After years of hosting parties in unique locations, Audio Obscura launched its first festival on August 24th, at the Van Nelle Fabriek in Rotterdam, a UNESCO world heritage site.
The promoters who are most well known for their events at the A’dam Tower Loft and the Raw Factory found another extraordinary building, the first daylight factory in Europe, built for coffee, tea, and tobacco production.
“We are very proud that we have been able to convert our many years of experience of organizing events at unique locations into our first festival at UNESCO World Heritage site theVan Nelle Fabriek in Rotterdam. From the energetic and fun audience to the artists who all delivered, from the production and logistics that turned out as we had planned and from calamities to all the crowds positive feedback. Hopefully we have built a foundation for years to come in Rotterdam”– Audio Obscura
Despite some rain, the vibes were energetic across all the stages. The festival site offered a total of four stages with a mix of both indoor and outdoor. The Under The Bridges stage was the visual highlight and symbolic heart of the festival which was surrounded by the Van Nelle Fabriek. The iconic building, which was completed in 1931, was quickly described as “the most beautiful spectacle of the modern age” by prominent architects of the time. I imagine that they never would have thought over 90 years later we’d be raving it! This stage hosted crowd favorites including Carlita, Chris Stussy, and The Martinez Brothers.
The three other stages included Tabaksfabriek, The Pit, and The Rotterdam stage, hosted by Heineken Silver & Cloud8, which showcased Dutch talent. Cloud 8 was a fun outdoor experience with an intimate setting that was perfect for some fresh air after seeing Dixon play an amazing set inside . Curated by Cloud 8’s own Cincity, attendees enjoyed a musical trip full of soulful afrobeats and Afro house, with Maxi Meraki being our highlight who played many of his own groovy productions.
We then closed out the night with Adriatique at the Tabaksfabriek, a warehouse style hall with great lighting; a fun feature needed to enhance the rave atmosphere.
Another thing that stood out aside from the incredible venue and line up was that there were no tokens. I really wish tokens would be a thing of the past everywhere, they are a waste of plastic and you always end up leaving with a few in your pocket.
Well done to the team on the successful launch of your first sold out festival, we look forward to future editions!
Next up the Audio Obscura team are preparing for another big ADE with events on October 17, 18, 19, and 20, when they return to the RAW Factory for three daytime events, two night events, and a 24-hour Innervisions party with Âme and Dixon. Visitors will be treated to the cutting-edge sounds of underground legends including The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, Partiboi69, Maceo Plex, Honey Dijon, and more.
Tickets are already available at Audio Obscura’s website.
