Dancing in the Desert: Goldrush 2025 Edition
Recently, attended Goldrush: The Return to the West- and let me tell you, I had the most amazing time dancing under the Arizona sky with my best friends, listening to our favorite music. This year Goldrush made its way back to Rawhide Western Town, after taking a three year break and hosting it at the Phoenix Raceway. Having it back at Rawhide was definitely the move. It just felt right. That western magic that’s in the air at Rawhide really embodies what Goldrush is, and this year, for me, definitely topped any year it was held at the Raceway. Come with me as I tell you all about my favorite sets, the yummy food I ate, the fun attractions, and all the other magical things that made Goldrush one of my favorite Arizona festivals yet.
We started off day one strong, going into it with good vibes and ready to take on the weekend. We weren’t too concerned about seeing all the artists on the day one lineup, so it was nice being able to just bop around and explore all that the festival had to offer. We made our way into VIP by the main stage (which was called Golden Gorge). This main stage was huge and had multiple screens stretched across the western sky. I really think they stepped it up this year with the production and how awesome each stage was!
Right as you walked into VIP, there was a Frick Frack BlackJack table, which we stopped and played at for a little bit, and had an absolute blast! There was also the Glamour Garden right in the front as well. The Glamour Garden is such a fun perk of having VIP at Relentless Beats shows because you can get all glammed up with your hair braided, gems and glitter, and freshen up during the show- all free of charge. It’s typically hosted by AZBRAIDBITCH, who is such a fun and vibrant person and makes the experience even more memorable! It was so nice being able to freshen up and get some extra glitter and gems done here, and made the VIP experience even better.
After we spent some time at the Glamour Garden, we made our way through the Western Town and to the other main stage which was Pioneer Peak. This stage was smaller than the Golden Gorge, but I still loved the design and thought they did an amazing job with this stage as well! INFEKT was playing when we were walking up, and he’s one of my favorite riddim DJs, so we were destined to have a great time. There was also the iconic Island Noodles food stand at the back of this stage, so of course I had to get some teriyaki chicken and noodle stir fry! I had an absolute blast listening to some filthy riddim while munching on those delicious Island Noodles. It was definitely a highlight from the weekend!
After gettin’ down at Pioneer Peak, we made our way to The Hideout stage presented by Beatbox, which was giving us all the house music vibes. Kyle Watson was playing, and we were movin’ and groovin’ to say the least. The stage had these fun blow up disco balls in the front of it, which was perfect for a photo op. Even though this was a smaller stage, the vibes remained at an all time high in there. Everyone was dancing, shuffling, and just getting down to those vibrant, sexy house beats.
Next up was silent disco time. Silent disco is always so much fun for me. I love that you can dance and vibe with people in there, while each being able to listen to the genre you want to hear. I was wearing big platform shoes, and by this time in the night, my feet were starting to hurt. I found somewhere to sit and put on my headphones and was straight vibing in the silent disco. It was such an amazing way to rest my feet and reset before continuing the night and preparing myself for the next set, which was Excision. I’ve seen Excision countless times now, and he always puts on an entertaining set. We ended night one strong, headbanging our way out.
After having such an amazing time on day one, we were ready to take on day two, carrying those same positive vibrations with us. We got there earlier on day two because I wanted to be sure I didn’t miss Wilkinson, who is my all time favorite drum and bass DJ. I’ve never seen him live before, and I was more than ready for his set. My best friend told me I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time he was playing. I just couldn’t help myself, I was having the most amazing time dancing and going crazy to some fire dnb. Drum and bass literally has you on 10 the whole time, and there’s no resting. It’s go, go, go mode, and it was such a strong start to the night. When he played “Balance” the world stopped, and I was filled with so much joy I could feel it literally radiating off of me. I’m so happy that I’m able to check seeing that song live off my bucket list now. 🥺
After coming off such a high from Wilkinson’s set, we kept that same energy with us and just had the most beautiful, fun night. Other highlights were Disco Lines, of course, catching some of ChaseWest, and getting to ride the Ferris Wheel. The whole night of fun was leading up to the main event: Illenium b2b Zeds Dead. Both of these artists hold such a special place in my heart, so I already knew seeing them go back to back was going to create nothing but pure magic. Some tears were definitely shed as they opened with a mix of “Feel Something” and “Eyes on Fire”. There were so many beautiful moments during this set, and the energy was at an all time high as everyone danced, cried, and raved together to this first ever b2b. It was absolutely legendary, and I’m so thankful I was there to experience it.
All in all, Relentless Beats made the right choice by bringing Goldrush back to Rawhide Western Town. The combination of artists, production, food, art instillations, and just overall vibe this year, earned its way to being my favorite festival in Arizona. Besides the dust in the air (if you know you know), everything was perfect. I can’t wait to make more magical memories at Goldrush in years to come. Until next time! ✨🤠
