If you didn’t know this fun fact about us Canadians, we like to party...HARD! The Edmonton crowd this weekend had no shortage of insane energy and PLUR party vibes. From entry on night one to the final farewell on night three, the fest energy was enough to burst open our maple syrup trees and blow the roof off our igloos. (Oh yeah, buckle up for plenty of typical Canadian stereotypes and jokes in this one).

In all seriousness, I had an unreal time at BOMFEST this year. I’m beyond happy that I got to celebrate my home country with such an amazing crowd, and do it all at such a hype festival. 

While there were a ton of reasons why I loved the fest, I’ve narrowed it down to my top five list of best BOMFEST moments. (Afterall we can’t be here all day, my double-double from Tim Hortons will get cold).  

The artists at BOMFEST this year absolutely killed it. I was especially stoked to see Seven Lions and Zhu, and they, along with many other artists, nailed it! There was a minor heart attack from the crowd as thunder and lightning threatened Zhu’s set on Friday. However, huge shoutout to Zhu and the production team for coming clutch and getting the show back on the road once it was safe to do so. I’m convinced Zhu bottled the electricity from the lightning and poured it into his set, because he brought a complete fire storm of insane beats and energy. I also really loved sets from RL Grime, Gryffin, Adventure Club and, of course, the man himself Tiësto, as he brought the fest to an epic close on night three. 

Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodan)

2. The Can’t-Stop-Us Crowd

When I say nothing could stop this crowd, I truly mean the BOMFEST party-train stopped for no one - not even Mother Nature. BOMSQUAD, you guys killed it. Throughout the weekend there were bouts of pouring rain, thunder and lightning and even hail at one point. Did that stop this crowd from going HAM? HELL NO. When rain clouds threatened our good time, the crowd unzipped their fanny packs, whipped out their rain ponchos and partied on. Even when fans had to take shelter indoors, they were ready to rumble as soon as major storms had passed and were right back out on the dance floor. Trust me when I say the Edmonton rave scene is filled with some h-core troopers. Shout out to every single one of you bad babes. I was also in love with everyone’s outfits! There was a ton of rave babes slaying in neon yellow/green fits, and since I was rocking my Get Freaky Neon Bustier Top, I was completely feeling the electric vibe. 

Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodang)

3. The Energy 

This one is a joint effort from the can’t-stop-us crowd, the lineup, and Boodang’s production. The energy from BOMFEST - especially on night three - could have moved the Rocky Mountains. The vibes were completely insane. The artists were filling the air with dope tracks, the crowd was jumping, head banging and shuffling their hearts out to the music-magic, and the crew was going above and beyond to make sure everyone had a rad time. Together, it created the perfect storm of festival hype, and it made the entire experience one that I would never forget.    

Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodang)

4. My homegameauction Instagram and Snapchat Takeovers

On Friday and Saturday night, I took over the homegameauction Snapchat (Friday) and Instagram (Saturday) to share the party with all you rave babes from around the globe. (Thank you so much to everyone who watched!) I had an absolute blast documenting the good times and good vibes, and I am so thrilled that I was able to share the fest with everyone who could only attend in spirit. One of my favorite parts of the takeover was receiving messages from some lovely souls when they recognized someone they knew, or sharing how much they loved seeing an artist that was playing. It made me feel like we were able to connect with the rave community far past any geographical limitations and reminded me just how unifying EDM truly is.   

Me on night one!

Me on night two

5. Boodang’s Magic 

As per usual, I was extremely impressed with Boodang’s production magic. Every Boodang event is epic, and BOMFEST 2019 was definitely no exception. From the nom-train of food trucks, the glowing seats in the chill zone, the crew’s dedication and all the stage magic, Boodang pulled off a Canada Day party for the books. I also really appreciated the fact that the pick-up process for my wristband was incredibly easy, and the security and ID lines flowed really quickly. From start to finish, Boodang was completely on point. 

Awesome seating in the chill zone! 

Words can’t describe this weekend. But to summarize, I had a killer time at BOMFEST this year. I felt confident as heck in my homegameauction outfits (just a little added win), and I had such a blast dancing, jamming, singing and vibing with my squad. 

Perfect way to celebrate Canada (sans moose) = BOMFEST 2019. 

If you haven’t already, you can check out everything you need to know to prep for the fest here.

I am completely psyched to headbang for my home country (patriotism at its finest), and I can’t wait to celebrate with Edmonton's amazing rave community. If there’s one thing this city knows how to do, it’s party. Mixed with Boodang’s stellar production quality and the unreal lineup, this is going to be a Canada Day long weekend for the books.

This year’s lineup is absolutely killer. If I’m being honest, I will probably be Usain Bolt-ing between stages to try to catch as many sets as humanly possible (yes, the lineup is seriously that good).

If you aren’t planning to become an Olympic runner for the fest (completely understandable), here’s my top five list of sets you should be sure to check out:

Tiësto

An icon in the EDM world, Tiësto is one artist I will always be sure to catch. I saw Tiësto for the first time at Chasing Summer in 2017, and I was completely blown away. The energy he brought to the crowd was nothing short of electric. His mix created the perfect hyped-up vibe, and his raw talent and loaded experience couldn’t have been more apparent. In short, Tiësto is a staple in the music world for a reason, and if you aren’t sure why I promise you will know by the end of his set.

Seven Lions

Full disclosure, I physically screamed when I saw Seven Lions on the lineup for BOMFEST. I have been such a huge fan of his for years, and the countless times I have had my friends tell me how amazing his sets are has been giving me some serious FOMO. What I love about his sound is that he has no problem breaking from traditional conventions and testing the boundaries of his creativity. His diverse music style combines sub-genres such as trance, melodic dubstep, electro-house, drum and bass, and glitch hop, and I know his live performance will be nothing short of exceptional.

Zhu

I cannot put into words how stoked I am to see Zhu perform. He has been on my top list of need-to-see artists for years, and while it is heartbreaking that Martin Garrix can no longer attend BOMFEST, the event couldn’t have found a more amazing replacement. I originally fell in love with Zhu’s unique sound after hearing his EP, THE NIGHTDAY, with Faded still being one of my all-time favorite songs. I have heard nothing but amazing things about Zhu’s performances, so I have no doubt his set will be a huge highlight of the fest.

Adventure Club

I love this duo. Adventure Club makes the kind of music that takes over every inch of your body and makes you dance your heart out, at least that’s the case for me. I vibe so hard with their sound and energy, so I can’t wait to have my soul and body overflow with their beats. Also known for putting on unbelievable sets, I know there is going to be electrifying energy during their performance. Adventure Club also happens to be Canadian, which definitely counts for a few extra style points when partying on the Canada Day long weekend.

Bear Grillz

For all of my ragers out there, you need to catch this Bear Grillz set. We are going to be headbanging, neck breaking and raging harder than you ever thought possible. For everyone who wants to unleash their inner animal and go hard from start to finish, Bear Grillz is your party master. I know the intense energy and rage is going to be flooding through the fest during this performance, and I’m pumped to feel the entire crowd go buck wild.

In addition to the amazing list of headliners, I am stoked to check out the lineup of local artists that will be performing at BOMFEST. It’s rad AF that the fest is giving local talent a platform to showcase their beats, and I have no doubt in my mind I will be discovering a few new favorites.

Tickets are going fast, so if you haven’t already, be sure to grab yours ASAP. You can do so here.

Stay in the loop with the fest and join in on the countdown by following them on Instagram. See you there.

This will be my first time raging with the BOMFEST crowd, and I am stoked out of my mind to see everything this fest has to offer. Between the killer lineup, the wild Edmonton crowd and the production team behind Boodang, this is where every raver needs to be for Canada’s birthday-bash weekend. Last year the event was held in September, so I feel like the added summer vibes mixed with the Canada Day weekend will bring incredible energy to the fest this year.  

I had some serious FOMO when I missed out on the event last summer, so this year I am going twice as hard. I want anyone and everyone who likes having a good time to buy your tickets ASAP so we can party together, and make enviously watching Insta stories a thing of the past.

Here’s a rundown of everything to expect:

Photo Provided by Boodang

The lineup:

BOMFEST has an insane lineup this year. There is such a dope variety of sub-genres within the headliners, so there will definitely be something for everyone to vibe with. I really appreciate when a fest throws a variety of artists into the mix. I can’t tell you the number of times of fallen in love with an artist solely because of their live set, so it’s rad to see BOMFEST giving fans the opportunity to connect with a variety of music on this level. I am psyched to see Seven Lions. I have been a Seven Lions fan for ages, so when I saw his name on the lineup I completely freaked. I’ve heard he puts on an amazing set, and I have no doubt it will be well worth the anticipated wait. To be real, every artist on this list looks like a certifiable good time. Personally, the rest of my must-see list includes 1788-L, Adventure Club, ALPHA  9, Bear Grillz, Boombox Cartel, Duke Dumont, Gryffin, Martin Garrix, RL Grime, Tiësto, and TOKiMONSTA. (I told you, it’s one hell of a lineup). Check out the full list of headliners here.

One thing that really impressed me about BOMFEST was not just their headliners, but their list of local artists. Far too often I see a major lack of support for local talent at major events, so to see a fest such as BOMFEST include not just one, not two, but an entire lineup of Local Bom Heroes was really intriguing to me. I am all about supporting local, so I can’t wait to check out all the great talent that’s booming inside this city. Check out the full list of Local Bom Heroes here.

Photo Provided by Boodang

The Venue

To me, summer means outdoor festivals, so I’m pumped that BOMFEST will be spent under the sun instead of under a roof. The fest will be held at the Edmonton Expo Grounds, which is the perfect location for an outdoor event in this city. With 522,000 square feet of space, there will be plenty of room to shuffle and headbang our hearts out.

Photo Provided by Boodang

The city’s LRT (Light Rail Transit) line goes right up to the grounds, so it’s perfect for anyone looking to take a quick and easy public transit ride to the event. If you are looking to drive, paid parking is also available on site.  

The Edmonton Expo Centre is an indoor facility that is also located on the festival grounds, so if whatever reason you need to spend some time indoors (washroom breaks, cool down, warm up, whatever) you’ll be covered.

If you’re directionally-challenged like me, BOMFEST has provided this handy little map to help you out:

Boodang

If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of Boodang productions. They are a complete powerhouse when it comes to entertainment events in Western Canada, and they laid the foundation for this city’s EDM community in 2001 by working with the city of Edmonton to throw the first dance music event supported by a new city bylaw. On top of all that, they know how to throw a wicked party. Boodang’s headliners are always bangin’, their sound quality is spot on, and the entire production from start to finish is always rage-worthy. To put it short, it’s a guaranteed good time.

Photo Provided by Boodang

A Few Need to Knows:

-A site map will be released shortly, so keep your eyes peeled on the BOMFEST site for upcoming info. The door times for the event are as follows:

Friday 4:00pm-11:00pm (BOODANG STAGE ONLY)

Saturday 2:00pm-11:30pm (ALL STAGES)

Sunday 2:00pm-11:30pm (ALL STAGES)

-BOMFEST is an 18+ event, so make sure you bring a piece of valid, government issued photo ID to get in.

-Rain or shine, we rage. If you’re from Alberta, you know our weather can be unpredictable as hell, but thankfully for us BOMFEST is prepared for whatever comes our way. (Extra points for being ready AF). Like I mentioned above, the Edmonton Expo Centre is an indoor facility that is located on the grounds. So, if rain clouds decide to join the party, there will be plenty of space for you to dry off and warm up inside.

-When the party's over, it isn’t really over. There will be some BOM afterparties to look forward to after the event, so keep checking the BOMFEST site for upcoming details.

-Tickets are going hella fast, so if you haven’t already, make sure you buy yours ASAP.

-For a full list of FAQ’s, the prohibited items list, ticket info and complete event details, visit bomfest.ca  

Photo Provided by Boodang

I’ve noticed BOMFEST has been offering a TON of amazing contests leading up to the event (I’m talking a meet and greet with Adventure Club and a chance to meet Tiësto). So, you absolutely need to make sure you’re following them on Instagram to avoid missing out.  

I also recommend following Boodang on their social platforms as well, to stay in the loop with upcoming fests and shows. You can follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I’m pumped for this event, and I can’t wait to go HAM with all of the amazing Edmontonian fest goers. Which set are you most looking forward to seeing? Comment below!