Full Sends Into 2022 With HiJinx On New Year’s Eve
Back in 2018, my friend Amanda hit me up about this new festival happening up in Philly called HiJinx. She was wanting to go to her first EDM festival for a while and figured this new festival should be the one. I also hadn’t been to an EDM festival at the time. We ended up going with our friend Rachel who was roommates with Amanda at the time. I had been to a number of warehouse raves but was blown away when we first stepped into the Philadelphia Convention Center for night one of HiJinx. From then on, I vowed to go every year to recharge myself with the wild, wooky vibes that can only come from a place like Philly. It’s become a tradition to go with my friends to reconnect each year with the exception of 2020.
The lineup this year hits differently compared to the first two years. I think this is because Bassnectar was removed as a partner of the festival as Hijinx was part of his New Year’s Eve tour he did before his current legal situation. Having the event as a curated show by a headliner has a different feel. This change has been felt by fans of this festival as many think the lineup lacks a true bass head contender to replace Bassnectar. I think these frustrated fans will find solace in some of the gems found in the undercard this year. Artists like Wooli, Mize, Wreckno, and LSDREAM are some solid rising stars that have been building hype over the pandemic.
This year’s Hijinx is a special one as the festival ends on New Year’s Eve. Typically the festival occurs the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. There is speculation on who will end up playing that special set that sends everyone into 2022. My top picks are either Alison Wonderland or GRiZ. If it’s GRiZ, he could do Rainbow Brain in full, which would be an amazing way to end this year. Knowing that each year the festival tries to improve the experience, with the second year including a custom sound system for the convention hall, this New Year’s Eve will be legendary. I hope you can send it with me. If you need some extra convincing, check out this recap video from Hijinx 2019.