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[Co-Written by: Jeslyn Wang | Photo Credits Under Each Image ]
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After a long and restful summer of laying on the beach, we return to the sunny streets of Westwood. Ready for our final year at UCLA, we truly wanted to make the most of our final fall quarter. So what better way to appreciate UCLA other than missing the first two days of class, booking a flight to San Francisco and spending the weekend on a shipping pier in the Bay.
Back and better than ever, Portola 2024 returned to San Francisco’s Pier 80 for its third annual appearance. Despite being a relatively new festival compared with Goldenvoice icons like Coachella and Stagecoach, this year’s techno-filled, dance-packed extravaganza clearly proved that Portola will be here to stay.
During this nonstop weekend of EDM-dominated sets, unconventional meets innovative.
Located on a 60-acre cargo terminal, Portola took shipping cranes, cargo boats, and the largest warehouse we’ve ever seen and transformed it into one of the hottest raves of the year. Against a backdrop of giant disco balls hanging off towering pieces of metal, over 42,000 eager festival-goers attended the sold-out event at Pier 80.
Following the industrial theme, the four stages (Warehouse, Pier, Crane, and Ship Tent) were scattered between dozens of food and drink bars, VIP tents, and – naturally – a giant rooster and boombox sculpture. At the largest and only indoor stage, Warehouse saw techno titans like Four Tet, Sara Landry, and Sammy Virji. Located right across was Pier stage, featuring RÜFÜS DÜ SOL, Jamie XX, Disclosure, and Justice. Meanwhile, Crane stage had FISHER, Gesaffelstein, and M.I.A, paired with Ship Tent’s features of A.G. Cook and Tinlicker.
Clearly, there was no shortage of star-studded performances. So without further ado, here are our highlights from this year’s Portola Music Festival:
Day 1
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Joy Orbison
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Although we might have been in one of San Francisco’s hotspots, Peter O’Grady brought us to the heart of UK garage: drum n’ bass galore. The perfect mix of house, garage and techno, Joy Orbison might just be considered a Portola mascot.
From the moment he arrived behind the decks, the audience was treated to a set full of bass-heavy rhythms and cutting edge-beats. It was clear that Joy O was in complete control of the crowd’s emotions, as they responded to every drop, build, and break with unrestrained enthusiasm. Highlights from his 2021 soul record of “still slipping vol. 1” were dispersed throughout the set, balancing the intense techno with remarkably emotional voice-notes. Alternating between boundary-pushing electronic music, and surprisingly moving dance records, Joy O took us on a rollercoaster – reminding us why he remains one of the most influential tastemakers in the UK electronic scene.
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Neil Frances
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As the setting sun reflected off the hanging disco balls in the ship tent, indie-pop artists Jordan Feller and Marc Gilfry took to the stage. Better known as Neil Frances, the Los-Angeles based duo kicked off their dance-floor anthem of a set with “Music Sounds Better With You”. Evocative of deep funk, with familiar drumbeats establishing the rhythm, the duo created a contradicting soundscape: lo-fi, yet energetic. As we reached the halfway point of their set, they slowed things down with “Show Me the Right,” pushing the crowd into a much-needed R&B space that they were more than happy to get down to.
Although Portola might be labeled as a rave, Neil Frances showed how house music encompasses genres – seamlessly transitioning from funk to R&B to indie pop. The duo crafted the perfect sundowner set: bringing the day’s atmosphere to a close…and heralding the arrival of the night’s deep techno.
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RÜFÜS DÜ SOL
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Saturday night’s closing sets couldn’t have been more perfect, as Australian trio RÜFÜS DÜ SOL greeted a roaring crowd with pulsating orange strobe lights and unparalleled energy. While every performance at this year’s Portola was undoubtedly special, tonight marked RÜFÜS’ one and ONLY live appearance of the entire year – how lucky are we?! The chill of the Bay’s signature fog paired with the beams of color radiating from the diamond-shaped grid lights set the stage for their highly anticipated entrance – marked by the first notes of “Lately,” a single track off their newly released fifth album, Inhale / Exhale.
Pairing bass-driven notes with synthetic bursts of sound, the three members of RÜFÜS united a crowd of thousands under one collective halo-like glow. Their performance laced fan-favorites like “Innerbloom” and “You Were Right” with newer tracks like “Pressure,” mastering a perfect interplay between spectacle and musicality. Even as their performance came to a bitter end, RÜFÜS gave Portola the perfect reminder of what it means to be an electric powerhouse. With no more live appearances for the rest of the year, a future when they’re back on stage clearly can’t come sooner.
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Gesaffelstein
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French DJ and producer, Gessafelstein, is no stranger to the electronic world. Having previously produced powerhouse hits like Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” and The Weeknd’s “Lost in the Fire,” Gesaffelstein was the last to perform on Saturday night and proved exactly why he deserved that coveted time slot. Dressed head-to-toe in a silvery metallic suit, Gessafelstein embraced the dark prince title, towering over the stage between two clusters of giant black crystals.
If one word was to describe his performance, it would be entrancing. Surrounded by a prism of hazy lights and fog, Gesaffelstein took to stage with deep techno beats like “Opr” and countless other synthetic soundscapes that spanned across his decade-long discography. Gothic energy permeated through every hypnotic beat, as Gesaffelstein fittingly closed out the night as silently as he arrived. Even with only one wave goodbye – his set, without question, left the crowd electrified.
Day 2
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Ben Böhmer
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German producer, Ben Böhmer, was undoubtedly a standout of every Portola-goer’s experience. His incredibly curated set took the crowd on an immersive journey, offering a masterclass in sound and style. Böhmer’s ability to create long-lasting euphoria can be compared to the likes of Rüfüs Du Sol, spinning flows that fused together deep house and melodic techno.
Opening with “Beyond Beliefs,” Böhmer established the tone for the night with lush soundscapes and dreamlike arpeggios. His prowess as both a producer and performer was clear as he manipulated synths and controllers in real-time, combining the uplifting melodies with deep, rolling basslines. As he ended with fan-favorite “Breathing,” it felt as if the crowd was reaching a collective catharsis. The gradual build-up to the powerful drop was the perfect end to his powerhouse of a set, creating a moment of unity and shared connection between strangers.
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Disclosure
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After eight years, the UK house music giants have returned to San Francisco…and we couldn’t be more grateful. The duo’s infectious energy leaked into the crowd, keeping the festival-goers engaged and dancing for the entirety of the 75-minute set.
Kicking it off with an oldie, but a goodie, “When a Fire Starts To Burn” was the first song of the night, setting the stage for a high-energy, crowd pleasing showcase of the brothers’ skill. Undoubtedly, the two highlights of the night were “Latch” and “Tondo.” After joking about dropping “a deep cut no one knows”, the duo launched into “Latch,” sending the crowd into a frenzy. Their remix of “Tondo,” layering in African-inspired rhythms and funky grooves, was made that much better by the surprise arrival of a full brass section onto the stage. The connection between Disclosure and their audience was truly a sight to see, making it clear that this was more than just a performance – it was a shared understanding of creating music and celebrating it.
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Sara Landry
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If there was one artist the Warehouse was made for, it’s Sara Landry. The hard-hitting set was an unrelenting force of raw, industrial techno that pushed the boundaries of what EDM can be. Known for her raw, uncompromising sound, Landry lived up to expectations, opening with “Prisoner” and keeping the relentless pace for her entire set.
Her ability to seamlessly weave together unyielding rhythms with eerie, atmospheric textures created a hypnotic flow that left no room for the weak: you had to join in, or get out. One of the standout moments of the night came when she unleashed “Legacy” onto the crowd. The track’s aggressive synths and pounding percussion brought the crowd to a fever pitch, creating a visceral, almost primal release for the audience. Landry’s Portola set was a bold statement that left no survivors, showcasing her place at the forefront of the techno scene.
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Fisher
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Arguably one of the most dynamic and visually vibrant sets at this year’s Portola was… you guessed it… Fisher! A longtime staple artist in the house world, this Australian DJ’s carefree and energetic style curated a stage presence like no other. Amid a rainbow of neon strobe lights and trippy visuals, the crowd bumped to a never-ending colorscape. Nearly every song was a back-to-back display of dance classics, from “Losing it” and “Take it Off” to “Atmosphere” and “World, Hold On.” Even if you came into the festival not knowing the smiling face behind his name, it’s undoubted that you’d still be singing along to every beat. Without fail, Fisher’s set was a reminder of exactly why he’s earned his prominent DJ status.
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