My First Lightning in a Bottle Was…
My very first Lightning in a Bottle was an immersive and unforgettable experience filled with art, beauty, community, and love. Put on by The DoLab, Lightning in a Bottle took place May 22nd through May 27th. These were five action packed days on the gorgeous Buena Vista Lake in Southern California.
The start to my weekend began with a smooth entry into the festival, which included a short wait in will call and a quick line through to our designated campsite- which is something I was so thankful for to start the weekend off right! We then got to work on setting up our campsite with multiple tents and a much needed canopy. Setting up can be one of the more stressful things at a camping fest, but we had fun with making the campsite our very own little home for the weekend. This was actually my first camping festival so I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I’m super thankful for our neighbors at the campgrounds and the connections we built with them. We were placed in “Sunrise camp” which meant our tent was right on the lake, and made for about a 10 min walk into the festival. The walk definitely feels longer with the heat so I would highly consider bringing some comfy shoes to walk all over the campgrounds and into the festival.
On our stroll into the festival we enjoyed checking out all the decorative campsites. It was amazing to see the hard work and creativity these festival goers put into their camps for the weekend. I also loved the fact that we never waited longer than 5 minutes to get into the festival grounds. LiB you did amazing with entry/exits!
We decided to dedicate our early evenings to exploring the festival and letting the wind blow us to hidden treasures. One of my favorite encounters was the pickle shop! I personally love pickles and this was the cutest old fashioned pickle shop with pickle juice shots that help with that dry festival throat! You could also buy large pickles and add a variety of toppings that were so unique and fun. Another hidden gem was called “The Mixtape”. This little room was located in the middle of a patch of grass near the center of the festival. Inside you find a little house filled with bookshelves, couches, and a studio with a whole wall of records, tapes and a dj booth with bumpin’ tunes. We took our time in here, dancing and making so many friends- creating yet another unforgettable experience from LiB.
As far as stages go, Lightning in a Bottle did not disappoint. The first stage we stumbled upon, “The Junkyard”, easily became my favorite smaller stage. This stage always had everyone dancing and had these tree houses where you could climb a ladder and be elevated over the crowd for the perfect view of the stage with the lake right behind. Rufus du Sol showed up for a surprise set at this stage and it was a memory I will never forget.
Woogie was its own magical experience as it showcased some of the best sets of the weekend. I was instantly mesmerized by the calming movement of this stage blowing with the wind as we danced beneath it. This stage created a togetherness of all the people at it, making for one big community united by music. As a house head, I was overjoyed seeing most of the house artists playing at this stage. Fatboy Slim had an amazing set with his classic mix of oldies and house beats. He played some major throwback songs and definitely showed off his crowd control skills. Shermanology and It’s Murph were also highlight sets of the weekend for me at the Woogie.
One of the main stages called “Thunder” hosted an extremely wonky and colorful set by Of the Trees. He played his most popular music while also incorporating popular rap lyrics, huge bass drops, and vibrant lasers. The cherry-on-top to this set was the hanging ring dancer spinning above his dj deck. After Of the Trees, Tipper played his set and displayed great visuals with more wonky beats. This was definitely the perfect stage for wubby wubz.
Another highlight for me was being at the main stage called “Lightning”. At this stage there was so much room to dance which made it my favorite stage to be at. It was so large and spacious you could go anywhere in the crowd at any time and not be packed in too tight. My favorite sets at this stage were Skrillex, Lane 8, and Canons. I haven’t seen Skrillex since Decadence AZ back in 2019 and this performance was even better than I expected. He opened this set with an unbelievable beat that I still can’t get out of my head! He kept the crowd dancing with new beat drops and also played some of his classic OG bangers. I’m so glad we ended day 3 with Skrillex and fireworks at the “Lightning” stage- which made for pure euphoric filled memories.
Aside from the music, another beautiful part of the festival is the fact that it’s surrounded by a huge lake where you can sit on the sand or float in the water at various parts of the festival. One of the mornings before the festival we enjoyed laying by the water and making friends. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. I even met a friend who invited me paddle boarding with him which was such a cool experience. Sitting in the front as he paddled us across, I basked in the incredible view of the mountains kissing the lake and the Woogie reflecting off of the water.
I am forever grateful for the magical memories and friendships LiB has brought to me. I’ve never been to a festival filled with so much kindness, community, beauty, and love. I strongly recommend this festival to everyone who loves music, art, and people! Stay tuned for the drop of next year’s tickets and your chance to join the party for Lightning in a Bottle 2025! See you all there!