Here's what you missed at Movement Festival 2025.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, thousands from all over the world gathered in the birthplace of techno, Detroit, for the legendary festival. Across Movement's six stages, pioneering acts took the stage to showcase the sounds that started it all alongside eising stars and performers from outside the world of techno.
In case you weren't in the crowd for another entry in the historic saga, we've compiled some of the most unforgettable moments at Movement Festival 2025 to prepare you for what to expect next spring.
Jeff Mills Saves The Day with Late Addition to the Lineup
Just under three months before the gates to Movement Festival were set to open, attendees received the unfortunate news that Carl Cox would not be able to take the stage for his headline booking until 2026 due to scheduling conflicts.
While this presented a massive challenge for organizers, as Cox was set to close out their largest stage, they delivered with a pioneering artist of the same caliber via the hometown icon Jeff Mills.
With less time to prepare than any other artist on the lineup, The Wizard hosted a masterful showcase of his futuristic sounds over four decades in the making.
Wearing a reflective spacesuit and often with his back to the crowd, he manned the decks as if he was in the driver's seat of a spaceship and those in the crowd were his passengers on a trip to another galaxy. The experience was truly otherworldly and one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend.
Detroit-Born Artists Take Center Stage All Weekend Long
While many festivals take place in a city, very few fully embody the city's culture as well as Movement Festival. This is reflected in the festival's branding, artwork, messaging and, most importantly, the lineup.
In addition to the aforementioned headliner, the main stage featured performances from Detroit natives, Claude VonStroke and DJ Holographic. Also featured on the Movement Stage was a standout performance from the Detroit duo Octave One, who shared an entirely live set that was one of the finest of the weekend.
On the first day of the festival, the Stargate Stage hosted a Detroit Love stage takeover that featured several Michigan artists like Father Dukes, Stacey Pullen and a special group performance from Carl Craig, Moodymann and Mike Banks.
Belleville Three member Kevin Saunderson also hosted a showcase via his KMS Records label, which concluded with a B2B with his sons Dantiez and Damarii. He would also return to the stage to close out the festival on the final night with a last-minute B2B with Detroit's DJ Minx after Ricardo Villalobos was unable to perform due to travel issues.
In addition to the Detroit artists sprinkled across the other five stages, a special Detroit Stage was bumping all weekend long with a lineup made up entirely of artists from the birthplace of techno.
The Sounds of Drum & Bass, Hip-Hop and Beyond In the Mix
While Movement Festival is known for focusing primarily on the sounds of techno and house, those were not the only genres represented this year. Primarily on the Waterfront Stage, fans were able to step away from the hometown sound and into the worlds of drum & bass, hip-hop, dubstep and more.
On the first night of the weekend, EDM.com Class of 2024 artist Hamdi closed out the stage overlooking the river with a monstrous performance featuring some of his high-profile collaborations and special guests.
The second night of the Waterfront featured the pioneering sounds of Goldie B2B Photek with help from the legendary MC Armanni Reign. The final night closed out on an explosive note with one of drum & bass' biggest acts, Chase & Status.
With a rare sighting of both members together onstage, the duo threw down a massively heavy performance that could be heard across the river in Canada. In case that wasn't enough, immediately following their performance was a platinum-selling hip-hop showcase from A$AP Mob's own FERG.
Reggie Watts Makes Surprise Appearance During Claude VonStroke's Set
While Claude VonStroke was physically present at last year's Movement Festival, he was at Hart Plaza under his alter ego, Barclay Crenshaw. Not long after that, he would announce that his Claude VonStroke hiatus was coming to a close this year, and this year's Movement would mark his grand return as Claude VonStroke.
While this news already helped pack the main stage on the final day of the festival for his performance, a surprise appearance from Reggie Watts was the icing on the cake.
Midway through the set, Watts joined VonStroke on stage for an unannounced performance of an upcoming track the duo is set to release. As confirmed by VonStroke in a post that followed the performance, the hometown producer and multi-talented artist effortlessly meshed their sounds to the delight of the crowd.
The Underground Stage Brings the Warehouse Rave to the Festival Grounds
While the weather was unusually chilly for Memorial Day Weekend, one wouldn't know it in the Underground Stage. Nestled beneath Hart Plaza, the Underground Stage gives attendees the warehouse rave experience in the middle of a festival.
Surrounded by concrete in every direction, attendees were welcomed to pack into the enclosed space to witness some of the hardest-hitting artists on the lineup. The temperature was easily 20 degrees warmer than the outdoor stages, and the air was thick from the packed-in crowd and nonstop dancing.
When festivals try to cater to the underground scene, it usually comes off as an inauthentic, gimmicky experience. This was not the case at Movement Festival, as just a few moments at the Underground Stage made those in the crowd think they were in some late-night warehouse party soundtracked by D.Dan, Boys Noize and Klangkuenstler, and not the grounds of a major music festival.
Charlotte de Witte and John Summit's Gargantuan Mainstage Closing Performances
While Movement Festival is careful to honor the pioneers of the sounds on display, the festival also brings out plenty of modern-day electronic music's biggest stars. This was the case on the festival's final two nights as Charlotte de Witte and John Summit closed out the mainstage. Both superstars were born nearly three decades after their fellow headliner, Jeff Mills, and are seen as two of the leading names in the festival circuit.
de Witte's return to the Movement Stage was hotly anticipated. Back in 2022, she became the first female artist to close out the mainstage at the event. As one would expect, their performances were properly epic, with some of the biggest crowds of the weekend at their sets as they played a selection of new music and classics that helped propel them to major bookings like this.
"Respect the Architects" Exhibit Teaches Attendees About the Genre's Origins
In the former home of the Underground Stage, fans were welcomed to an informational art exhibit, "Respect the Architects". Each year, organizers honor the artists who helped techno become the powerhouse genre it is today.
In collaboration with Resident Advisor, Detroit Techno Foundation and Underground Music Academy, portraits of these pioneering artists were displayed with stories about their important contributions to electronic music. On the festival's website, the Underground Music Academy shared the purpose of the interactive exhibit.
Much has been written about the first wave of Detroit techno artists and as pioneers of one of the most impactful genres in the world. This list is designed to shine a light on the unsung heroes who ghost-wrote classic records, created the structures, spaces, and scenarios that allowed techno to grow beyond the wildest dreams of its inventors, and the mentors who have supported and inspired the subsequent waves of Detroit techno artists in finding their sound and place in the musical world.
If you recognize these names we hope you will join us in telling their stories and celebrating their impact, if you don’t - we hope you take the time to listen and learn about the people who built Techno City.
A City Flooded With Afterparties
Those who had enough energy to continue dancing after 10 hours at the festival had plenty of choices on where to keep the party going. There were countless pop-ups in warehouses, bars, venues and even outdoor parks all weekend long that gave attendees the opportunity to party for nearly 72 hours straight if their bodies allow it.
Festival organizers, Paxahau, hosted over 10 afterparties themselves over the weekend which included appearances from festival performers and others like Green Velvet, Nina Kraviz, John Summit, Walker & Royce, Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati and many more.
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