I had never heard of the Regenerate Festival in Denver until I saw this year’s lineup and it immediately drew me in. Two days of house and techno in Denver? Sign me up!! I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this festival if you’re interested in going to it in the future.
Overview / Background
This was the second year of the Regenerate Festival which made sense why I hadn’t heard of it prior. It is put on by 128 Productions in Denver wo is known for shows and bookings around Denver. Ultimately what drew me in was the lineup of house and techno. I love Seismic Dance Event in Austin and this seemed like similar vibes. I decided to get a two-day GA ticket and my best girlie friends together and booked my trip to Denver.
Venue
The festival was held in Civic Center Park right in the heart of Denver. It gave the look and feel of a city festival with picturesque views of The Colorado State Capitol and a playground to bop around. Getting to and from the venue you could find parking around the venue or rideshare. We either did a rideshare or we had a friend able to drive us or pick us up too which was nice.
Stages & Production
I feel like they utilized this space well with the City Stage being in front of the Capitol building and then the Greek Amphitheatre stage being built into the Greek structure already there was pretty iconic. The Secret Garden stage was a little side oasis that felt like a nice escape from the craziness. There wasn’t much sound bleed between the stages and the production was well done with the sound and lighting for artists’ sets.
Overall Experience
The overall experience of this festival is very easygoing. It was super easy to navigate. Day 1 was a bit shorter of a day with gates opening at 5 pm and the festival ending at 10 pm. Day 2 began at 2:30 pm and ended at 10 pm so overall it’s an easygoing day compared to festivals that go late.
Security
Security was very easy to go through there was never any lines and it was a pretty standard check to make sure no one was bringing in prohibited items.
Non-Music Features
This festival is purely a music festival; however, they did have some vendors to shop from and a Rejuvenation Station for recharging during the festival. Other than that it’s straight music to vibe to throughout the festival. There was also a VIP experience, but I had a GA ticket so I wasn’t able to explore this part of the festival.
Food
I was pleasantly surprised by how many food options there were. I only got food on the second day since it was a longer day and I got a plate of tacos that were super filling and worth the price. They also have lots of options at the bar between alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Weather
The first day was a little hot, but manageable. Luckily the venue gives some solid shade to keep cool and you just have to be prepared in an outfit you can sweat in. Also bringing a fan could help. We did deal with a little rain on day 2 so we brought a poncho and used it for the little bit of rain. At night time, it did cool off, but not a ton where you got cold.
Music
The lineup was what sold me because it had some of my favorite artists as well as artists I hadn’t seen yet. I did practically live at the Greek Theatre stage throughout the weekend because the vibes were on point there.
Highlights from day 1 included finally seeing Kasablanca for the first time. Their live performance is everything and I really enjoyed their set. I also loved seeing Gorgon City on the Greek Theatre stage because Gorgon City’s theme is Greek. Honorable mention for Eli & Fur because they’re always such a good melodic house vibe.
Highlights from day 2 were seeing Ben Böhmer live and I saw my favorite Eric Prydz set by far. I also became a fan of Ayybo after seeing him for the first time.
There were afterparties for Regenerate and other shows going on around Denver, but I opted out for just attending the festival.
Vibes
Crowd
Regenerate crowd definitely brought the vibes. House and techno crowds always know what’s up and this was no different. Friendly faces in the crowd to vibe with and lot of trinkets being passed around.
What to Wear
I wouldn’t overthink the outfits, you can wear what you feel comfortable in and that you can sweat in. Comfortable shoes are also a must as it can be a lot of walking and dancing between stages and it is on pavement.
Cost Breakdown
- GA Ticket: $206.12
- Flight from Austin: $150.00
- Food & Drink: $50
- TOTAL: $406.12
Tips for Next Time
It is a pretty easygoing festival so I can’t really think of much tips other than making the most of the time given it’s a short festival in comparison to others.
Would I attend again?
I love Denver and I did have fun at this festival, I probably wouldn’t attend again unless I had a reason to go to Denver. With the GA price point and condensed timing of a festival (5-10 pm on Friday), it felt a little pricey. Nonetheless, if I lived in Denver, I think I would be more interesting in attending again. I did have a great time overall and it was logistically a well run festival. I’m glad I went and am grateful for the experience.
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