This past Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, Sloan Park hosted its second iteration of Breakaway Arizona. The daytime festival, which took place each day from 3 to 10 p.m., offered special pockets for lovers of most EDM genres: Marshmello and Kygo performing high-production, nostalgia-filled sets mixed with unique drops and surprise performances, artists TRUTH and Mersiv combining experimental bass sounds with eye-catching visuals, and a variety of house sounds from artists MPH, Loud Luxury and James Hype. 

While the festival clearly suits those who are well familiar with EDM names and curate set plans ahead of time, Breakaway Arizona, in its newness, is also a perfect fit for what the EDM community dubs “the rave baby.” 

The term “rave baby” is a term of endearment, used to describe a first-time rave attendee. The rave baby may already be a fan of EDM, or they may just be joining friends or looking for a new experience. To this type of attendee, the venue, logistics, offerings, and crowd vibes are just as, if not more important, than the lineup itself. And at Breakaway Arizona, they succeeded at hitting most of these marks to curate a festival experience that’s equally enjoyable for seasoned ravers and newcomers. 

Starting at the ticket price alone, the festival cost a mere $69 per day for early entry tickets and just under $170 for a two-day pass, making it comparable to many headlining shows hosted in Arizona. For instance, tickets to see dubstep artist Crankdat on May 9 hover around $90 for a  five-hour, four artist event. 

Moreover, many festivals, both in and outside of Arizona, often start around $200. Particularly, the most coveted festivals in Arizona, Goldrush Music Festival and Decadence Arizona, sell for over $250 and $300, respectively, for a two-day pass. 

But it's not just financially where new ravers may find comfort in the newly established festival. From the spaciousness and variety of the venue, to the kindness from staff and attendees alike, every part of the festival felt like it was aiming to keep attendees in a peaceful, happy state of mind. 

The mainstage saw large screens and wide platforms, perfect for really getting to see what the DJ was up to, and totally focusing on the visuals. Nestled in a field of grass, there were plenty of areas to dance freely or even engage in flow art (flowstars, poi and pixel whips were all popular choices.) 

And when you needed a break, the soft ground was a perfect place to sit down and take a breather. Meanwhile, the L.A.B stage was based on pavement, providing a solid ground for bass lovers to dance and headband. 

The only obvious con was the grass was mixed with dirt, causing attendees to walk away from the weekend with phlegm and dirt boogers. Still, the venue was far less dusty than the more commonly used Rawhide Event Center.

While the festival didn’t focus too much on the spectacle outside of the stages, there were still plenty of activities for attendees to keep themselves entertained between sets. A variety of vendors set up offering merchandise, pashminas, and even custom kandi bracelets. Sponsors like Zyn and Beatbox had interactive trailers where guests could make purchases and earn trinkets. At the bar, there were a wide variety of cocktails, and even mocktail options, like the nootropic Hiyos. There was even a coffee trailer, where guests could enjoy specialty lattes. Though notably, the festival was very limited on food options.

“I think having only two stages and a smaller vendor section makes it a great basis for what to expect at festivals without being overwhelming,” Cassen La Bounty, who has been attending EDM festivals since 2019, said. “It was (cool) to have a diverse but small lineup, making it inevitable I could experience a sound I wouldn’t normally choose!”

More than any of the venue or festival features, though, what really stood out was the positive energy radiating both from the staff and especially from the crowd. Most of the security guards, bartenders and staff were very friendly and understanding, willing to answer any question in a warm tone and going out of the way to check on attendees' well-being. While not every staff member was perfect, it was proof that the culture of PLUR, which stands for peace, love, unity and respect, that festivals are built on starts with the people behind it.

That same energy was well reflected in the crowd. Compliments and kind words flow freely between attendees. People took part in unique trinket exchanges ranging from mini Labubus to Pokemon cards and even strangers taking polaroids then passing them to their subjects. And most refreshingly, compared to evening festivals, there was ample opportunity for genuine conversation and connection. 

You could turn to fellow attendees in line or in the crowd, learn where they came from, what they did for work and what set they were looking forward to most. 

“The music and people were amazing,” Valentin Guzman, a first time festival attendee, said. “Everyone was super nice and caring for me as a first time raver.”

It’s worth saying, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, particularly for a new raver. Though the weather stayed in a pleasant range in the 70s to 80s all weekend, the mix of bright sun, long hours and dust paired with little food options could all be taxing for a new raver. Fortunately, even for those who started having a bad time due to the harsher conditions, the Breakaway medical team was very prompt and friendly with an ambulance on standby.

Even seasoned ravers, such as Lori Handelman, who has been attending raves for the past six years such as giants like Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), found themselves impressed with the energy at Breakaway Arizona. 

“I think it’s a perfect rave for beginning ravers,” Handelman said. “The lineup was great, the grounds were easy to navigate, and there were areas away from the crowd to sit and chill. [Breakaway] is the first time I went to a festival by myself and I had a great time.” 

While Breakaway Arizona was not without its faults, a lineup that brought an equal mix of EDM class acts and fresh sounds while providing plenty of room to breathe, explore the grounds and bond with fellow ravers, all for under $200 for the weekend, makes it as close to an ideal first-time rave experience as one could imagine. And when Breakaway returns for its third year in 2027, you can be sure to expect a mix of both newcomers and returners dancing the days away at Sloan Park.