This past weekend, 88rising’s Head In The Clouds Festival made their big return to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for their 5th annual festival. Many of the top Asian artists from around the world touched down to perform or even just attend as everyone in attendance celebrated Asian culture from the food to the music. We’re going to break down all the amazing things that took place at the Rose Bowl this past weekend.
The Music
Day 1
This year’s lineup was simply stellar. 88rising brought in all of the top Asian artists from all over the world to represent various different Asian cultures. Warren Hue kicked off the mainstage on Day 1 with an exciting performance. Starting the day with one of 88’s staple artists means although at an earlier time means fans came through the doors early to watch him perform. One of the most impressive performances of the weekend belonged to Rina Sawayama who ignited the stage immediately once she got to her podium. Opening belching out the vocals to her hit track ‘Hold The Girl’ left everyone in attendance with their jaws on the floor. Later in the afternoon, DPR LIVE and DPR Ian took the stage one after another for a very impressive and diverse performance. LIVE took the stage first in an electric green outfit and halfway to through the hour, DPR Ian arrived to showcase his talent with his impressive vocals and dance skills. The main event of the evening of course belonged to the Magic Man from China, Jackson Wang. Performing a medley of songs including all of his big hits including ‘Blow’ and ‘Blue’, everyone in attendance gathered to watch him throw down his Magic Man experience.
Day 2
The always entertaining Japanese group, Atarashii Gakko! lit up the main stage early Sunday afternoon to perform some of the biggest hits like ‘Pineapple Kryptonite’. Their energetic performance is unlike anything you’ve ever seen and has always been a fan favorite at Head in the Clouds Festival. Similar to the past 2 years, the dance tent is always a cool spot for fans to experience some of the most exciting dance acts in the scene. This year, Beauz put on easily the best performance of the dance tent all weekend long. They brought all their heavy hitting tracks along with some of their euphoric hits such as their song with Elephante and Mark Tuan called ‘Right Before Our Eyes’ and also their collaboration with Zedd and Maren Morris called ‘Make You Say’. They even debuted some new music including their next big track called ‘Fine Day’. One of the biggest draws of the this year’s festival was without a doubt XG. The 7 girl group, performed only a few songs but the audience loved every second of it. To close out the mainstage before the official finale, NIKI once again put on an incredible performance. Demonstrating your true musical talents, she was able to put play her guitar and also dance her way into the hearts of her fans in attendance.
Food
Head in the Clouds Festival always has one of the best selections of food compared to other festivals. This year was no different with a large variety of restaruants to choose from. Fans really need to save their stomach to truly experience all the delicious options at the festival This year, attendees got ot choose from Shake Ramen, Boba Ice Cream, IKI Ramen, All Dat Dumpling, Bopomofo Cafe, The Drunken Dumpling to just name a few. Debuting this year was the Boba Village where there was a spot filled with some of the best Boba options including Bobaful, Factory Tea Bar, Hey Hey, Milk + T, Sunright Tea Studio and Tra Space. If you’re attending next year’s festival, make sure to save your stomach cause there is no better food experience than at Head in the Clouds.
VIP Experience
The VIP experience for Head in the Clouds is completely worth it’s price. The large field that you gain access to allows you to view the show with a lot more personal space and also a closer view of the action. To further enhance the experience, there was another Surf Club VIP spot that gave you access to a whole new section of the festival including an air conditioned building where there are free foods and drinks to enjoy. If it’s within your budget, it’s highly recommended to spend the extra money for a more comfortable experience at the festival.
Over the years, Head in the Clouds Festival has become one of the most important inclusive Asian culture celebrations in the world. You’ll be able to experience a wide variety of music from hip-hop to dance, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll discover a new favorite artist. If you didn’t get the chance to make it out to this year’s festival, make sure to be on the look out for next year’s dates and book early to get the cheapest possible rates to enjoy one of the most exciting festivals in the world.