As the new year arrives, many ravers are reflecting on lessons they’ve learned in 2024. It was an eventful year for dance music, and not just in terms of music releases and festival announcements—economic and social pressures left their mark on the rave community at all levels. People are particularly preoccupied with skyrocketing ticket prices, lackluster festival lineups, overcommercialization, and internal culture clashes in the scene.
At the same time, people are hungrier than ever to experience the spark of magic that dance music is known for, and festivals that provided unique experiences in 2024 sold out at breakneck speed. So what does all of this mean for the year ahead? While everyone speculates on future trends, one thing seems clear: people are changing how they engage with the dance music community. Here are five lessons ravers are taking from 2024 to 2025:
1. It’s Quality Over Quantity
If we were to summarize the most significant overall lesson ravers are taking into 2025 in a single catchphrase, it would be “Quality Over Quantity.” With limited resources, many people are focusing on doing more with less. As one can easily imagine, expensive ticket prices, the high cost of living, and the social unrest that continues to place unrelenting pressure on society are all contributing factors.
It isn’t just a matter of necessity, though—the shift also reflects changing attitudes toward overconsumption, consumerism, and a yearning for more authenticity within rave culture. People want to invest their precious time, money, and energy in experiences that fill their cups, and in 2024, many ravers learned that not all rave and festival circuits are created equal in that sense. Moreover, chasing the party from one event to the next often causes more problems. As such, many are opting to slim down their festival itineraries—and sometimes their social circles—in favor of more personally fulfilling experiences in 2025.
2. Bigger Isn’t Always Better
People are becoming more selective about what events they plan to attend, but their love for raving isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, there’s a palpable yearning for more meaningful experiences as oversold commercial festival circuits have left many ravers disillusioned in recent years. In turn, ravers are shifting their attention to smaller events in 2025.
People are learning that bigger productions don’t always bring more value. While high-capacity events with massive stages and state-of-the-art technology can deliver stunning experiences, large festivals can be overstimulating, and many people experience crowd burnout. On the other hand, smaller events offer a certain level of character, intimacy, and ease that the big festivals cannot. Many ravers are taking this calling to branch off the beaten path by exploring more independent festivals and local productions.
3. This is the Season To Push New Boundaries
We watched ravers develop a fascinating taste for adventure in 2024: People started going to festivals alone for the first time, while others bravely explored sobriety. Some boldly jetted off to foreign festivals, while others finally seriously discovered their passion for music production. All kinds of people across the dance music community invested in themselves and their communities by making challenging yet beneficial changes for their growth. As we head into 2025, ravers can continue to benefit from learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and pushing new boundaries.
4. Our Well-being Is Still A Work In Progress
In light of all the points discussed so far, many ravers are prioritizing taking care of their bodies and minds in 2025—and above all else, we can thank harm reduction advocates for going out of their way to help ravers make healthier choices. That said, this lesson hasn’t sunk in everywhere. While many people strived to bring balance to their raving lifestyle, 2024 also saw several preventable deaths and injuries due to overconsumption.
Expecting these issues to disappear isn’t realistic or helpful; however, it’s notable that disruptive and destructive behaviors, like fighting and over-intoxication, noticeably soured the mood in the community this past year. This is a good reminder that, while it can feel uncomfortable, speaking up when something feels off is better than doing nothing. Perhaps the mistakes of 2024 will serve as a call to hold ourselves and each other accountable more effectively in 2025.
5. Reducing Waste Doesn’t Have To Feel Intimidating
On a more positive note, the rave community’s sustainability movement is making significant strides. A growing number of ravers are thinking about reducing waste going into the new year – and they’re tackling the issue on multiple fronts. Some are campaigning with promoters to reduce plastic use, others are quitting fast fashion, and others are cutting back their footprint by attending more local events. And, of course, there’s biodegradable glitter. If there’s one lesson people can take away from the sustainability movement in 2024, it’s that every little effort counts.
Images courtesy of Insomniac
