Festival Sets vs. Club Sets

When it comes to Electronic Dance Music, or EDM for short, there at two types of venues that a DJ or producer will usually perform at. These are festival stages or small and intimate club settings. Both are very different when it comes to the vibe and sometimes even the set that they will play depending on which stage they are booked for. A lot of people have their own personal preference on which type of set and stage they prefer.

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When it comes to a festival, the stage is usually massive with a lot of other production to go along with the music. Usually there will be a giant LED video wall projecting the artist's visuals, pyrotechnics, and a massive amount of lighting. These types of sets are extravagant. There is usually a huge crowd and this will greatly influence the type of tracks that will be played during the set. As the crowd increases, the likelihood of the DJ playing more mainstream and popular tracks increases exponentially. Festival sets are fun, but they can seem less intimate and more about the production as a whole rather than just the music by itself.

Festivals are awesome, but sometimes a club set can be way better. These types of sets are really intimate and usually don't have all of the same production that a festival stage would have. It becomes more about the music in these settings. Also, due to the the fact that there is usually a lot less people at these shows, the artist can experiment a little bit rather than playing a safe and mainstream set. These shows are usually where you will hear new tracks that may not even be finished yet. They can be special and a lot of people enjoy that there is actually room to dance.

I personally enjoy both types of venues a lot, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be a small and intimate club set. My reasoning for this comes more from the type of venue that I like to personally perform at. With a club setting, I am able to read the crowd easier and my sets seem to flow way better. I am able to play some tracks that I normally wouldn't and try new techniques rather than playing it safe. Everyone will have their own opinion on this, but as long as you are having fun, then there isn't a right or wrong choice.