On September 15th and 16th, the planets will align to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dream Nation festival. Taking place this year in the vast outdoor spaces of the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord in Villepinte, France, an extraordinary world will be built around love of electronic music for two nights of pure hedonism. Ready for take-off?
In 2023, more than ever, visitors will be immersed in a waking dream world. With animation, post-apocalyptic decors and spectacular stage shows, dreamers will be invited to escape to a land where the notion of time no longer exists, where sky and sea merge, and where only the magic of celebration count.
In an area of over 45,000m², 3 stages hosting the biggest names on the electronic scene will be decked out in their finest ornaments to captivate festival-goers. For the past decade, digital visual arts have been in the spotlight at Dream Nation; in 2023, projections and mapping by VJing heavyweights FEMUR, Rabbit Killerz and The Hybrid Project will illuminate the stages’ colossal LED screen structures. To complete this visual experience, they will be accompanied by a lightshow and hypnotic lasers, as well as a pyrotechnics show that promises to heat up dancefloors already ablaze with the frenetic dancing of dreamers.
Around these monumental stages, fantastic creatures from this parallel world will wander throughout the 2 night sessions: stilt-walking performers, mysterious warriors, celestial nymphs and strange glitter merchants will visit festival-goers in the various festival spaces. Dreamers will also be able to join in the magic of the festival with a brand-new experience: a costume shop where everyone can borrow a disguise and embody the character of their dreams for one night.
Beyond the stages and entertainment, this year Dream Nation will take the form of a surreal village where all the senses are invited to open up. There will be chill-out areas featuring art installations made of recycled materials, the emblematic thrill ride, bumper cars, food-trucks for all tastes, and a variety of stalls: thrift shops, crafts, CBD, face painting, and tattoo-artists Claratattoouille and Dubatonkun.
To complete and celebrate this magical ephemeral universe, more than 50 top names from all corners of the electronic music world will be gathering to amaze festival-goers.
On Friday, September 15, as the new moon rises in the starry sky, some of the most exciting artists on the techno scene will take to the stage: undisputed queen Nina Kraviz will make her thumping bass roar, as will Ellen Allien, Cassie Raptor and Hector Oaks. On the Hard Music Stage, speeding stars Miss K8, Billx, Rooler and Act Of Rage will be honoring the furious bpms of Hard Music. The third stage will feature fiery live shows from some of the most unclassifiable bands on the electro scene: Bagarre, Contrefaçon, and Salut c’est Cool who will present their Dimension Bonus concept.
Building on the auspiciousness of the previous day, Saturday September 16 will feature the bewitching organic Trance liveshows of Hilight Tribe and La P’tite Fumée, as well as the round, galloping bass of Ajja, Berg and BLiSS on the Trance Stage. A Dream Nation first: two stages will be hosted that night! On the one hand, the Bass Music Stage will be taken over by the Deadbeats label founded by the iconic Zeds Dead. They’ll be joined by titans Wilkinson, Virtual Riot, Liquid Stranger, Barely Alive and Koven. On the other hand, La Darude, collective, emblematic of Parisian Eurodance and gabber nights, will take control of the last stage, with guests of honor Paul Seul and Von Bikräv on b2b, Eargasm God and MRD. An Olympic marathon of sound!
There are only a few weeks left before Dream Nation opens its doors! The team can’t wait to see dreamers navigate a colorful world where anything is possible, to rediscover the incandescent energy that emanates from the dancefloors of the 3 stages, and to put on the most beautiful smiles thanks to the best artists on today’s electronic scene.
FRIDAY 15 & SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2023 at the Parc des Expositions Paris Nord Villepinte, France.
H/T L.D.