As summer 2025 approaches, the United States EDM scene is gearing up for one of its most dynamic seasons yet. From lush, wooded retreats to desert-rimmed raves, festivals across the United States are ready to welcome fans with bass drops, stunning visuals, and unforgettable community energy. With lineups featuring some of the biggest names in the industry alongside plenty of rising stars the stage is set for a season of sonic exploration. Whether you’re a veteran raver or a newcomer to the culture, this summer’s festival circuit offers an escape into sound like no other.
Starting this list of events is Electric Forest, kicking off on June 19–22 in the woods of Rothbury, MI. This beloved festival is not your normal music festival; it’s an escape to a new world. Neon art installations snake through the forest, secret stages pop up between the trees, and costumed characters roam the pathways, creating a fantasy-meets-festival environment. Electric Forest has long embraced a wide sonic palette, with past headliners ranging from house to funk to bass music. While the 2025 lineup remains under wraps, fans can expect the usual mix of marquee acts and mind-expanding performances.
All the way on the East Coast, Elements Music & Arts Festival is building momentum as
one of the country’s most eclectic and immersive fests. Held August 8–11 in Long Pond, PA within the Poconos Mountains. Elements blends music, wellness, and large-scale interactive art into a full-spectrum experience. With four themed stages named after Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the festival creates an environment that’s equal parts burner-style creativity and world-class dance party. The 2025 lineup features heavyweights like Deadmau5, ILLENIUM, Rezz, Sofi Tukker, and Zeds Dead. Between sets, attendees can take part in sound baths, breathwork sessions, and visual art workshops—making Elements not just a rave, but a retreat.
Heading westward, Das Energi Festival returns August 8–9 to the shores of the Great Salt Lake in UT, bringing with it some of the most hard-hitting bass in the country. This two-day event, set against the backdrop of the Saltair Pavilion and the surreal lakefront landscape, is known for its booming sound systems and dramatic stage designs. Das Energi specializes in
the grittier, high-energy side of EDM—think dubstep, trap, and techno—with past performers including Excision, SLANDER, Subtronics,
and Liquid Stranger. The location itself is a draw: as day turns to night, the salt flats reflect the light show in all directions, making for an otherworldly dance floor under the stars.
While not exclusively electronic, Lollapalooza (August 1–4 in Chicago) continues to reserve massive stage slots for EDM giants. In recent years, artists like Zedd, Flume, and Madeon have turned Grant Park into a full-blown rave zone. In 2025, the dance stage is expected to be bigger than ever, with organizers reportedly booking headliners from across the EDM spectrum to cater to a growing segment of fans who come solely for the beats.
Other honorable mentions include Hard Summer, expected to return to Southern California in early August, bringing a mix of hip-hop and EDM to the West Coast with a party-first attitude, and Bass Canyon, one of Excision’s signature bass-heavy festival held at the scenic Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state from August 15–17. While technically just after peak summer, Bass Canyon has become a mecca for dubstep fans who want stunning visuals and body shaking bass in one of the most beautiful venues in the country. Speaking to some people who have attended the fest and who are going this year, after asking Ethan Riddim on how he feels about bass canyon, he says “Bass canyon is my home. There is truly nothing like it and it is genuinely the most fun festival you can go to. Especially with the views at the Gorge (Ampitheater) it is just amazing.”
In a landscape as sonically diverse and geographically wide as the United States, this summer’s EDM festival offerings reflect the evolution of a genre that continues to grow in both sound and spirit. From the deep wooded pines of Michigan to the blazing sands of Utah and California, these festivals aren’t parties—they’re places where music becomes a shared language, where strangers become friends, and where love and kindness and a shared like-mindedness for music becomes one. So, whether you’re looking to get lost in a glowing forest, soak up bass by the lake, or dance under the desert sun, the summer of 2025 is ready to deliver. One kick, snare, and clap at a time.
