Decadence NYE
I’m still thinking about how much fun this was. It was my first year going to Denver’s only EDM festival (in 2025) at the Colorado Convention Center. I’d never been to an indoor festival, and I was a little reluctant after hearing some mixed reviews about the NOS center (namely that it’s oversold and weird street preachers hang outside to harass ravers). But I was really pleasantly surprised by Decadence, the art was really cool and they got a lot of great talent this year (Level Up, Fisher, new-favorite Troyboi and a killer Zed’s Dead b2b Subtronics b2b Tape B with each of them doing a phenomenal solo set).
The demeanor of the crowd was very PLUR, and this is crucial for a rave. Who doesn’t love trading kandi or getting a fun trinket? That’s to say nothing of the many fun costumes, my personal highlight being a guy covered head-to-toe in golden mirror shards. I actually didn’t notice him until security walked up and shined their flashlights on him. And initially you think someone’s in trouble when that happens, but then it was immediately clear these non-rave security people were having as much fun as the rest of us, and the mirror man was enjoying the attention. The spirit of play was alive and well at Decadence, I think that’s important for raves. Also enjoyed seeing everything from light-up jellyfish to, also at least 2 big groups of people all dressed up like Santa Clause (I wish I took more pictures >.<)
I had some complaints about the lack of visible medics in the crowd, also they had promised good vegan options at every food vendor and they really didn’t have good options. I’m not vegan but my partner is, and when they got a bean burger (vegan) with chips (they only had Doritos, which aren’t vegan) it really killed the mood. So there’s some serious room for improvement, but I’m excited for next year and walking home from the festival is sooooooo nice compared to the many-day drive home from other festivals like Coachella. Waking up in your own bed already home after a festival is a great feeling. Maybe I’m just getting old haha, but either way I can’t wait for next year.