Escapade Music Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary in style with a weekend packed full electrifying performances, vibrant crowds, and more.

Escapade Music Festival returned for its 15th anniversary with a massive celebration, marked by a brand-new venue, genre-spanning lineups, and unforgettable energy across three days of music and connection in Ottawa.

This year, Escapade moved to the expansive RA Centre Grounds, offering a more accessible and immersive experience with larger stages, improved flow, and upgraded production. The new layout gave festival-goers more room to dance, explore, and soak in the summer vibes, making 2025 the biggest and boldest edition to date.

The House Party Stage was the heartbeat of the underground, with deep grooves and hypnotic rhythms all weekend long. Loco Dice brought raw, stripped-back techno with a signature punch. Green Velvet kept the crowd in high spirits with his quirky charisma and relentless house heaters. Disclosure’s performance stood out as a highlight of the weekend, blending UK garage, live instrumentation, and crowd-favorite hits like “Latch” and “You & Me.”

Over on The Great Lawn (Mainstage), big-room energy and melodic builds took center stage. MORTEN, known for pioneering the Future Rave sound with David Guetta, brought peak-time energy to his set. DVBBS fired up the local crowd with a mix of festival anthems and high-octane electro. Chris Lake delivered a masterclass in tech-house with thumping basslines and crowd-control finesse. Closing out with style, The Chainsmokers returned to Ottawa with a cinematic set that blended their pop-crossover catalog with live vocals and visual storytelling.

credit Chris Nino

The Lot (Bass Stage) was the sanctuary for bass lovers, where the ground-shaking low end and intense visuals stole the show. Subtronics delivered a barrage of dubstep and riddim, packed with unreleased edits and crowd eruptions. Excision brought his full-scale production to the capital, turning the bass stage into a dystopian rave experience. DJ Snake introduced his darker alias “The Outlaw,” dropping hard trap, global bass, and dubstep in a surprise-heavy set that had fans buzzing for days after.

credit Chris Nino

Beyond the headliners, the festival featured standout performances from Kygo, RL Grime, Kaskade, Galantis, Gryffin, Gorgon City, Vintage Culture, and an Anjunabeats 25 takeover from Above & Beyond. Canadian talent was also well represented with appearances from HNTR, Rose Motion, Laura Scavo, and Sheva, cementing Escapade’s reputation as a launchpad for both international and local stars.

This year’s improvements didn’t stop at the lineup. Fans praised the enhanced layout, better crowd management, and the expanded space that allowed each stage to feel like its own distinct world. Escapade continues to evolve into more than just a festival—it’s a celebration of dance music culture and community.

For those who couldn’t make it or are already planning their return, Escapade 2026 is gearing up to be even bigger. Tickets and pre-sale registration are available now at escapademf.com.

Stay up to date by following Escapade on their socials:
Instagram: @escapademf
Twitter: @escapademf
Facebook: Escapade Music Festival
TikTok: @escapademf

EDM Festivals in July 2025 are bringing some of the biggest names and experiences to the global scene.

From Belgium’s legendary immersion at Tomorrowland to the cutting-edge techno of Awakenings, here’s your ultimate run-down of ten festivals you won’t want to miss next month

1. Tomorrowland
Dates: July 18–20 & July 25–27
Location: Boom, Belgium
This year’s theme, “Orbyz,” transforms the festival into an enchanting icy realm, spanning 16 stages and featuring over 600 artists, including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Solomun, and many more. Expect top-tier production, global crowds, and a euphoric atmosphere at one of the most iconic festivals on the planet.

2. Awakenings Festival
Dates: June 11-13
Location: Spaarnwoude, Netherlands
As the crown jewel of techno, Awakenings brings top-tier techno artists to sprawling outdoor stages. Expect massive crowds, impeccable production, and a weekend full of pounding basslines. The 2025 lineup welcomes Nina Kraviz, Carl Cox, 999999999, Mau P, Vintage Culture & more.

3. Airbeat One
Dates: July 9–13
Location: Neustadt-Glewe, Germany
Over 250 artists bring high energy to this iconic airfield party. Mainstage stars include Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Sebastian Ingrosso, Timmy Trumpet, and techno icons like Amelie Lens and Boris Brejcha. Expect massive crowds, huge visuals, and relentless beats.

4. Stereoparc
Dates: July 18–19
Location: Rochefort, France
Set at the historic Corderie Royale, this boutique fest focuses on Afrohouse, hard techno, and EDM. The lineup includes Amelie Lens, Afrojack, W&W, Tchami, Stella Bossi, Mosimann, and Carla Schmitt. A stylish, dance-focused weekend by the sea in a culturally rich setting.

5. Sea You Festival
Dates: July 18–20
Location: Freiburg, Germany
Mixing techno, house, and trance, Sea You features Anna Reusch, AVAION, Bad Boombox, Blastoyz, Hector Oaks, Mija, Neelix, Lexy & K‑Paul, I Hate Models, Nora En Pure, and more. Located lakeside, it’s a laid-back but energetic summer celebration known for its floating dancefloors and sun-soaked vibes.

6. Electric Love Festival
Dates: July 2–5
Location: Salzburgring, Austria
With seven stages and 200+ artists, ELF offers everything from EDM to techno, bass, and harder styles. Top acts include Bou, Dom Dolla, Lilly Palmer, Sub Focus, Azyr, and Angerfist. Set against Austria’s mountain backdrop, this is one of Europe’s most scenic electronic music festivals.

7. Shambhala Music Festival
Dates: July 25–28
Location: Salmo, BC, Canada
Canada’s beloved boutique fest returns with heavyweight bass and genre-bending acts like Andy C, Excision, Illenium, Flying Lotus, Bob Moses, Chris Lake, and more. A cult-classic experience nestled deep in nature on a family-run farm with a strong community spirit.

8. FVDED in the Park
Dates: July 4-5
Location: Surrey, Canada
Canada’s West Coast staple blends big EDM names with hip-hop, bass, and more — an inclusive, high-energy party experience under the sky in Metro Vancouver. Lineup details are coming soon, but the fest is confirmed and always delivers big.

9. Badlands Music Festival
Dates: July 3–13
Location: Calgary, Canada
Beneath Alberta’s expansive skies, Badlands serves up an eclectic EDM buffet. Expect headliners like Tiësto, Disclosure, RL Grime, Rudimental, Zedd, Lane 8, Subtronics, Zeds Dead, Gryffin, and more spread across themed nights. Held during Calgary Stampede week, it’s one of Canada’s most unique urban festivals.

10. Kappa FuturFestival
Dates: July 4–6
Location: Turin, Italy
A premier destination for techno and house, this year’s edition features Adam Beyer B2B Maceo Plex, Boris Brejcha, Charlotte de Witte, Carl Cox, Diplo, MEDUZA, Peggy Gou, Vintage Culture, Anyma, Solomun, and more. Held in Parco Dora, it’s the go-to fest for underground sounds with top-tier visuals.

Whether you’re chasing intimacy in woodland venues or epic scale under strobe-lit skies, summer 2025 has something for every kind of raver. Let the countdown begin.

Hot off the back of a monumental second year of his OUT 2 LUNCH festival last weekend, today FISHER is pleased to announce a special pop-up show with Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and label head CHRIS LAKE: FISHER B2B CHRIS LAKE SYDNEY POP-UP, a one-off and exclusive performance set to take place at a secret venue in Sydney this Saturday May 10. An artist who has performed to record-breaking and sold-out crowds throughout his career to date, FISHER will join forces with longtime collaborator and fellow party-starter CHRIS LAKE for this intimate Sydney show at a location set to be revealed later this week. 

FISHER and CHRIS LAKE are dominating the ARIA Club Charts, currently holding the #1 and #2 spots respectively. FISHER’s latest single, Stay, continues its impressive reign, marking seven consecutive weeks at the top of the chart, while LAKE’s single Ease My Mind (with Abel Balder) has held firm at the top end of the charts for an impressive eleven weeks. Their chart-topping success underscores both artists’ continued influence and popularity within the global electronic music scene.

Following the incredible debut of OUT 2 LUNCH festival in 2024, global superstar FISHER returned once again to his hometown in 2025 last weekend for the festival’s sophomore edition, transforming the Broadwater Parklands into a dazzling display of music, togetherness and Aussie good vibes across two sold out days. Bringing together over 30,000 fans across Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4, OUT 2 LUNCH featured a headlining slot each night by FISHER himself, joining CHRIS LAKE, Patrick Topping, DJ Boring, Noizu, Hayden James, Jake Smith, Little Fritter, Shimmy and more. Once again firmly displaying FISHER’s insatiable performance alongside a stellar curated lineup, OUT 2 LUNCH also brought a much-needed economic boost to the Gold Coast, with the city still working to regroup amongst the ongoing effects of Cyclone Alfred.

With $54 million injected into the region, 1,500 jobs created, over 200 local business engaged for the event, and accommodation sold out across the city, Australia’s biggest dance party may have been forced to relocate from the iconic Gold Coast sand setting due to the cyclone damage in the area, but there was no dulling the festivities across the historic weekend. And while thousands flocked to “follow the Fish”, delivering one of the biggest dance events ever witnessed on the Gold Coast, OUT 2 LUNCH also once again donated $1 from each ticket sale to charity, with $20 also donated from each guest list and comp ticket, ultimately raising over $30,000 for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Tickets to the FISHER B2B CHRIS LAKE Sydney pop-up show go onsale to the general public on Friday 9 May @12:30pm AEST from https://laylo.com/chrislake/Sydney_popup.