Reflecting on the past Memorial Day weekend at Movement Detroit 2025 fills us with gratitude. Before the festival even began, we were impressed by the diversity of the lineup, which set the tone for the entire weekend and created high levels of excitement when planning out the sets we wanted to catch.
This was a return festival for Electric Hawk, but a new one for me, as well as my first time visiting Detroit. Excited by friends’ rave reviews, I was eager to experience Techno City myself after reading about it.
Getting into the groove at Movement – Day 1
Going into the first day without high expectations and a clear plan, other than learning the layout of the festival and following the music’s vibe, we arrived at Hart Plaza early and began to get a sense of what it was all about. Our group was all first-time attendees, so we started by wandering excitedly through the festival, wanting to experience it all.
Our first stop was the Detroit Stage, where JEM was playing, and definitely got the crowd moving. The joy radiated outward through the funky sounds JEM was playing. It gave us a feel for what Detroit was all about and started our day off on a high note. As we continue to explore, we cannot help but notice all of the unique fashion and vibrant energy Detroit has to offer. We realized we were finally living our long-held dream, eagerly exploring each stage of the first day.
The Star Gate Stage really stood out to us. The structure, the city in the background, and the good vibes emanating from the house music being played, this was one we would return to all weekend. Junior Sanchez was playing at the time, and his tunes really helped us dive further into Movement.
As our day continued, we made our way through the food vendors to grab a slice of pizza. A festival staple that felt like the right way to fuel ourselves up for the marathon of dancing ahead. The diverse food and other vendors, Harm Reduction presence, and supply availability were all highly valued. Afterwards, we wandered down to the Underground Stage, which also quickly became a favorite of ours, as we immersed ourselves in the Techno. We knew we’d be coming back every chance we got.
The music captivated us as we descended the stairs, feeling its energy and cherishing it in this space. Each stage had its unique vibe that grew throughout the weekend, something we observed and valued. The layout also made sense and allowed attendees to flow from stage to stage smoothly, especially earlier on in the day.
The VIP area was very comfortable. They provided a great space to relax between sets, while still enjoying the artists on the main stage, which we really appreciated as the day went on. As the evening approached, we decided to head into the crowd on the steps of the Movement stage for Sama’ Abdulhadi, whose powerful set had everyone flowing as one. After her, we caught Helena Hauff at the Underground Stage and melted into her techno sounds. Nina Kraviz then captivated us with her set and had us living fully in the moment. We were very impressed with the fact that we saw so many women one after the other. To have that option at a festival was extremely refreshing.
We closed out the night with the legend, Jeff Mills, whose sound reverberated through your entire body from start to finish. It was an absolute treat to get to experience him in person, and the entire crowd looked mesmerized. Our first day in Detroit definitely did not disappoint. If this was only Day 1, we could not wait to see what the next 2 days had in store.
Another Day Of Exploring The Techno City – Day 2
The second day was the day with the least sets planned, and we set out for the day ready to see what it had in store for us. It has been a while since I roamed a festival aimlessly, letting the music and vibes guide me. Almost like going to my first festival again, a very happy and nostalgic feeling.
As the adventure began, we walked over to the Pyramid Stage, where Hiroko Yamamura started the day off better than we could have ever planned or imagined. The whole crowd was smiling, dancing, and vibing with each other. The techno beats she played made it impossible not to move. The energetic set was a festival favorite, setting a high mood for the day. While we danced away to the other stages with the biggest smiles on our faces, pleasantly impressed with Hiroko’s musical style.
For the next few hours, we met up with some friends who were long-time Movement veterans. They guided us as we hopped from stage to stage, experiencing all of the different sounds and enjoying new friendships as well as friends from Detroit with whom we were thrilled to spend time.
We realized how special the festival was as we noticed families of all ages enjoying the music together, radiating happiness. This was clearly the energy that makes Movement Detroit what it is. Explains why so many people travel back to it year after year.
During this time of running around, we decided to get another festival favorite food, Island Noodles to prepare for the night. A smoothie and those noodles had me feeling properly nourished as we headed back over to the Movement Stage. Anfisa Letyago was someone we were really excited to see going into Day 2. Anfisa showed us exactly why that was with her set! We danced over to Walker & Royce for part of their set too, to get those deep-hitting bassy house beats that we love them for. Then we went back over for the end of Anfisa’s set because we couldn’t stay away from her captivating energy. Afterwards, we went wandering and sat down for a bit to rehydrate and reset our bodies.
Next up, we made our way back down to The Underground Stage, where DJ Nobu had the place packed and vibrating with his range of sounds. After soaking in this beautifully raw energy, we changed up the vibe and sat under the Star Gate for some of Patrick Topping’s vibey house set. Now, having a moment to reflect on the magical experience of enjoying a diverse mix of music at the festival. Sitting there, gazing at the cityscape, I remembered my deep love for house music and its uplifting effect.
Which led perfectly into the next part of our adventure. Time to head over to the Waterfront Stage to see more legends we were looking forward to seeing with the B2B of Goldie, Photek, and Armanni Reign. We got there a little early for this set, which led to discovering Ela Minus. Her unique look and sound really surprised us. Ela’s energy captivated us as she sang and jammed out live. We were also surprised to get such a proper drum and bass set. Armanni Reign on MC duties as Goldie and Photek took turns taking us on a ride through classic jungle tunes.
We had planned to split sets, but became so entranced with the drum and bass that we couldn’t leave. Being at a festival that focuses on Techno and House made me pleased as a huge drum and bass fan. I was in the right place, even though I missed seeing other artists I wanted to. This reminded us that set time conflicts happen. Sometimes you just have to follow the music your soul is craving. Which was a perfect reminder as we headed into Day 3.
I Guess They Saved The Best For Last At Movement 2025 – Day 3
Before we knew it, it was the last day of the Festival. Despite arriving slightly later, this day felt like the quickest so far. We rested up a little more for today, as it had the most scheduling conflicts, as well as planning to attend the Live From Earth Afters later that night. We started the day off with Annicka, another female artist who absolutely blew us away. Her style was so fun to dance to, and she knew exactly what to play to get the crowd moving. We stayed for a good chunk of Annicka’s set because we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from it.
Next, we headed down to the Underground Stage, where we would spend a good amount of time at today, as many of the artists we wanted to see were playing down there. We had another moment of music discovery with Henry Brooks. His fast beats and heavy-hitting tracks had the Underground Stage coming alive. His style set the mood for the hours ahead. Following was someone we were most excited for, and she certainly showed us why. DJ Gigola’s presence absolutely lit up the dark Underground stage.
The crowd was moving with her the entire time and couldn’t help but dance hard along with her beats. This was now the point in the evening when we had to choose between quite a few different conflicts. Mostly with the Underground and Movement stages, so we decided to catch the beginning of HorsegiirL’s upbeat set, and her one-of-a-kind vibes made it really hard to leave.
All 3 of these artists flowed seamlessly into each other, and you could feel the passion for Techno down at the Underground Stage. We also just had to catch Claude Vonstroke, another personal favorite, and it was exciting to see him back to his house roots. The stage was packed out for Claude, but everyone was dancing along, having a good time. It truly reminded us of why we love him, especially as we danced around to “Jolean” and “Freaks Don’t Fail Me Now.”
We enjoyed wandering through various parts of the crowd at all the stages on this day. We were comfortable at this point, which led to so many genuine moments of connection with others around the festival. Feeling all this joy, we ventured to the Waterfront Stage to catch some of MCR-T giving us some of his signature sound and creating a party of his own.
This adventure between stages highlighted just how unique and well-curated each stage truly was. How each brought its own different party and vibe, which is probably what we most appreciated about this festival. I also made sure to get a few songs from the opening part of Jamie XX. I did not know what to expect from live. He was one we wanted to see as well as many Hawkie friends recommended him. Let’s just say we’re happy we listened. We wish stayed longer, but it was time to check out Sara Landry for the first time.
So many firsts came along with this festival, and they all exceeded any expectations we may have had. Sara’s high-energy, heavy-hitting music was an experience we are so happy we chose to have. Looking over the water at Canada while she threw down was surreal and special. The next hour brought another first that we had waited all weekend for – Chase & Status. Talk about high energy, these guys definitely brought it. We were mesmerized by the set, flowing seamlessly with each transition from one banger to the next. The entire crowd was loving it, and you could tell by their faces. So many people dancing so hard to drum and bass was a lovely experience.
We were struck by the universal love and respect for music at Movement. Regardless of genre or stage, it makes it truly beautiful. We ended the night back at The Underground stage for Klangkuenstler, who really took us out with a bang! Then we ventured out to the Live From Earth After Party to catch more music from DJ Gigola and HorsegiirL. We just couldn’t get enough of either of these truly captivating and authentic artists. Getting such a wide range of techno, in such a short amount of time, was unmatched.
Monday felt very diverse in the music offered. We were honestly a little bummed to miss a few of the artists we missed out on seeing. Although hearing how so many friends enjoyed the entirety of the lineup that day also left us feeling grateful that there was truly something for everyone.
An Unforgettable Weekend Of Connection And Expression
Overall, our time at Hart Plaza was very comfortable and enjoyable. From the crowd, to the venue, to the experience as a whole, we left feeling impressed and rejuvenated. We loved looking at the mural done by Goldie, and watching all of the chalk art and drawings evolve over the weekend. The chalk was a really unique way to involve the crowd. Despite being in the same space for 3 days, there was always something new to see while walking around.
We also really enjoyed the “Respect the Architects Exhibit” celebrating important members of Detroit’s Electronic Music Community. One last highlight for me was the sober meetups each day that some good friends put together, which gave some of the attendees who chose to experience Movement sober a place to form community and make new friends to go enjoy music with. It’s wonderful to see more groups and meetups in the scene, offering a special connection hub for sober music lovers. The crowd displayed a diversity of styles and self-expression, reflecting the varied people present, making the weekend special.
Everyone felt grateful to be there from what we experienced. Wherever you were in the crowd, you could feel the love emanating and see the joy everyone was feeling. Paxhau and their team did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the Techno City. You could truly feel that everyone was there for their love of music, regardless of what they were grooving to. Making Movement Detroit 2025 a truly memorable time, and filling us with excitement to return next year for another round.
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