Four distinct stages, seven themed rooms, over 11 hours of music, 20+ DJs, hidden spaces, all indoors. In short, The Cityfox Halloween Festival was an electronic music extravaganza.
The Cityfox Experience team is known for some of the best house and techno shows in New York City. This summer in particular, they presented thoroughly curated events with talented artists like Henrik Schwarz, Jamie Jones, Tiga, and Âme.
Their Halloween show took things up another notch. More DJs, more stages, better production, and crisper sound. Brooklyn hotspot Avant Gardner was transformed into a sprawling urban festival home to techno artists like Lee Burridge, Bedouin, DJ Tennis, Stephan Bodzin (who played a live set), &ME, and ANNA.
SILA SVETA – the famous design studio behind stadium tours and projects for Drake, J. Cole, Shakira, Halsey and Coachella – crafted Halloween-themed visuals for the night. Add sterling KV2 audio, visual mapping and interactive art installations to the mix, and you’ve got a multi-sensory electronic music experience.
Not to mention that since it was a Halloween costume party, decked-out attendees added to the festive atmosphere. From Stranger Things’ Demogorgon to The Joker & Harley Quinn couple costumes, there were plenty of eye-catching outfits all around.
Avant Gardner’s largest space, The Great Hall, was transformed into The Great Hell. Arguably the “main stage” of the festival, the massive industrial warehouse boasted an expansive dance floor plus exposed beams and brick juxtaposed by wood slats over sound absorbing surfaces, making for a quality live music experience. Decked out with spooky projection mapping, sharp lasers and a myriad of lighting fixtures, it was a feast for the eyes.
The Great Hell was home to the winner of Best Live Electronic Performer at Ibiza’s DJ Awards, Germany’s Stephan Bodzin, a man revered for his melodic, melancholic style of techno. Brazil’s rising talent ANNA and Einmusika label head Einmusik took the stage as well. All Day I Dream leader Lee Burridge closed, playing a smooth, emotive set from 5:00 to 7:00 AM.
The Kings Hall, another space in the vast Avant Gardner venue, morphed into The Immortal Kingdom for the duration of the event. Aptly named, it provided a warm space with incandescent, analog lighting. The entire ceiling was composed of glass panels programmable to different patterns, using natural sunlight for a striking visual effect.
Italy’s Life and Death label boss DJ Tennis, UK’s Richy Ahmed, and New York’s own Serge Devant took the decks at the Immortal Kingdom – a stage home to sounds varying from dark techno to hip-hop and disco.
Avant Gardner’s outdoor summer space, The Brooklyn Mirage, was hardly recognizable. Due to the chilly fall weather, organizers put up a tent to create a covered, circular stage. Complete with a central disco ball, dazzling lights, and booming sound that shook the floor with each thump of the beat, The Lost Circus was a real treat for attendees.
Only three performers played The Lost Circus, &ME, Luca Bacchetti, and Gavin & Iman. Each delivered deep, powerful sets enhanced by the intimate setting.
The fourth stage was a large shed in the corner of the venue, normally unused for events at Avant Gardner. On Halloween, however The Blood Shed was rocked by performances from Mighty Kat, Behrouz, and Mixmag’s Breakthrough DJs of 2017, Bedouin.
For those moments to catch a breath, take a seat, or just get away from the bright lights, there was a chill-out lounge. DJs like Meditation Tunnel and Seth Hosko played ambient beats to seated attendees in a relaxed space.
All in all, New York’s The Cityfox Halloween festival was a spectacular Halloween celebration. Powered by talented house and techno artists, large, creatively designed stages and sets that went from dark till dawn, it was a terrific electronic music event – one that attendees lauded on social media, and that many hope will be back next year for another Halloween throwdown.
