Today, I learned that TomorrowWorld has been cancelled for 2016. I knew the financial drama surrounding SFX was going to impact the festival, and it did. Organizers just couldn’t get everything in order to pull off a safe and successful festival this year. I’ve attended TomorrowWorld since it landed in Atlanta, Georgia back in 2013. I took my best friends there as a wedding present. Together, we had the most amazing time camping, partying and dancing in the Chattahoochee Hills of Georgia. We’ve had such a great time, that we kept going back year after year.
Sadly, our crew will not be reuniting at TomorrowWorld for a fourth time in a row. That got me thinking about why TomorrowWorld 2016 will be missed.
1. The Trail of Tears/Boardwalk
If you’ve ever lugged ALL of your luggage, bags, tent and camping gear from the giant festival parking lots to your actual campsite at TomorrowWorld, you’ve walked the trail of tears. That’s the extremely long distance that stretched from the furthest parking lots all the way through Dreamville. The Trail of Tears can make or break you, depending on how much stuff you are hauling and if you have a dolly or something with wheels to carry all of your gear. The boardwalk was also a place to make friends, as it was also the perfect place to people watch at any hour of the day or night. I’ll miss hanging out on the boardwalk in the early morning hours looking at all of the people who are obviously on the STRUGGLE BUS but ready for another day of magic at TomorrowWorld!
2. Dreamville
Dreamville. Where to begin with this fantasy place. Well, Dreamville is a place like no other. In my opinion, if you go to TomorrowWorld, you have to camp at Dreamville in order to get the whole “TomorrowWorld experience.” There is nothing like setting up a camp with your closest friends and making friends with your neighbors. They will help watch your stuff, share food and drinks and become a true festival friend. There are no real rules in Dreamville. Well, there are rules regarding alcohol, drugs and such, but you are free to be FREE inside Dreamville. If you want to walk around in your underwear – YOU CAN. If you want to wake up at 7am and start drinking – YOU CAN. You can pretty much do whatever you want in Dreamville, and watching others do the same is just as entertaining.
Where else in the WORLD can you witness a dance battle at sunrise with everyone wearing onesies! The party NEVER stops in Dreamville. Trust me. Even in the rain last year, Dreamville was a wet, wild and muddy mess. I will miss it this year! Even the mud.
3. Mythical Frames Stage
The Mythical Frames stage blows my mind year after year. I love this stage simply because I can get to the front pretty easily and it’s DECKED out with lights and stunning LED’s. The visuals on this stage will transport you to another dimension. I remember Zeds Dead put on an insane show there back in 2014 that literally took my breath away! Last year, I was front and center for the Bixel Boys as they played TomorrowWorld for the first time. The stage is also located just above a lake and surrounded by trees so it’s a very pretty spot where you can also get in touch with nature. It was truly a nice escape into a reality filled with awesome music and beautiful vibes.
While I just talked about this stage, I will say last year’s BOAT stage on the water was pretty awesome too! I loved watching the Magician perform on that stage, even if it did rock back and forth just a bit.
4. The Music
DJ’s always bring their “A-game” to TomorrowWorld because everyone is watching this festival thanks to the live stream. Artists want to be at their best since the whole world is watching. Every set here has been different than one’s Ive heard here on the West Coast. I feel that artists throw in more hip hop and rap elements in their sets because it is ATLANTA!
I’ve cried to Armin Van Buuren on Main Stage, screamed with delight to A-Trak’s insane scratching and taken on a wild musical journey thanks to Pete Tong. The artists are some of the best in the world, and that is also what kept me going back to TomorrowWorld. While most of these artists will be playing other festivals this year, seeing them at TomorrowWorld made for the complete end-of-summer experience.
5. The Dreamville Marketplace
The Dreamville Marketplace was one-stop shopping for anyone camping at TomorrowWorld. You could buy everything from gum to tents at the General Store. Pizza was plentiful and you could buy it at almost any hour. There were bars, food trucks, clothing retailers and the Dreamville Bakery where you could get fresh baked bread. I will miss rolling out of the tent in the morning to grab some food and drinks and start the day.
The marketplace was also a spot for some impromptu dance parties once the music ended inside TomorrowWorld. All of the people and shenanigans will definitely be missed.
6. My Friends/Making New Friends
TomorrowWorld is the perfect spot for a family reunion, if you will. Our rage family has met at TomorrowWorld for the past 3 years. We come from all parts of the nation and meet up in Atlanta for a weekend of music and memories. Some of the crew lives near Atlanta, so it’s been the perfect spot for a family meetup. We camp together, eat together, dance together and pretty much are inseparable. This has been time for us to see our friends who can’t make it out to the west coast, and we will be missing this opportunity to connect more than ever this year.
I will also miss the people of TomorrowWorld. Despite all of the challenges faced last year, the spirit of the people of TomorrowWorld truly was what made TomorrowWorld magical. I’ll miss seeing people from all over the world (literally) converging in the forests of Georgia. The people who gave TomorrowWorld a chance when it first debuted in America are TomorrowWorld’s pioneers. They were the first to experience one of Europe’s finest exports. The vibes the first year were really incredible, and every year after that, the TomorrowWorld “pioneers” always seemed to make their presence known.
I honestly could go on and on about the many reasons why I’ll miss TomorrowWorld this year. But, I am excited to have a break from the madness because, if and when the festival returns, it will be that much more special with a lot more surprises. Although it was extremely sad to read about todays’ announcements, a part of me has the feeling that this was the right decision and was in the best interest of TomorrowWorld attendees.
We also believe, that if handled with delicate care and detail, TomorrowWorld will return. Until then, TomorrowWorld will certainly hold a special place in our hearts.
Let us know about some of your best experiences at TomorrowWorld in the comments below, and use this time to save up for TomorrowWorld 2017! And if you have that TomorrowWorld itch, you can still head to Tomorrowland in Belgium — it will definitely be worth the trip.
For more information about Tomorrowland, visit http://www.tomorrowland.com.
We look forward to hopefully reuniting in Georgia with all of you, the people of TomorrowWorld, in the future. Until then, hold those memories tight and have an incredible 2016 festival season!
-Jared
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