Our 72-Hour Dance Marathon at ARC Music Festival 2024: a story

As the sun sets on another Chicago summer, the house and techno beats start to fade away from Union Park. The fourth annual ARC Music Festival proved once again that the festival is growing at a steady rate. I attended the debut edition of the festival and I was there this year as well.

Year by year ARC Music Festival is established as one of the most famous underground music festivals in the global festival circuit.

Let me tell you why.

The Festival’s Growth

From the very few initial steps into Union Park, it was clear that ARC had undergone significant changes to accommodate its burgeoning crowd. The most noticeable difference was the expanded layout of two key stages: Expansions and The Grid.

The aptly named Expansions stage lived up to its moniker. It covered a larger area that comfortably housed the swelling crowds drawn to its stellar lineup. This is a thing to underestimate as we’ve seen (in other festivals) the avoidance of increasing dancefloor size so pictures of the crowd looked better because more packed.

ARC, instead, takes the best approach for the crowd, allowing for better flow and movement, and enhancing the overall experience for fans.

Similarly, The Grid received a much-needed extension towards the back. This adjustment was particularly appreciated during the festival’s closing acts, which had packed the stage to capacity in previous years. The extra room made it significantly easier to navigate around the stage and find prime viewing spots, even during peak times.

Yeah stages are good, we understand but, what about the lineup and the artists? Well, let me explain.

The Lineup and Performances

ARC’s reputation for curating an impressive roster of house and techno talent remained untarnished this year. The festival’s four unique stages – The Grid, Expansions, elrow, and Area 909 – each offered their distinct flavor of electronic music.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the abundance of back-to-back (b2b) sets, which ARC has become known for. This is something you do not find easily somewhere else.

These collaborative performances often bring out the best in artists, pushing their creativity and feeding off each other’s energy. A standout moment was the surprise b2b set between Green Velvet and Mau P at the elrow stage.

The festival’s commitment to representing the roots of house and techno was evident in its thoughtful inclusion of queer and non-binary artists. Performances by icons like Honey Dijon, Shaun J. Wright, and DJ Holographic not only delivered top-notch music but also paid homage to the LGBTQ+ community’s significant contributions to the genre.

If you were looking to discover new artists and upcoming talent, even from the Chicago underground scene, ARC Music Festival had you covered. We wrote about 5 upcoming artists playing at ARC and, seeing and listening IRL was definitely the right thing to do.

Besides the music, the event’s production value saw noticeable improvements.

The elrow stage, in particular, was a feast for the senses. Its signature colorful confetti showers during sets like Green Velvet b2b Mau P created moments of pure joy and unity among the crowd.

Some minor incidents

Despite the many improvements, ARC wasn’t without its challenges this year. The first day saw some technical difficulties that tested both the artists and attendees. Over at The Grid, Meduza had to perform through malfunctioning LED panels that were stuck projecting intense white light for a portion of their set.

Sound bleed between stages, particularly from elrow to Area 909, was noticeable and somewhat disruptive for those trying to enjoy sets at the latter. This is an area where further improvements in sound design and stage placement could enhance the overall experience. Sound bleeding is a common issue in festivals with numerous stages; it has happened in the past at Ultra Music Festival as well.

Another pain point was the management of litter throughout the festival grounds. The number and placement of garbage cans seemed inadequate for an event of this scale. This led to accumulating trash, especially near entrance and exit points. This is an area where ARC could focus on improvement for future editions, perhaps by increasing the number of waste bins and implementing more frequent cleanup rounds.

The ARC After Dark Experience: afterparties

One of the unique aspects of ARC is its extension beyond the festival grounds with its After Dark events. These after-parties feature additional DJs not on the main festival lineup. They also let fans who still have energy to continue the party till morning.

A highlight this year was the inclusion of Gesaffelstein at an ARC After Dark event.

Looking Ahead

As ARC approaches its fifth anniversary, it’s clear that the festival has come a long way from its humble beginnings. What started as a small, new festival has grown into a major player in the US electronic music scene, and beyond.

With this growth comes both opportunities and challenges.

One of the main concerns moving forward will be managing crowd sizes and ensuring ample space in both GA and VIP areas. As the festival continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how the organizers address these challenges. Will they consider a venue change to accommodate the expanding crowds?

Nothing is perfect but despite its challenges, ARC Music Festival 2024 was ultimately a success.

As we look forward to next year’s milestone fifth edition, it’s exciting to imagine what ARC has in store.

Are we witnessing the born and growth of a festival that could compete with the international players? Time will tell but we can say for sure that ARC is on the right path.

The post Our 72-Hour Dance Marathon at ARC Music Festival 2024: a story appeared first on The Groove Cartel.