Since its inception in 2007, HARD Summer transforms Hollywood Park into Southern California’s largest dance floor. Each August, the festival has built a reputation on curating a lineup that spotlights EDM all-stars, underground techno DJs, and boundary-pushing pop stars in the same night. Over the weekend, more than 70 artists are set to take over five stages. Here are UCLA Radio’s selected sets you won’t want to miss.
Brutalismus 3000
Hailing from Berlin, techno duo Brutalismus 3000 returns to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly a year. Their set on Saturday’s HARDER stage is bound to electrify: the duo’s live recording of their Europaträume tour is one of my favorite sets of all time. Victoria Vassiliki Daldas and Theo Zeitner follow the classic EDM duo formula: female vocalist, male producer, both lovers. Despite this, their sound is not to be siloed – their latest record, Harmony, is the duo’s most dynamic release yet. Effortlessly moving from spoken-word segments into blown-out bass offers a listening experience that never sacrifices momentum. From surreal visuals to candid lyricism and unrelenting bass booms, Brutalismus 3000 forwards an uncanniness that disappears as soon as the beat drops.
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis is a surprising but welcome addition to Saturday’s lineup. The Colombian-American vocalist has a discography ranging from dreamy neo-soul to reggaeton and electronic pop. Her breakout album, Isolation, introduced listeners to her velvet vocals with R&B hits like “Just a Stranger” with Steve Lacy and “After the Storm” with Tyler, the Creator. But, her 2024 album Orquídeas proves that Uchis knows how to command a dance floor. Tracks like “¿Cómo así?” and “SAD GIRLS LUV MONEY” featuring Amaarae are heavily influenced by latin dance pop and house. Following last year’s Sincerely, I look forward to seeing which version of Kali shows up at HARD. But regardless of whether she leans into the romance of her latest work or highlights her most danceable tracks, she’s slated to be one of the weekend’s most unique performances.
Nick León
Miami producer Nick León has quietly become one of electronic music’s most exciting collaborators as of recent. Drawing from Latin club music, UK bass, ambient textures, León’s left-field production feels equally at home on the dancefloor or in a pair of headphones. His 2025 album, A Tropical Entropy features ambient tracks like “R.I.P Current”, but he pushes the envelope with “Bikini,” collaborating with Portuguese-Danish trip-hop revival artist Erika de Casier to blend Latin club production with European electronic styles. Nick León’s collaborations are just as eclectic as his solo work, reworking tracks with famed electro-music peers Shygirl and EQ. As Nick León shapes one of the most adventurous corners of pop, his set is bound to leave you asking why you haven’t heard of him earlier.
Underscores
San-Francisco born April Harper Grey, known onstage as Underscores, is one of hyperpop’s most exciting acts. Set to support Charli xcx on her upcoming Music, Fashion, Film tour, Underscores has become one of the music world’s most talked about artists seemingly overnight. 2023’s Wallsocket established Underscores’ sprawling worldbuilding, pairing punchy production with uncanny storytelling on tracks like “Johnny Johnny Johnny” and “Locals [Girls Like Us].” Her latest album, U, builds on Wallsocket with sharper emotional depth and eclectic production, emerging as her most confident and critically acclaimed work to date. Catch her on Sunday before sold out arena stages become the norm.
Knock2 b2b Zedd
These two need no introduction. Knock2 and Zedd’s b2b set had been the most anticipated set for the weekend, and not without good reason. The duo bridge two generations of festival music – Zedd defined the sound of the 2010s with progressive-house hits like Clarity, while San Diego’s Knock2 has become the face of a new generation of bass house. Their headlining set at Niteharts last year proved that their chemistry is palpable. When two of the biggest artists in electronic music effortlessly command the stage, skipping the set simply isn’t an option.
Frost Children
Leave it to Frost Children to give you catharsis on the dance floor. Missouri born and New York-based sibling duo Angel and Lulu Prost have built an empire around hyperpop. Their production style, with shrieking bass and distorted vocals, is unmistakable and bound to get you moving. I’ve been lucky to see them more than five times – including at their Sister tour in October – and it’s never been a disappointment. Their latest record, Tweaker Poem, was produced during sleepless Tokyo nights, while escaping a stalker back home. The EP is heavily inspired by dubstep and jersey club sounds – perfect for festivals like Hard Summer.
Weekend passes available now for HARD Summer 2026.
