I went to a ‘softer’ EDM festival in NYC: My take on We Belong Here

Dance for five hours straight. In bed by 10:30. A dream come true.

When I found out that the We Belong Here Festival was taking place just down the street from my place in Greenpoint, on the scenic waterfront, with sets playing through sunset, a lineup featuring several artists on my must-see concert bucket list, and food from a few of the neighborhood’s buzziest eateries, I was practically packing my bag.

The fest made its inaugural stop in Brooklyn from Oct. 3 to 5, bringing a curated mix of house music heavyweights (iconic genre-bender Carl Cox, legendary techno-titan Gordo and the melodic genius I’ve been waiting years to see — Elderbrook headlining), plus a rare DJ mix by indie rockers MGMT, and some fresh rising acts holding their own in the scene — Aqutie, being my personal favorite.

We Belong Here was conceptualized during the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning with a simple idea: no LED walls or wild visuals. Just music. When possible, artists perform from the center of the floor for 360-degree viewing. The result: a laid-back, music-first atmosphere where the crowd becomes part of the show. My friends dubbed the WBH a “soft” festival and that tracks since this is a big twist for a genre built on software, synthesizers and artificiality.

This edition was the first time the We Belong Here crew hit my borough, but in just a few years, the growing festival has made its way through hotspots like Tampa Bay, Miami, and Virginia Key Beach. This Friday, Oct. 10, Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12, they’ll take over Central Park’s iconic Wollman Rink.

Here’s what we thought of We Belong Here

Candidly, the TikTok ads had me expecting We Belong Here to be just another oversized, influencer-heavy music festival. But the reality was something far more intimate and, dare I say, refreshingly mature? Not in a boring way. More in a rejuvenating and civilized way.

No overstimulating screens, minimal shoulder slamming, and practically zero sloshed 21-year-olds in sight. The stage was a touch smaller, but the crowd was proportional, and lines moved fast (besides Rita’s Pizza — but honestly, fair enough, they’re good at what they do). We shared five pieces and still contemplated a chicken schnitzel wrap from 12 Chairs. Drinks topped $20, but that, unfortunately, is to be expected in this island we call NYC.

By this city’s standards, production was top-tier: trippy art installations, comfy waterfront seating, water refill stations, clean-enough bathrooms, and phone chargers throughout. Even free pita chips and vibrating massage guns were being passed around in the platinum lounge. “Careful,” someone joked as they handed me one. “Almost feels too good.”

Truly, there was something for everyone to enjoy, even if you didn’t come with high expectations for the music. I sure did, and I still left satisfied.

We Belong Here tickets 2025

All the We Belong Here dates, start times, headliners and links to buy tickets are listed below.

We Belong Here festival dates
Single-day passes Friday, Oct. 10 with Lane 8 Central Park, NY
Single-day passes Saturday, Oct. 11 with Porter Robinson Central Park, NY
Two-day passes Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13-14 St. Petersburg, FL Kaskade, Lane 8, Odesza, Elderbrook, Joel Corry

Arriving smack in the middle of a three-day festival as one of your favorite songs is playing is a strange mix of psychological torture and FOMO; an itchy combo of pain, pleasure, and anticipation. We felt it all and more as MGMT’s early 2000s smash began bouncing off the speakers.

“Kids” was a serious treat for true fans; a nostalgic, slightly angsty anthem about the loss of childhood innocence and pangs of growing up fast.“You were a child, crawling on your knees toward it, making mama so proud, but your voice is too loud.” I’m sure you know how the rest goes.

Aside from a brief revival from their debut album, the indie-rock duo’s mixes flowed like a proper DJ set; gliding through funky, feel-good house beats with energy-building drops. Bubbles drifting behind the booth. A soft, yellow glow in the sky. Pulsing feet on the dance floor. MGMT didn’t blow me to Mars, but they handled the decks well enough to impress plenty of true house music fans.

I might add that the nostalgia landed particularly well with the crowd. Yes, I’m sure plenty of youngsters — there weren’t a ton as noted earlier — were still using this day party as a pregame for their 2 a.m. plans. Still, the crowd still skewed a bit older than we’d expected. Or at least, we hadn’t expected to clock a Boomer bopping around in a cap that read “I never pull out” beside a photo of a golf ball. And, then, later, when we overheard a gaggle of forty-something guys trying to guess who was Gen Z, well, my friends and I stayed quiet.

Respect is owed where it’s due: We Belong Here pulled off the rare feat of creating a vibe both you and your grandfather could appreciate, a tough task for any multi-day musical extravaganza. I cringe admitting this, but the crowd truly embodied the rave slang “PLUR” (peace, love, unity, and respect, for the unfamiliar). At one point, Tobiahs grabbed the mic mid-set and shouted, “Don’t even think about me… go meet people in the crowd.” And surprisingly, we actually listened.

The Australian DJ might as well title his playlist “dancing with strangers,” because he embraces the formula without fault. Several of his tracks are still rattling around in my head. Especially, the soulful remixes — bits of Alicia Keys’ slightly melancholic “No One” and Frank Ocean’s sexy yet somber “Lost,” which he carefully layered over percussive dance beats. Pair that with a perfectly orange sunset and a glowing city backdrop, and you’ve got a moment that lands loud and clear in your memory (and yes, on thousands of Instagram stories, too).

The expectation-versus-reality of music festivals is a hot topic among ravers far more experienced than I, and I’ve come to understand a couple of core tenets. Most notably, the purest form of experimental dance music thrives in dimly-lit warehouses and boiler rooms. Places that don’t open until late. Where phones are banned and VIP sections don’t exist. That said, there’s still a demand for comfort and easy listening, and this festival delivered exactly that. Grandpa would have smiled before pre-gaming with his new 22-year-old friends from NYU.

The platinum section offered a prime vantage point, framing the artists on stage and the stunning Manhattan skyline beyond. But, I’d argue the general admission crowd was having just as much — if not more — fun with no shortage of space to dance and room to see. Honestly, I could probably still spot Elderbrook shaking his man-bun from a mile away. But we wouldn’t dare risk it, and landed front and center for the first half of his highly-anticipated closing set.

Not a second was spared. The English electronic musician is best known for blending his own vocals with natural textures, giving his tracks a near spiritual quality. His live DJ sets, while no less experimental, trade introspection for momentum; they’re fast, hypnotic, and at times, psychedelic. He’s not shy about sharing other DJs’ remixes, which makes for a fun guessing game of who and what you’ll hear next.

Somewhere between Calvin Harris‘ “Blessings,” Eric Prydz and Empire of the Sun‘s “Tell Me Why” and a remix of Meduza‘s “We Are Mirage,” we slipped completely out of time. No flashing lights, no distracting visuals; just pure sound washing over us, pulling us deeper into the beat. This is dance music as worship: swap the altar for a DJ deck, and the ritual remains the same. Transcendence.

Closing with RÜFÜS DU SOL’s “Innerbloom” was the perfect call. This was the kind of crowd that could truly appreciate something ethereal and grounding. And, that, in my opinion, is the beauty of dance music: the joy of rediscovering old favorites while discovering new tracks. You never really know what you’re going to be fed, and that unpredictability is part of the thrill that keeps us hungry for more.

Was We Belong Here worth it?

Especially in today’s economy, paying for live music is a gamble.

But, if you’re going to take the leap, it might as well be for something fresh and unforgettable. Ideally, where you get wined, dined, danced, and maybe even massaged while you’re at it. Even better if you wake up the next day without a hangover or self-inflicted sleep deprivation.

That sums up We Belong Here in a nut-graf, and it’s precisely why I plan to be back for another one of their slightly “softer” music festivals in the near future. Maybe next weekend in Central Park, if I am still awake for it (fingers crossed, I’ll be in bed by 10:30 again).

EDM stars on tour in 2025

Bummed you missed We Belong Here and have a hankering for house, bass, trance or even dubstep?

We’re here to help, ravers.

Here are just five artists you won’t want to miss when they’re out and about these next few months.

• Justice with Kaytranada

• Dom Dolla

• Disclosure

• Sammy Virji

• Mau P

Who else is on the road? Take a look at this list of all the biggest EDM stars on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.