Writing by Anna Guan | Photos courtesy of Insomniac
Knock knock! Open up because the journey down the rabbit hole is calling as Beyond Wonderland SoCal 2025 returns to NOS Events Center March 28-29th. The festival promises an unforgettable weekend of world-class electronic music, surreal visuals, and an euphoric fantasy to get lost in.
This year’s lineup features some of the biggest names in electronic music, including Excision, deadmau5, Illenium, and Wooli, along with a stacked roster of rising stars. From blissful house anthems to headbanging bass, Beyond guarantees an adventure through sound like no other.
The festival’s opening night features acts like RL Grime, a pioneer in the trap and bass scene, Wooli with his signature “briddim” sound featuring melodic dubstep and heavy-hitting bass, and Said the Sky’s blend of future bass and melodic vocal lines. Other standout acts like Basstripper and JSTJR round out Friday’s mix, ensuring you’ll be dancing the night away in Wonderland. While the final acts of a night are usually some of the best moments of a festival, 1:00 to 2:00 A.M. might be the worst for fans at Beyond — or at least, whenever they decide which stage will wrap up their night. Between Excision, RL Grime, Said The Sky, and Ben Nicky vs. Darren Styles closing off their respective stages, who knows where fans will be. Don’t ask me, that’s for sure. It’s wherever the wind takes me.
Day 2 continues to bring the heat with another massive lineup. Headlining the night is the melodic and euphoric Illenium, known for his blend of emotional melodies, dramatic buildups, and design of immersive soundscapes. Joining him in Saturday’s performances include legendary duo, Zeds Dead, delivering their unique genre-bending sound of dubstep, drum & bass, hip-hop and more, as well as Svdden Death’s dark, bone-rattling bangers featuring textured rhythms and his signature deer-mask visuals. Many more must-see artists grace the line-up, promising reality-bending surprises around every corner. There’s always more to see, more to hear, and more adventures to embark on.
Beyond Wonderland is more than the music — it’s about stepping into a dreamlike parallel world — an experience where fantasy takes over for a weekend. The larger-than-life art installations, interactive costumed performers, immersive themed stages — Beyond creates a community around imagination, curiosity, and joy to fall into like no other.
I’ve been training for this weekend — crafting kandi and hitting hack squats (practicing PLUR too.) — and I’m more than ready to see where the rabbit hole takes me.
