While I’ve been to several shows this year, Project Glow 2024 was the first festival of the year for me! The third edition of this Washington, DC festival was one to remember with several incredible sets throughout the weekend. And, we at Stage Hoppers are so thankful to the Insomniac and Club Glow collaborative festival for hosting us this year! Project Glow is highly recommended by myself to any EDM lover on the East Coast as it provides an oasis for us in the neighboring areas.
Logistics
By far, Project Glow is one easiest festival in terms of transportation since it’s in such a metropolitan area. From the metro to an efficient rideshare location, we truly did not have any issues arriving at the festival. However, there was a bit of walk from the metro and rideshare locations. Thankfully the weather Saturday was relatively cool with overcast, while Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day! Between the two days of the festival, we arrived at two drastically different times yet had no wait time when entering the festival. The entry was run efficiently and respectfully!
Project Glow 2024 – Eternal Stage
In addition, navigating throughout the festival was surprisingly easy. While there appeared to be a large amount of attendees, our group had plenty of space rather close to the stages. Restrooms and amenities such as food and drink were easily accessible. I honestly could have used one more water station located closer to the Pulse Stage, but it wasn’t as if we were waiting in long lines for water.
Attractions & Stages
Since its inception, Project Glow has been a two-day festival, which is perfect for an aging raver like myself. Sadly, Saturday we arrived later than expected due to a personal travel reason, but those last three sets at the Pulse Stage were absolutely stunning. Nora En Pure delivered a mesmerizing sunset set, Tinlicker captivated with intoxicating beats, while Lane 8 closed the Pulse Stage with beautiful and expansive sonic creations that also ventured into deep depths of the club.
Sunday was a full length day traveling around the festival. There were a variety of food and apparel vendors, and with plenty of locations to take candid festival photos with the festival squad. By traveling between Eternal and Pulse, I was able to experience a variety of sets. The day began with Nostalgix, it’s murph, HUGEL, and TroyBoi. Then, my favorite set of the weekend was presented by the first ever ACRAZE b2b Wax Motif. Sunday closed with an invigorating performance by Two Friends and the nostalgia fueled stylings of Purple Disco Machine.
Project Glow 2024 – Lane 8
While I thought the Project Glow team outdid themselves with the Eternal Stage, the Pulse Stage lacked the capacity for some of the visuals. The gaps in the LED screens took away from the experience and I would have much preferred a full LED screen with lazers.
Areas of Improvement
To begin, I’d like to reiterate that I highly recommend Project Glow to any EDM lovers in the area. While it is still growing, the festival programs some of the top acts in the world, with rising stars all around. It is by far one of my favorite festivals to attend each year because of it’s locations, quality, and atmosphere!
As for improvements, first, I think the festival this year catered to house music fans, which I’m completely fine with, but having more diverse sub-genres could potentially take the lineup to the next level. Second, buses to and from Union Station would be perfect again for those traveling by metro. Whether they are free or not, that could alleviate some of the frustration with the walk back after the festival. And lastly, the Pulse Stage should go all in with the LED wall instead of having gaps throughout. It would immerse the audience more in the experience since visuals have become such a large part of EDM festivals.
Project Glow 2024
Stage Hoppers is so grateful to Project Glow for a wonderful weekend. We can’t wait to see what the Insomniac team dreams up for next year!