As someone lucky enough to attend both days of the inaugural CORE Medellín festival, I can confidently say this was one of the most unique and ambitious dance music events I’ve ever experienced.
Tomorrowland’s creative wizards absolutely outdid themselves with the spectacular new CORE stage design that debuted here in the beautiful Parque Norte of Colombia’s second-largest city.
The new stage: a massive 17-meter tall and 30-meter wide structure
The 17-meter tall, 30-meter wide inflatable stage was a true feat of engineering – packed with 209 moving lights, water features that shot geysers into the air, dazzling pyrotechnics, thick clouds of smoke and fog, and brilliant LED displays. Yet the entire stage broke down into just a single shipping container for its world tour. The visual production seamlessly melded with thumping techno and house sounds to create an all-encompassing audiovisual journey.
Over the two sold-out days, nearly 40,000 music fans were treated to 22 hours of memorable performances spread across the CORE stage and two other more intimate stages – the woodsy AltVerda and mystical Arbo setups.
The lineup
The CORE stage hosted headlining performances from the likes of ANNA, BICEP’s high-energy DJ set, Brina Knauss, Mind Against’s hypnotic beats, and a live hardware set from Turkish composer Bora Uzer that was a particular standout.
The AltVerda stage’s unique design with light columns stretching into the forest set the scene for DJ BORING’s quirky sounds, the dark techno of HAAi and fka.m4a, and Dana Montana’s vocal house. Meanwhile, the fabrics and smoky atmosphere of the Arbo stage made for a cozy vibe as Julianna, Mystery Affair, Valesuchi and others performed.
As both sunsets cascaded purples and oranges across the Medellín sky, the CORE stage really came alive with its full lighting wizardry synchronized to every kick drum. Towering inflatable sculptures shifted colors and shapes in time with the music in a truly mesmerizing display. With convenient amenities and plenty of space to dance, the grounds of Parque Norte made for the ideal setting.
From Tulum to Medellín and Tomorrowland Belgium
After its unforgettable debut in Tulum’s jungles earlier this year, the CORE stage has now worked its magic in Medellín before continuing its global tour to Tomorrowland’s 20th anniversary in Belgium this summer and then Tomorrowland Brasil in October. If those shows are anything like this spellbinding experience in Colombia, they are can’t-miss events for dance music fans.
CORE Medellín felt like the start of a new era of immersive and spectacular festival experiences. By investing in a mobile mega-structure stage while still booking a diverse array of forward-thinking artists, the event struck the perfect balance between artistry and innovation.
We are already eagerly awaiting to see where the CORE concept travels next!
