The last couple of weeks have been a sad one. It’s been released that this September will be Insomniac’s Nocturnal Wonderlands last year at Glen Helen Amphitheatre in San Bernardino. The longest running Insomniac festival will be forced to find a new home. Although devastating to many, this means new memories and vibes to be created. Here are 5 reasons we’ll always miss Glen Helen Amphitheatre.
1. Camping
Throughout the years, Insomniac hasn’t offered too many camping options at their festivals. Nocturnal Wonderland has always been top tier when it came to this, and boy was it good. Glen Helen enabled the campgrounds to be massive. It included 2 stages, yoga and tent camping by the lake, breakfast food and coffee, a waterpark, Kandi and tie-dye making, and most importantly, the pre-rave show that takes place a night before the festivities begin. It was even more incredible to take a stroll to Camp-OG where all the RV’s reside to see all the experienced Headliners that have been attending Nocturnal the past 24 years. It’ll be hard to part with this breathtaking campaign experience, but we have faith Insomniac will find another wonderful home base.
2. The infamous grassy hill
The grassy hill at Glen Helen is a controversial topic. Some love it and some hate it. It’s different from most festivals as it’s a grassy field of greatness and not dust. It also separates stages and the stage at the top at the hill immediately isolates you into your very own little festival. Although many people complain about the long trek and the upper thigh pains it provoked, many got some great pleasure out of this hill. At most festivals, one is consistently finding nooks & crannies to sit in to give your feet a rest. This hill at Glen Helen was meant to be sat on and it even provided you with an immaculate view of the rest of the festival. It will forever be the perfect resting place.
3. The scenic stage designs
As Insomniac is known for their incredible stage production, a lot of these scenic stages started out with Nocturnal Wonderland in 1995. Each stage has it’s very own theme and transforms you into its own individual event. The massive capacity for these stages provides the absolute perfect experience. For this years edition, Pasquale claimed that there will be 3 new stages and art installations, only of which Glen Helen could have room for. The Wolves Den, Parliament Art Car, Labyrinth, Sunken Garden, and Nocturnal’s newest additions will surely give you what you came for.
4. Picturesque location
As we all know, Insomniac’s favorite spot to host their festivals and raves are at Nos Events Center in San Bernardino. Although a large piece of property, most of us can agree it’s far from picturesque. Filled with cement and gated fences, Glen Helen will rather transport to you a forest-like feel with an overflow of trees that makes it seem like you’re in a land far far away. If one didn’t know, they would think they were at Electric Forest. The neon lights surrounding the festival make this effect even grander.
5. Last but not least, the vibes
It’s a known fact that every Insomniac event brings in people from all over the world. These people are filled with joy and ready to bond over their fond love of music. As this IS Insomniac’s longest running festival, the people always bring the love X100. As the artists that are brought in are mostly more lowkey than the rest, concertgoers create an even stronger bond than usual. Pasquale’s goal for this festival is always to create a more personal experience where the only thing that matters is the music. Create a picture in your mind that you’re at a sleepaway camp. You sleep, eat, dance, and play with the same people for however many eventful days away from the hustle and bustle of the reality of life. It’s unlike any other. It evokes a spectacular sense of freedom and Glen Helen will forever be a huge part of that feeling.
