One of the world’s most iconic festivals, Tomorrowland, offered festivalgoers a unique opportunity to experience a piece of its magic with their new CORE festival. First debuting in the jungles of Tulum earlier this year and most recently in the heart of Medellin, Colombia. EDM Maniac attended both of these.
A two-day event showcased the recent debut of Tomorrowland’s CORE stage in Colombia, complete with three stages and over 25 house and techno artists, including Agents of Time, Kölsch, Kevin De Vries, Mind Against, Mystery Affair, and many more. Continue reading to hear about our experience at Tomorrowland’s CORE festival in Colombia:
Walking into the festival, we were first greeted with the main stage area, a large GA floor area, and an upper-level VIP viewing area. One of the first things we noticed upon entering was, of course, the impressive structure of the main stage. Standing between 17 and 30 meters high, two sides of a face split to reveal a large screen running down the middle for visuals. Additional attributes of the stage that mesmerized us were the sheer number of lasers and moving lights that elevated the whole experience.
Taking place in Parque Norte, Medellín, allowed for a beautiful backdrop of city lights, which, from the VIP viewing area, made for an insane view. Although there was plenty of room to dance below, most of our time was spent in VIP just because it offered the best viewpoint of the stage itself, and unless you were in the middle, you couldn’t grasp the full effect of the stage design and its visuals.
Even the little bit of rain on day one only added to the magic of the mainstage, adding an extra sparkle to the lights and making all the moving lasers that much more entrancing. During Kölsch and Agents of Time, we couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere.
Wandering further into the festival grounds, we found the central area, which offered food and tables to eat and chill at. We enjoyed looking at all the food options, from local street food to Domino’s Pizza, which had the longest line all weekend.
In search of the next stage, we came across the sponsor activations, including an Absolut and Budweiser photo-op area and an Electrolit pop-up with Dance Dance Revolution, among other vendors and activities.
When we made it to the Altverda stage, we immediately loved the energy. The vibes were exceptionally good throughout the weekend, and the stage design, although simple, always matched the artists perfectly. We also discovered some new artists here throughout the weekend, such as FKA.M4A and Hercules & Love Affair.
The Arbo stage gave off jungle house vibes, with drapes of fabric hanging from the trees and LEDs lining the tree trunks in sync with the music. It was the most mystical area of the festival, and one could easily get lost in the music here. One of our favorite sets from the weekend was experiencing Mystery Affair at this stage.
Even with this being a more minor festival, we felt every little detail was accounted for in true Tomorrowland fashion. Everything from the decor, organization, and even the flooring throughout the festival was a game-changer on day one when it was raining.
Overall,, we enjoyed getting to experience a piece of Tomorrowland in such a unique place. Our only query was the lack of structures to stay dry from the rain. We felt attendees weren’t able to fully embrace the beauty of the CORE stage unless standing from a central viewpoint. From the vibes to the organization of it all, it was a memorable experience, and we look forward to seeing where CORE debuts next.
