DMNW had the pleasure of attending BOO Seattle for the fifth year running. As the largest Halloween rave in the PNW, Insomniac had some high expectations to keep up with, and large crowds to please, so here’s what we thought of this year’s experience.
How was the new layout?
This year, BOO moved one of their three stages downstairs, and utilized Lumen Field to expand the festival grounds to just one floor, mimicking Seattle’s OG Halloween rave, Freak Night. This eliminated the crowds pushing past each other to get up and down the WaMu stairs, and seemed to spread the crowds out more evenly.
We found it extremely easy to move between stages, though there was a slight bottleneck later in the night at the entrance to the Corridor, since the entrance merged with the front of the main stage crowd and a bar area.
Bars were well placed, and though the lines did get long at times, they move quickly throughout the night. Restrooms and water provisions were easy to access, though the lines to the girls bathroom especially seemed to pile up quickly.
The festival also featured two fun rides and an entire merchandise hallway leading to the Corridor, which made for a fun portal of sorts into a new stage, and gave vendors a chance to really grab your attention.
What worked (and what didn’t)
One thing we particularly appreciated was the chill zone, which was located to left of the bass stage. There were lots of tables, help tents, and a really cool moon hanging from the ceiling that ended up being a great meet-up location. While we didn’t see care staff interacting with anyone firsthand, we did notice their presence around the festival, along with medical staff and EMTs.
In that same area, the festival had a small silent disco stage featuring local artists, but we found it difficult to find if you didn’t know it was there.
BOO Seattle 2025: Silent Disco stage
We also liked the little drink carts scattered about everywhere, which was a nice touch for people who didn’t want to wait in the bar line or get water from a faucet.
How did it look and sound?
The sound separation between stages was excellent, and each stage sounded great in terms of raw audio output.
Decoration of the venue this year was sparse but effective. Moving around the venue was straightforward and well-marked. It may not have been as exciting as some of the more elaborate stage and layout designs of pervious years, but it was more than enough to set the tone and vibe.
Stage visuals were simple but largely effective. The two smaller stages featured the usual lasers and overhead lighting, but the main stage went big with extra lasers, eight fire cannons(!), and a massive wraparound LED screen.
What’s VIP like?
The VIP entrance line was quick and easy, and everyone was very helpful and friendly.
We really appreciated the VIP areas, especially when you needed a breather. On Friday night, this meant faster bar lines, easier bathroom access, great views of main stage, empty tables to put your feet up and have a sit, and even free little bandaids from a helpful VIP trinket vendor. By Saturday, many people seemed to have caught wind of the benefits and upgraded their GA tickets at the VIP upgrade booth downstairs, creating a much more crowded.
The Corridor VIP section and the main stage VIP section both restricted the GA area at the front of each stage a little bit too much, but we still think the design was solid. People remained largely respectful of the barriers, even as the night went on.
Favorite sets?
Dimension was an unsurprising standout for us, mixing in his own classics and remixes with the most electric stage presences we’d seen.
We also got to watch up-and-comers Twin Diplomacy throw down their first-ever festival set, and ran into them later on wandering around. When asked how things went, they told us they were just over the moon that nothing went wrong for their first time on a festival stage.
BOO Seattle 2025: Twin Diplomacy
Honorary mentions from night one include Delta Heavy and PhaseOne, while Benny Benassi proved why he’s still a headliner 20-plus years in (also, Satisfaction still slaps on a main stage setup).
On night two, not to be forgotten was Angrybaby. He played a couple of remixes along with a few of his own classics, including Back To Life and I Found Love. Coupled with the intimate Corridor setup, this created the perfect atmosphere for his unique sound.
Virtual Riot hyped up the Basement stage, and Flux Pavilion and Doctor P kept the crowd moving. Our necks were appropriately broken.
We’d be entirely remised not to mention Mau P and Disco Lines, who each had enough energy to fill the whole venue. They also both made ample use of the LED screens at main stage. with lyrics to their own songs plastered across the displays.
Boo! Seattle 2025: Mau P and Disco Lines
Would you go again?
Yes. BOO Seattle showed an effort to listen to their attendees and enhance the experience with their improved layout. Though we will add that the VIP upgrade definitely bettered our experience, especially with the large crowds a Halloween event tends to bring in. We have faith that BOO will continue to bring major artists to the PNW, while continuously improving the experience.
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