Dancefestopia 2021 was an event to be remembered. Taking place in La Cygne, Kansas – just an hour south of Kansas City – DFT sported a huge lineup on four stages for its ninth year.
Even as a local, the Emerald City felt just like home.
Let’s start with the venue itself. Wildwood Outdoor Education Center has been home to Dancefestopia since 2018, and while a little farther from the city, it’s the ideal spot for this festival. With huge open spaces, a lush forest, and lakefront views, Wildwood is an exquisitely well-maintained setting for this intimate fest.
Camping opened on Wednesday afternoon and music officially began on Thursday evening. The massive pre-party lineup included Wuki, Wreckno, Inzo, and Adventure Club as headliners.
From riddim to funk, mainstream to underground – DFT had a little something for everyone. Here are some of our favorites:
Friday kicked off with something extra special. After several postponements and cancellations, MATT DOE was finally able to make his U.S. debut on the Emerald Stage at Dancefestopia. His high-energy set got us pumped for the rest of DFT. Not to mention he released an EP that same day! It was a huge day for MATT DOE and his team, and we are so happy we got to be a part of it.
Later that day, Peekaboo knocked our absolute f*cking socks off. Check out this clip from his set and be jealous if you weren’t in attendance.
We can’t wait to catch him again on the Black Hole Tour – in Kansas City on October 29.
Friday mainstage closed with a Griz set for the books.
Saturday began with Kansas City native Bokeh, and the set was exactly what we needed to keep us going through day two. Zeds Dead Fam rolled in deep on Saturday for an incredible set from the boys. We got so many classics, new gems, and yes, “Eleanor Rigby” into “Big Bad” still gets us rowdy af. Z’s (and ass) were thrown for the entire 90-minute set.
The vibes were immaculate on Sunday. Jai Wolf played a DJ set full of classics that made our heart soar. And the “Indian Summer” outro? You’ve gotta be kidding me. Not a dry eye in the crowd.
After stomping with Space Mom Rezz (who played for an uninterrupted extra 20 minutes!!), we closed out our Dancefestopia with Lane 8 at the intimate Lollipop Stage. A perfect progressive house ending to our time in Emerald City.
Dancefestopia provided many unique experiences throughout the weekend.
The Rekinection Experience is a miniature Electric Forest with incredible live performances, workshops, light shows, and a small tented stage. It was the perfect setting to escape from the main stage and take a breather under the dancing branches and light shows in the trees.
Other items worth mentioning: a diverse and tasty food vendor lineup; camping was spacious and featured many upgrades from past years including a “Piano Room” and Forest Stage; and thanking the Based Gods that the weather was perfect.
Dancefestopia was an objectively phenomenal experience. This wasn’t our first year in the Emerald City, and it definitely won’t be our last.
By the way…where was scary Dorothy?
Keep your eyes peeled – Dancefestopia has historically offered tickets for the next year at the incredible price of $99 for Black Friday. We’ll see you next year in La Cygne, Kansas for the 10th anniversary of DFT.
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From September 15 to October 15, the United States recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a time to celebrate the vibrant Hispanic and Latinx cultures and to uplift our neighbors from those communities. Also, this offers an opportunity to learn about the innumerable different Hispanic and Latinx influences on music. Check out this article for an overview of the long, rich history of Hispanic and Latinx music over the centuries.
