Northern Nights 2024: An Uncanny Family Under the Redwood Trees and the Northern California Stars
Charlotte Ege, FestForums | July 25, 2024
Tall, behemoth Redwood Trees and the meandering Eel River, the rhythmic tempo of house music as well as the hypnotic bassline of wub music, fifty bouncy hopper balls in front of an intergalactic themed stage, dancers manipulating and flowing with light up fans and whips - these are just a few incredible aspects of the magical experience that is Northern Nights Music Festival. A three-day event that takes place in the enchanting Redwood Forest at Cooks Valley Campground in Piercy, California, Northern Nights is a unique blend of electronic music, immersive art, and a love for the outdoors that exemplifies a unique rave culture that feels like a 10,000 person family.
Northern Nights River Stage on the Eel River; Photo Credit: Johnny Edge Photography
While boasting a large line up with popular headliners LSDream, Zhu, and Diplo, this festival is most well known for its renegade stages that feature a diverse range of artists playing electronic music from drum and bass to dubstep. Renegades are a feature of the electronic music scene that are much more intimate, usually known about through word-of-mouth, offering spontaneous sets and a grassroots production quality. At Northern Nights, these “Our Friends” stages are on the festival map but are usually found by wandering through the campground along the Eel River.
The Madrone “Our Friends” stage is where many prefer to end their night due to an eclectic mix of EDM with other music genres, from hip hop to pop to latin music. Under a beautiful tent that overlooks the river, this stage includes an innovative bar, a floral art installation that changes under blacklight, and various couches and cushions to lie down on and relax after a long night enjoying the vibrant crowd of the Main Stage. This festival also has five primary stages, including a River Stage that plays all day. Here, popular DJ “itsmurph” performed an epic house set that could be heard by hundreds of people floating along the river. Meanwhile, nestled up a hill and down into a gravel pit lies the Octopus Garden, or the Bunker stage, where octopus tentacles rise around a sunken area that allows for amazing acoustics and an immersive feeling of being underwater.
Northern Nights Main Stage; Photo Credit: Charlotte Ege
Northern Nights is an incredible and vibrant community experiencing electronic music in a breathtaking setting, where the open-hearted and loving spirit of the rave community here creates an inclusive and supportive atmosphere for experienced ravers as well as first-timers. 18 years and going strong, Northern Nights hopes to keep getting better and better each year.