12. ^Woods, Wes (March 22, 2015). 'Best and worst of Beyond Wonderland 2015'. The Sun. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
13. ^Cuniff, Meghann M. (March 28, 2015). 'UC Irvine student, 22, dies at music festival'. The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
14. ^Nelson, Joe (September 5, 2015). '32 hospitalized, 300 arrested at Nocturnal Wonderland in Devore'. San Bernardino Sun. The Sun. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
15. ^'Insomniac Reveals Lineup for Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2015!'. EDM Sauce. February 26, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
16. ^'5 Reasons to Camp at Beyond Wonderland 2015'. Insomniac Events. February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
17. ^'Lineup'. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
18. ^'BEYOND WONDERLAND'S 2016 LINEUP HAS FINALLY ARRIVED'. Jan 19, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
19. ^'Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2016 Lineup Announced'. Jan 19, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
20. ^Petriw, Nicole (April 14, 2017). 'Beyond Wonderland 2017: The Endless Sea Recap'. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
21. ^Gilmore, Grant (March 12, 2018). 'BEYOND WONDERLAND SOCAL 2018 SET TIMES, FESTIVAL MAP, & MORE!'. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
22. ^'Hours and Info'. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
23. ^'BEYOND WONDERLAND 2019 BREAKS ALL-TIME TICKET SALES RECORDS'. February 12, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
24. ^Otto, kent (January 7, 2019). 'Lineup announced for SoCal's Beyond Wonderland 2019 festival'. Retrieved May 12, 2019.

External links[edit]

Beyond Wonderland 2021 Set Times

Beyond Wonderland Socal 2021 Lineup