2 First-Time Ravers Go To Breakaway Fest

Going on tour isn’t just for your favorite musicians. Breakaway, the nation’s largest touring music festival, brings the vibes of an electronic dance party to cities across the United States — and you don’t need to buy a plane ticket to partake. If you have FOMO from seeing your favorite influencers at Coachella, or your travel budget is tight but you still want to party (as you should!), this could be your golden ticket to seeing big-name talent not far from home.

Founded in 2016, Breakaway visits up to 12 locations every year, with a unique two-day lineup at each one. This year’s stops include Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa, and Philadelphia, with artists like John Summit, Two Friends, SOFI TUKKER, and Zedd performing. Tickets run around $150 for general admission to both days, which gets you access to both stages, a silent disco, food trucks with free samples, crafting stations from vendors, and more.

Curious to get a peek behind the scenes? Elite Daily tried out the VIP experiences at Breakaway Arizona and Breakaway Ohio, thanks to invites from Celsius. The brand’s Essential Vibes Tour campaign partners with festivals to give fans even more access to the artists and shows they know and love.

Here’s a full recap of the EDM festivals — including sudden downpours and backstage moments.

Breakaway Arizona

Thursday, April 17

5 p.m.: Arrive in Phoenix

My flight from New York was delayed, so I got to the Omni Hotel Tempe just in time to freshen up and get ready for dinner. My brother, who came as my plus-one, was already getting some work done in the lobby when I arrived. Our hotel was *right* by the Arizona State University campus and conveniently located about a 15-minute Uber ride from the festival grounds.

6 p.m.: Have dinner at North Italia

We met the brand’s PR team and a few other journalists for dinner at an Italian spot near our accommodations. After chowing down on truffle garlic bread and arancini for the table, I had a mushroom pesto pizza to myself — the ideal reward after a long day of traveling.

8 p.m.: Stop by the Two Friends & Jake Shane pop-up event

The night before the festival, Celsius hosted a pop-up with DJ duo Two Friends and Internet sensation Jake Shane. This was supposed to take place at a Raising Cane’s restaurant, but due to some logistical issues with permits, we ended up outside at Sloan Park, the same grounds where Breakaway was set to be held.

Around 100 fans showed up to watch Two Friends perform their hit remixes out of an Airstream, with the help of their saxophonist Casey Fitzpatrick. Shane stopped in to hand out Celsius merch and take photos, and although there were tragically no chicken fingers present, the overall vibes were high. The set wrapped around 9:30 p.m., and we hopped in an Uber to head home and get some beauty sleep.

Friday, April 18

10:30 a.m.: Take a workout class at Barry’s Scottsdale

Breakaway and Celsius had several brand partners throughout the weekend, including the nearby Barry’s and Orangetheory Fitness studios. After sleeping in, my brother and I took a Barry’s class (his first-ever) to get our heads in gear. Daniel’s report after trying the class: He was sore the whole weekend. Do with that information what you will.

Noon: Have lunch and the afternoon off

The festival didn’t start until 5 p.m., which gave us plenty of time to explore Phoenix during the day. We grabbed lunch — stir-fry and pho — at a local Vietnamese restaurant, then checked out the Desert Botanical Garden. I have family in the Phoenix area, so I’ve been to this place before, but never during the spring when the cactus flowers are blooming. Tickets are $35 per person during peak season (until the hot summer months), and you can easily spend an entire afternoon here.

4 p.m.: Get ready

If there’s one thing I took seriously all weekend, it was my outfits. For Night 1, I wore a distressed gray minidress from Pacsun, paired with black chunky combat boots from PrettyLittleThing, a cross necklace and black studded bag from Princess Polly, and black sunnies from Dezi.

I’ve been using a three-barrel waver tool on my hair, which gives a messy, texturized look that’s pretty much impossible to mess up — something I was thankful for later when the wind picked up.

5 p.m.: Arrive at Breakaway Night 1

Doors opened at 3 p.m., with the official festival kicking off at 5 p.m. We arrived right on time to get the lay of the land, checking out the food trucks from Jersey Mike’s and Daiya, bracelet crafting stations, Celsius- and Breakaway-branded photo opportunities, and more. Our tickets gave us access to the dedicated VIP area, which included trailer bathrooms, a separate bar, and a taco truck with shorter lines than the food trucks in GA.

My brother and I ordered grilled potato tacos and ate them in VIP before wandering the rest of the grounds. The weather was chillier than expected when the sun went down, but thankfully, I had an emergency sweatshirt on hand.

6:30 p.m.: Interview Two Friends

I took a break from eating and exploring to interview Two Friends in their artist green room before their set. Fun fact: Breakaway Arizona is held at the baseball park where the Chicago Cubs do their spring training, and it’s a near-perfect replica of the main stadium in Chicago. Breakaway used the suites as green rooms, so I chatted with Matt Halper and Eli Sones overlooking the baseball field. They’d already been there a few hours, watching their friends like Koastle and Daniel Allan perform.

7:30 p.m.: Head back to the festival

It was time for the headliners: Two Friends and The Chainsmokers. By this point, it had started raining (a rarity in Arizona that I was unprepared for), but nothing could bring my energy down. The less-populated VIP section allowed us to stand closer to the stage, and my brother and I drank and danced our way through both of these sets. A highlight: scream-singing “Closer” by The Chainsmokers in the pouring rain. My 2016 self would never believe I’d one day experience this.

9:30 p.m.: Call a car home

I’ve been to enough concerts to know how chaotic it is to get a car home with the crowds and surge pricing, so I suggested we leave a few songs before the end of The Chainsmokers’ set. This proved to be the correct move — we got a car quickly, while our friends who left later told us they had to wait 30 minutes in the downpour.

Saturday, April 19

10 a.m.: Grab coffee and prep for the day

I cherished my quiet mornings since our evenings were jam-packed. On Saturday, I sat in the lobby with an iced latte and read my book — BookTok-fave novel Babel by R.F. Kuang.

12:30 p.m.: Return to the festival grounds for a tour

The Breakaway team kindly offered me a private walk-through of the grounds before doors opened for the day, so I got to stand on the side stage — a privilege normally reserved for Ultimate VIP ticketholders, who pay around $500 a day for up-close access to the artists.

I also enjoyed hearing about the work that goes into transporting the festival between cities. The team drives semi-trucks filled with the stage equipment across the country from weekend to weekend, a full-time operation that hilariously embodies the opposite of Breakaway’s motto, “leave it all behind.” They bring it all along!

2:30 p.m.: Head back to the hotel to eat and get ready

I met my brother back at The Omni, and we walked across the street to get salads at Pita Jungle — one of many restaurants bordering ASU’s campus. I took a precious few minutes to lie down and then started getting my ’fit together for Night 2: a bandana from Garage, Boys Lie tank top, Madewell belt, Dezi sunnies, and thrifted dad shorts, with the same boots and bag as the night before.

5 p.m.: Arrive at Night 2

I was traumatized from the Night 1 weather, so I brought a full two-piece sweat set in case it got cold (turns out I didn’t need it). The temps were *chef’s kiss* this evening, without a cloud in the sky.

My brother and I explored a few activations we’d missed the day before, like the silent disco, which is part of every Breakaway tour stop. You get a pair of headphones and can toggle between three live DJs, all of whom applied for the chance to play at this event. (The festival’s president, Jarrod Fucci, told me earlier that the competition was fierce among local talent, with 54 DJs ultimately selected to play in shifts.)

We also played Skee-Ball in the Celsius Vibes House area, a cordoned-off space with selfie mirrors and free energy drinks. I can confirm this game hits differently when paired with live EDM.

7:30 p.m.: Get in place for the headliners

After scarfing down a plate of nachos from the same food truck as the day prior, my brother and I took our spots in the crowd to watch Soki Tukker and Gryffin. The special effects went way harder on Night 2 since the drier air allowed for fire and fireworks. My favorite moment was SOFI TUKKER’s remix of The White Lotus Season 2 theme song.

9:30 p.m.: Call a car home

Once again, I was on a quest to leave early and avoid traffic. We left a few songs before the end of Gryffin’s set to rest up before flying home early the next morning — and I finally put my sweatshirt to good use on the plane. My first-ever EDM festival went off without a hitch (cold weather be damned), and I might even have picked up a new love for electronic remixes.

Breakaway Ohio

Friday, May 30

8:00 a.m.: Wake up in Columbus

On Friday morning, I woke up to dreary weather in Columbus, Ohio. I made a point to have a pretty relaxed start to my day. (The day earlier, I flew in from NYC, and any air travel takes a lot out of me — especially when my flight gets delayed for hours.) One Line Coffee was only a five-minute walk from my hotel, Le Meridien Joseph, so I braved the rainy vibes and headed there for my morning latte.

Back at my hotel, I caught up on work emails and got ready for the day ahead. I had an interview scheduled with Xandra Pohl, a TikTok creator and DJ, at Breakaway that evening, so I was handling some last-minute communications with her team about logistics.

12:00 p.m.: Have lunch and get ready

Around noon, my plus-one for the fest (my cousin and go-to rave expert) got to town with just enough time for us to catch lunch at a nearby pub and prep for the fest. I quickly learned that I should have done a better job on outfits. While my cousin and the rest of our group — two PR reps, two writers, and two more plus-ones — opted for bright colors and funky accessories, my packing list was more basic. Jeans, a tank top, and sweater were my only weather-appropriate options for the dreary day. The end result had me looking a bit like a chaperone on a school field trip, but comfort was my top priority.

4:30 p.m.: Uber to the fest

At 4:30, our group met in the lobby. I grabbed a quick Aperol Spritz from the hotel bar while we waited for our Uber to take us to Historic Crew Stadium Festival Grounds for Night 1. About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the grounds.

I had never been to an EDM show before — let alone a whole festival — so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The answer? Plenty of rave fits, kandi bracelets, and a ferris wheel. (I quickly got “PLURed” and “sprouted,” which are apparently rites of passage that mean that I have good energy.)

As SONS finished up their set, we walked to one of Celsius’ activations, where I got my second caffeine fix of the day (the Peach Mango Green Tea flavor). Next up: We headed over to the Space Deck, an exclusive, elevated viewing point of the main stage. Celsius organized a table for us, complete with chicken tenders and cocktails (dream combo), so I made myself at home.

From the Space Deck, I watched Xandra’s set, taking the occasional break from dancing to glance over my questions for our interview later. As soon as she wrapped up, her team pinged me to let me know they were ready for us to meet.

6:40 p.m.: Interview Xandra

As Odd Mob got started, I waded my way through the masses to meet Xandra’s music manager backstage. It was way too loud to conduct the interview on the main grounds, so we took a golf cart to a quieter area: Xandra’s dressing room in MAPFRE Stadium, which just so happens to be the same field where she won her high school soccer championship.

We chatted all about her DJing career, recent Sports Illustrated shoot, and summer plans. After wrapping up, we made our way back to the festival grounds. En route, we ran into Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern (who make up the DJ duo Sofi Tukker) as they were taking a golf cart backstage. They were surprisingly demure as they talked to Xandra, a far cry from their stage presence later that night.

7:40 p.m.: Head back to the main stage

We finally made it back to the main stage about an hour after meeting up. After saying my goodbyes to Xandra and her team, I headed back to the Space Deck to catch up with the rest of my group. We all watched the first part of Matroda’s set together. It was surprisingly easy to switch from interview mode back to rave mode, but 20 minutes later, a severe weather alert put the fest on pause.

We were handed rain ponchos and told to seek shelter under the concourse nearby. From 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., we hid under a set of stairs to keep dry, while waiting for the thunderstorm to pass. Luckily, the bad weather didn’t last too long. Forty-five minutes later, we were back on the Space Deck, and Matroda picked up his set right where he left off.

The rain only delayed the remaining performances, Sofi Tukker and Dom Dolla, for less than an hour. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind the hold-up. (Having been to rain-delayed concerts before, the Breakaway crowd was surprisingly chill about the whole thing.) Sofi Tukker was definitely my favorite of the night — maybe even the whole weekend. Plus, the crowd’s reaction to their White Lotus remix would have made Mike White proud.

11:35 p.m.: Go back to the hotel

I was wiped by 11:35 — and nervous about battling the crowd for available Ubers — so my cousin and I headed home about 10 minutes before Dom Dolla wrapped up. We did get to see most of his set, which was pretty cinematic as the rain picked up again and the stage lights illuminated the storm. Although I kind of wish we had stayed longer, we got to hear the rest of his set as we walked out of the grounds. Plus, being warm and cozy in an Uber, instead of waiting for a car in the rain, was definitely worth the early exit.

Saturday, June 1

9:30 a.m.: Wake up early

After a late night, Saturday’s 9:30 a.m. wakeup call felt way earlier than it was. Alas, it was a necessary evil. Celsius invited us to an 11:00 a.m. Barry’s class at the festival grounds, so we had to get ready to meet at the lobby by 10:30. I sleepwalked my way to the car, but the rest of the group seemed surprisingly peppy ahead of the workout class — even the girls who headed to afters the night before.

11:00 a.m.: Caffeinate and go to a Barry’s class

Instead of the signature red room, the class was set up at the Launch Pad, Breakaway’s side stage. Nearby, Celsius set up a complimentary drink station, so I went right there to grab a can of Tropical Vibe to combat my fatigue. Once we got started, I realized that the workout was definitely worthy of the venue — even if I was initially a little doubtful as a Barry’s first-timer.

Frank Walker live DJed the class, while Derrick Agnoletti led us through a strenuous series of burpees, push-ups, and squats. (Walker even took some breaks from the sound board to join in.) The soreness set in immediately, so I knew I’d need some time to rest before the concerts that night.

1:00 p.m.: Head back to hotel for lunch and chill time

My cousin and I trekked back to the hotel to relax before Night 2. But after a quick stop in the lobby, hunger won out, so we walked to the Eagle Short North, a nearby food and beer hall. We ordered a mini feast to split: fried chicken sandwich, spicy chicken dip, kale salad, and cole slaw. Sustenance is key for a second day of festival-ing. (Plus, we wanted leftovers for late night snacking.)

6:00 p.m.: Go back for Night 2

We headed over to the festival grounds a little later for Night 2, leaving the hotel around 6:00 p.m. My cousin — who frequents raves — really wanted to see J. Worra, so we timed our arrival with her 7:30 p.m. start time in mind.

Our group had VIP wrist bands for the second day, so we had exclusive access to bathrooms, bars, food trucks, and a lounge area near the main stage. There, we watched a bit of Levity’s set and grabbed drinks. A little before 7:30 p.m., we headed across the grounds to the Launch Pad for J. Worra, making a quick pit stop at the silent disco and Celsius photobooth on the way. The vibe at the smaller stage was just as hype as its counterpart, and J. Worra set the bar high for the rest of the evening.

8:35 p.m.: Watch Isoxo and Marshmello from the VIP section

After her set, we headed back to the VIP section to grab some food — falafel and fries — and hit the bathrooms (note: VIP access means porta potties are optional) before heading back into the crowds for Isoxo and Marshmello’s performances.

Both DJs were awesome, but Marshmello definitely had the most recognizable sound (and mask, obviously). For one of the first times this weekend, I knew the songs — hits like “Alone” and “Silence” — being played.

10:30 p.m.: Return to the hotel

By 10:30, the exhaustion of the day (plus, the Uber anxiety) hit, and we were ready to call it quits. We left with about half an hour left of Marshmello’s set to get back to the hotel and prep for our early morning flights. As tiring as the weekend was, I could totally see the appeal for die-hard EDM fans or anyone else who wants to step out of their comfort zone. I may not be ready to join my cousin at the Brooklyn Mirage anytime soon, but suffice to say, I get it now.