UNTOLD X wasn’t just a festival, it was a four-night celebration of music, unity, and pure magic in Cluj, Romania.

We just got back from UNTOLD X and honestly, it was unreal. Our team’s first time in Romania and it couldn’t get any better than this. Four straight nights in Cluj with over 470,000 people from all over the world, and every night felt bigger than the last.

Post Malone kicked off his European tour, and the whole stadium was packed singing along. The start of the show with ‘Texas Tea’ to the pyro and energy during ‘Rockstar’ and the closing with ‘Congratulations’ was something to remember for ages. The country rockstar persona definitely suits him.

Armin van Buuren gave us a three-hour marathon set that turned into this massive love letter to the crowd, he even walked down into the audience under a sea of phone lights, waving the Romanian flag while wearing the Romanian football team jersey. Goosebumps.

The Avicii tribute with Sandro Cavazza was as emotional as it could get. When he sang ‘Without You’, tens of thousands of people sang along and the whole place lit up. It felt like everyone was united in that moment.

The lineup was stacked. Garrix blew us away with his special set and the fireworks at the end of his set with ‘High on Life’ were unforgettable. Tiësto did a special extended set just for the 10th anniversary. Don Diablo premiered his new show concept for his upcoming tour. And then you had the special act, Salvatore Ganacci turning the stage into a living room and Alan Walker with his cinematic visuals and an energetic set.

Alok brought team of dancers and the whole set was probably the highlight of the festival. The visuals, the production, the music and the crowds energy were just unmatched.

It wasn’t just about the mainstage either. The Galaxy stage had heavyweights like Dom Dolla, ARTBAT, Adriatique, and Black Coffee, proper house and techno journeys that went late into the night. The festival had so many different vibes, from chill daytime sets in the park to full-on raves at night.

What really stood out though was how much UNTOLD leaned into the experience beyond the music. There were food stalls, games, fashion corners, even a special kids’ area and a sensory space for kids with neurodiverse needs. They even brought in cancer survivors from Youth Cancer Europe to meet artists, it really felt like a community, not just a festival.

This was the 10th edition, and they made it clear it was both a celebration of the last decade and a teaser for what’s next. They’re already talking about “UNTOLD One” in 2026 as the next chapter. If this anniversary was any indication, it’s going to be on another level.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by UNTOLD (@untoldfestival)

The history of EDM shows how what started in underground warehouse parties is now shaping festivals, pop culture, and digital spaces alike.

In the 90s, electronic dance music, or EDM, was the underground sound of the moment. It lived in the shadows, in secret warehouse raves, abandoned fields, and dingy clubs. It was a subculture, a community built around a shared love of a repetitive beat and being an outsider. Fast forward to today, and that same sound is the soundtrack to some of the biggest festivals on the planet, a dominant force in pop music, and a key part of the world of online gaming.

There is no denying the epic story of how EDM has gone from fringe to the frontline of global culture. It’s a story of technological innovation, commercial explosion, and a fundamental change in the consumption of music. Here, we consider the shifts in EDM since its roots in the 90s rave culture, and the forces behind its seemingly unstoppable rise.

From Secret Raves to a Global Movement

Because early EDM was sort of secretive, the scene was super underground. The vibe was the PLUR culture: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. Raves were illegal parties, their locations divulged on fliers and via whispered telephone calls. The music was raw and diverse, and it was broken up into tribes like techno, house, trance, and jungle. The DJs were legends within it, and unknown outside of it. Individuality became secondary to the collective experience of the music and the dance floor.

The first of these followed as the sound began to go mainstream in the late 90s/early 2000s. Acts like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Daft Punk came along. They began to receive attention in film and television commercials, and their music videos were played on MTV. For the first time, this electronic sound was being exposed to the general public, not as an underground subculture but as a cool option for pop music. And it set the stage for what was to come.

The Rise of the DJ as a Rock Star

The next big shift was the DJ becoming a global superstar. In the 2010s, with the rise of bro-step and progressive house, Skrillex, Avicii, and David Guetta became household names. This new wave of EDM was bigger, louder, and more melodic. It was festival crowd ready.

This was the era of the drop. The music was built around building tension and releasing it in an explosive bass and synth crescendo. This created a shared emotional moment for tens of thousands of people at once. As a result of this, DJs were no longer just playing records; they were performers, the main attraction. They commanded huge fees, had elaborate stage productions with pyros and LED screens, and flew around the world in private jets. The anonymous figure in the dark corner of the club was replaced by a modern-day rock star.

The Festival Experience

The festivals grew as the DJs did. Small festivals like EDC Las Vegas, Tomorrowland Belgium, and Ultra Miami became weekender extravaganzas. These aren’t just music, they are total experiences! They are pop-up fantasy worlds with carnival rides, art installations, costumed performers, and high production values. This festival boom turned EDM into an industry. These are billion-dollar events and a rite of passage for millions of people. Instead of the small, local, and personal vibe of a ’90s rave, it became a big, shiny production. This combination of super festivals made EDM mainstream.

The Digital Age: Streaming, Social Media, and Gaming

The Internet played a role at each stage of EDM’s trajectory. It was essentially through online forums and file-sharing that the music got out in its early days. Finding new artists and genres is easier than ever today, with streaming services such as Spotify and Soundcloud. A new producer can create a song in their bedroom, upload it to the Internet, and it can go viral overnight, entirely without involving traditional music industry middlemen. Additionally, artists have used social media to engage directly with audiences and fans. DJs post behind-the-scenes content, new music, and shows on Instagram and TikTok. This has fostered a community and a loyal sense of belonging to the scene.

More recently, EDM has found itself as the go-to music choice for gamers. Players strap into and blast EDM; the consensus online is that it helps to “lock in” and enhances gameplay performance. This has become so mainstream that a quick search on platforms like Spotify for Gaming EDM will give you thousands of playlists that are specifically tailored to this.

Game developers have noticed this trend and incorporated it into their games. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 use the music genre heavily in their soundscape, and games like Fortnite host virtual EDM concerts with artists like Marshmello.

EDM (electronic dance music) has become increasingly integrated into niche gaming scenes, like the iGaming industry. Video slot developers often feature EDM for its background music; Microgaming even developed a game in collaboration with Deadmau5, and many other sites include the music as the background soundscape for their live dealer rooms.

These platforms understand it’s not just about having bonuses for their site—like the highly contested no deposit bonus—but also about maintaining a game library that follows and caters to popular gaming trends. In an industry where trends evolve rapidly, failing to adapt quickly can leave operators falling further behind the competition, making it essential to stay in tune with what players want.

The Sound Spreads

The big-room festival sound was the dominant sound of the 2010s. But the EDM landscape is now more diverse than ever. As the mainstream sound got more commercial, fans and artists started looking for something different. And that’s led to a big resurgence of the genre’s roots.

Today, there’s a scene for almost every subgenre imaginable. The deep, hypnotic techno and house grooves are filling clubs from Berlin to Ibiza. More melodic and emotional genres, like progressive house and trance, still have global followings. And new sounds are emerging all the time, blending hip-hop, pop, and world music with electronic beats. So, the genre never gets old and has something for almost every taste.

Just one week has passed since HARD Summer Music Festival 2025 transformed Hollywood Park into the heart of the SoCal dance music scene — and the post-festival blues is still real.

Over two electrifying days, thousands of festival-goers immersed themselves in a world of pulsating basslines, SoCal sun-soaked vibes, and top-tier performances that spanned house, techno, Latin beats, and bass-heavy anthems. As one of Southern California’s signature electronic dance music festivals, HARD Summer 2025 once again showcased the breadth of EDM — from house and techno to bass and Latin influences.

The Setting: Hollywood Park as a Permanent Home

HARD Summer has truly settled into its permanent home at Hollywood Park, and it’s hard to imagine a better fit. Six stages — Hard, Harder, Green, Purple, Pink, and the intimate BeatBox Boombox Art Car — offered a carefully curated mix of sounds and atmospheres. The BeatBox Boombox stage, tucked away from the main action, felt like a hidden tropical oasis with palm trees, sand, and two massive fans that simulated a coastal breeze. The VIP area at the Hard Stage was a crowd favorite, complete with a pool, “cabana-style” seating, and a dedicated bar — the perfect place to cool down while staying close to the music.

SoCal weather played its part too: Saturday brought near-perfect conditions with mild humidity, while Sunday turned up the heat slightly, adding to the festival’s intensity. Crowd flow differed noticeably between the two days —Saturday felt more open and easier to navigate, perhaps thanks to Lady Gaga’s performance across the way at the Kia Forum, which likely drew part of the audience away. By contrast, Sunday delivered bigger crowds and higher energy across the board.

This year’s lineup spanned a huge range of genres and included artists such as 999999999, Adam Ten B2B Mita Gami, Barry Can’t Swim, Gesaffelstein, Floating Points Live, Busta Rhymes, Dom Dolla, Deorro, Four Tet, I Hate Models, Kaytranada, FEID, and many more. From pounding techno and hypnotic house to Latin rhythms and bass-heavy drops, HARD Summer 2025 showcased why it remains one of the most diverse EDM festivals in Los Angeles.

Artist Highlights

The Blessed Madonna delivered pure euphoria on the Pink Stage. Her set was warm, inviting, and rhythmically hypnotic, blending house grooves with disco-inspired beats. She created a aural space where arms stayed raised and smiles never faded — the kind of set that reminded you why you came to a festival in the first place.

Kaytranada brought his signature blend of smooth R&B grooves and deep house basslines, crafting a set that was sensual, soulful, and perfectly timed for golden hour. His track selections pulled the crowd into a shared trance — couples swaying, friends dancing with drinks in hand — the ultimate soundtrack for a warm Los Angeles sunset.

FEID, HARD Summer’s first Latin headliner, was one of the weekend’s defining moments. By the time he took the stage, the Hard Stage crowd was at capacity, and the energy was undeniable with a few attendees requesting security assistance for medical attention. His performance was more than a concert — it was a cultural milestone. Backed by stunning visuals, pyrotechnics, and a towering monitor installation in the shape of a head, FEID invited fans inside his creative vision, keeping their attention from the first beat to the last.

On Sunday, the Harder Stage saw Fcukers deliver high-energy beats that kept the crowd moving. Deorro, a Los Angeles native, closed out the night with a set that perfectly balanced his signature Latin-infused electro house with festival anthems. He even surprised fans with a guest appearance by B-Real of Cypress Hill for their timeless hit ‘Insane in the Membrane’, igniting one of the weekend’s most talked-about moments.

Earlier in the day, Four Tet delivered a set that was both immersive and genre-defying. Known for his ability to weave minimal techno, organic percussion, and unexpected samples, he transformed the stage into a sonic journey that kept the audience locked in from start to finish.

Hard Summer 2025 Recap

Beyond the sets, HARD Summer 2025 proved why it remains one of the premier EDM festivals in California. From its diverse genre representation to its balance of massive mainstage moments and intimate side-stage experiences, the festival catered to both hardcore dance music fans and first-time attendees. Hollywood Park’s layout made navigating between stages efficient, while the variety of food, drink, and shaded rest areas helped balance the high-energy atmosphere.

HARD Summer 2025 wasn’t just about the artists — it was about the shared experience. The sound of basslines reverberating through the summer air, the sight of LED visuals painting the night sky, and the collective joy of thousands moving in rhythm will linger long after the final track faded. HARD Summer 2025 may be over, but its pulse still beats in the hearts of everyone who was there — and it’s already calling us back for 2026.