Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadian ravers out there! I’m sure there were some killer parties across the Great White North this weekend. However, I have to say the most epic place to be this past Canada Day long weekend had to have been BOMFEST in Edmonton, Alberta. This fest was a three-day rager filled with great beats, beauties, and Boodang’s magic. (We’ll get to all of that, I promise).
If you didn’t know this fun fact about us Canadians, we like to party...HARD! The Edmonton crowd this weekend had no shortage of insane energy and PLUR party vibes. From entry on night one to the final farewell on night three, the fest energy was enough to burst open our maple syrup trees and blow the roof off our igloos. (Oh yeah, buckle up for plenty of typical Canadian stereotypes and jokes in this one).
In all seriousness, I had an unreal time at BOMFEST this year. I’m beyond happy that I got to celebrate my home country with such an amazing crowd, and do it all at such a hype festival.
While there were a ton of reasons why I loved the fest, I’ve narrowed it down to my top five list of best BOMFEST moments. (Afterall we can’t be here all day, my double-double from Tim Hortons will get cold).
The artists at BOMFEST this year absolutely killed it. I was especially stoked to see Seven Lions and Zhu, and they, along with many other artists, nailed it! There was a minor heart attack from the crowd as thunder and lightning threatened Zhu’s set on Friday. However, huge shoutout to Zhu and the production team for coming clutch and getting the show back on the road once it was safe to do so. I’m convinced Zhu bottled the electricity from the lightning and poured it into his set, because he brought a complete fire storm of insane beats and energy. I also really loved sets from RL Grime, Gryffin, Adventure Club and, of course, the man himself Tiësto, as he brought the fest to an epic close on night three.
Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodan)
2. The Can’t-Stop-Us Crowd
When I say nothing could stop this crowd, I truly mean the BOMFEST party-train stopped for no one - not even Mother Nature. BOMSQUAD, you guys killed it. Throughout the weekend there were bouts of pouring rain, thunder and lightning and even hail at one point. Did that stop this crowd from going HAM? HELL NO. When rain clouds threatened our good time, the crowd unzipped their fanny packs, whipped out their rain ponchos and partied on. Even when fans had to take shelter indoors, they were ready to rumble as soon as major storms had passed and were right back out on the dance floor. Trust me when I say the Edmonton rave scene is filled with some h-core troopers. Shout out to every single one of you bad babes. I was also in love with everyone’s outfits! There was a ton of rave babes slaying in neon yellow/green fits, and since I was rocking my Get Freaky Neon Bustier Top, I was completely feeling the electric vibe.
Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodang)
3. The Energy
This one is a joint effort from the can’t-stop-us crowd, the lineup, and Boodang’s production. The energy from BOMFEST - especially on night three - could have moved the Rocky Mountains. The vibes were completely insane. The artists were filling the air with dope tracks, the crowd was jumping, head banging and shuffling their hearts out to the music-magic, and the crew was going above and beyond to make sure everyone had a rad time. Together, it created the perfect storm of festival hype, and it made the entire experience one that I would never forget.
Photography by CYK Media, Patrick Nguyen, Josh Murray, Kat Lam, Mythic Photo, Mint Captures (Photo Courtesy of Boodang)
4. My iHeartRaves Instagram and Snapchat Takeovers
On Friday and Saturday night, I took over the iHeartRaves Snapchat (Friday) and Instagram (Saturday) to share the party with all you rave babes from around the globe. (Thank you so much to everyone who watched!) I had an absolute blast documenting the good times and good vibes, and I am so thrilled that I was able to share the fest with everyone who could only attend in spirit. One of my favorite parts of the takeover was receiving messages from some lovely souls when they recognized someone they knew, or sharing how much they loved seeing an artist that was playing. It made me feel like we were able to connect with the rave community far past any geographical limitations and reminded me just how unifying EDM truly is.
Me on night one!
Me on night two
5. Boodang’s Magic
As per usual, I was extremely impressed with Boodang’s production magic. Every Boodang event is epic, and BOMFEST 2019 was definitely no exception. From the nom-train of food trucks, the glowing seats in the chill zone, the crew’s dedication and all the stage magic, Boodang pulled off a Canada Day party for the books. I also really appreciated the fact that the pick-up process for my wristband was incredibly easy, and the security and ID lines flowed really quickly. From start to finish, Boodang was completely on point.
Awesome seating in the chill zone!
Words can’t describe this weekend. But to summarize, I had a killer time at BOMFEST this year. I felt confident as heck in my iHeartRaves outfits (just a little added win), and I had such a blast dancing, jamming, singing and vibing with my squad.
Perfect way to celebrate Canada (sans moose) = BOMFEST 2019.
