Since its inception in 2005, the Do LaB has at all times been completely different. Initially launched at Coachella, the venture’s intention was to showcase a modest artwork set up with out a music element. Its founders, nevertheless, refuse to go wherever with out audio system, so when the pageant began turning down, Do LaB began turning up. Now, the get together outfit has its personal unbiased lineup at Coachella, which many anticipate greater than the primary occasion.
Equally, the Do LaB’s flagship pageant, Lightning in a Bottle Music Pageant (LIB), spawned from an intimate birthday celebration within the woods, hosted by three brothers and attended by native pals, music-lovers, and creatives alike. Now rising to just about 20,000 attendees and staging among the most iconic shock visitors in digital music, Lightning in a Bottle has earned a fame as an occasion followers can’t miss and an occasion the place artists present out.
Each music pageant claims to be completely different, however LIB is. Learn on beneath to find the ins and outs of Lightning in a Bottle, and why its legacy is unmatched.
Do LaB Units The Tempo
The Do LaB has constructed fairly a powerful fame since its humble beginnings at Coachella. What was as soon as a small artwork set up has turn out to be one of the vital sought-after levels at one of the vital prestigious festivals on the planet.
Coachella invitations artists to debut never-before-seen performances on the pageant, and with all eyes on the occasion, swelling anticipation and stress surrounding the weekend yield a few of music’s most iconic performances. Tucked away inside the bustling venue is the Do LaB—a stage that thrives on spontaneity and earned moments. Digital DJs make the most of this delicate steadiness on the Do LaB to premiere new songs, invite VIP visitors to hitch their performances, and stretch the get together into the early morning hours.
By forgoing livestreams, Do LaB performances stay unique and intimate with attendees, however their reputations and stand-out moments set the developments for dance music forward. Only a few months later, the Do LaB reignites this flame at Lightning in a Bottle.
The Do LaB trusts performers’ creativity and offers them efficiency autonomy whereas perfecting the attract of thriller and shock that festivalgoers love. A uncommon mix of inventive freedom and a rigorously cultivated group spirit has made the pageant a magnet for high-profile artists, who aren’t simply wanting to play, however are leaving all of it on the stage.
Historic visits from Skrillex, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Bonobo, and 4 Tet at Lightning in a Bottle and shock appearances from ODESZA, Billie Eilish, Skrillex, and Main Lazer at Do LaB’s Coachella stage are hailed as watershed moments in digital music historical past. No matter they’re cooking up, ecstatic power surrounds the Do LaB, as artists and followers alike await musical ingenuity and unpredictable moments that merely can by no means and can by no means be recreated on this lifetime.
Not Your Common Ol’ Pageant
Regardless of its fame as one of the vital famend transformational festivals in america, Lightning in a Bottle has remained a remarkably intimate and boutique music expertise. As festivals flip to company assist in states of financial misery, Lightning in a Bottle stays true to its roots in offering a protected, experimental house for its attendees to faucet right into a deeper realm.
Chances are you’ll know what a transformational pageant is, heard it tossed round, or haven’t any clue; however at it’s core, a transformational pageant is one which exceptionally executes an setting that’s welcoming of latest concepts, encourages its attendees to embrace the group round them, celebrates humanity from all walks of life, pushes the bounds of the human expertise, and sometimes bodily cuts off the surface world as we all know it. Just like the title implies, attendees depart Lightning in a Bottle with a brand new outlook on the world and a way of freshness; really reworked.
That includes a lineup riddled with superstars like John Summit, Subtronics, TroyBoi, Hamdi, Tape B, PEEKABOO, Jade Cicada, and many extra, it’s simple to consider music could be middle stage at this pageant. However maybe LIB says it finest themselves: “The magic isn’t at all times the place you count on it. It’s discovered within the moments between.”
The bread and butter of Lightning in a Bottle is the experiences that stimulate the physique each bodily and mentally. With over 150 talks and workshops all through the weekend, it could be unimaginable to go away the pageant with out studying one thing new, increasing your thoughts, or experiencing newfound appreciation for all times.
Equally, yoga and motion programs invite pageant attendees to gradual their minds whereas activating their muscle tissue. With a dedication to group, LIB hosts a lineup of occasions that stimulate connection, charity, sustainability, and camaraderie.
With free tenting included in each pageant cross and seamless upgrades obtainable on-line, LIB makes slipping off the grid easy and engaging. Strolling right into a model new expertise, leaving any baggage on the door, and absolutely immersing oneself within the surrounding setting is essential to have a transformational weekend, and it’s clear that this constructive and revitalizing journey is a precedence within the ethos of Lightning in a Bottle. Whereas music is just formally curated for 3 days of the pageant, attendees are invited to arrange store from Wednesday to Monday, permitting time to acclimate to the environment, set intentions for a satisfying weekend, and type bonds inside the group, with out feeling rushed.
Elevated Engagement
Smaller crowds, extra time on web site, and a distant location that makes tenting a well-liked alternative, if not a requirement, imply that Lightning in a Bottle usually attracts a extra skilled viewers. Attendees typically undertake a extra holistic view of festivals, the place the main focus is much less on lineups and the get together fosters a unique vibe from different, extra mainstream festivals.
Some might label it a ‘wook fest,’ however I feel that’s as a result of the pageant conjures up us to faucet into our truest type. It exhibits us that everybody in our group is deserving of respect and love, regardless of how ‘on the market’ they might be. Regardless, the engagement at LIB is undeniably elevated with neighbors searching for one another and guaranteeing security whereas embracing the ambiance of the pageant to domesticate an environment of connection and play.
Lightning in a Bottle 2025 will happen from Might 21-25 at Buena Vista Lake, California. For extra data or to buy tickets, go to libfestival.org.
All photographs courtesy: Lightning in a Bottle.
