How Skyline Festival Prevailed Through Los Angeles’ Historic Blizzard Warning

by Michael Ryan · Published March 1, 2023

The festival was dealt a poor hand, but Insomniac played its cards well.

At this year’s Skyline Festival, ravers did not wait for the storm to pass.

They did, in fact, dance in the rain. The event happened to coincide with a record-setting storm in Los Angeles. And even though Skyline's terms and conditions state "rain or shine," no one could have foreseen the city's historic blizzard warning when the festivlal's dates and brand new venue were announced months ago.

On the weekend of the festival, snow dusted the Hollywood sign, power outages swept the county and roads were flooded. As the fest approached, many were uncertain whether or not Insomniac Events would ultimately cancel the techno and house music festival.

But alas, the show went on. The company announced that they would be handing out free ponchos, covering dancefloors with plastic flooring and allowing small umbrellas. They also encouraged ravers to wear warm and water-resistant clothes.

While day one of Skyline was stormy and imperfect, it served as a bonding experience for the Southern California attendees. The inclement weather forced everyone to be flexible. Insomniac had to delay Skyline's start for one hour, update the festival's set times, and they even had to close the West Side stage until around 7pm.

Despite the obstacles precipitated by the weather, Skyline prevailed. Once the West Side stage opened Saturday night, everything went smoothly.

Dance music superstars Michael Bibi, Peggy Gou, MEDUZA and Dom Dolla closed out the night, bringing the best house and techno grooves to Skyline's sodden dancefloors. The festival's unique, geometric neon lighting and designs gave the space an urban, underground feel.

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The second day came with better luck. The rain stopped, the sun was out and the party was on.

Doors opened right on time, both stages kicked off without a problem and set times were on schedule. While there was still some remaining mud and light rain later in the night, Sunday was a big success. The lineup was stacked with Shiba San b2b Solardo, J. Worra b2b Miane, Charlotte de Witte and Diplo, who provided the perfect sounds for everyone to dance the night away.

Raving in the rain brought the crowd closer together. Dancing in rain boots, winter coats, ponchos and umbrellas wasn’t ideal, but it was human and humorous. Many Skyline attendees took to Twitter to make light of the circumstances.

Skyline was dealt a poor hand, but Insomniac played its cards well. The festival was fun, adventurous and a bit miraculous.

After all, isn't dancing in the rain one of the most euphoric experiences we get in life?