FVDED in the Park 2025, Canada’s premier electronic music festival in Surrey, BC, truly knocked it out of the park for its 10th anniversary this year. The star-studded lineup had something to offer for everybody, and the incredible organizers made sure that everyone had a fun and seamless experience. Taking place on July 4&5, this festival (and its stacked lineup) drew crowds from all over Canada, Washington, and beyond.
The festival included four different stages across its grounds: Pacific Stage (AKA main stage), Northwest Tent, Forest Stage (AKA bass stage) and Propagate Stage, a more intimate stage dedicated to emerging artists in the electronic scene. As we were able to catch a multitude of excellent sets during our time here, we’ve broken down our thoughts as concisely as possible by genre and artist.
House Music
While the lineup covered every corner of the genre map, house music fans were treated to an especially rich lineup of iconic DJs. Here are some of our highlights:
Sammy Virji at Pacific Stage. Credit: FVDED in the Park (bleongphoto).
Sammy Virji
After seeing Sammy Virji absolutely kill it on his recent tour, we were really excited for his set at FVDED. His music is perfect for a summer day, and enjoying it on the main stage was a highlight. He came in swinging and left no bodies still. This UK bass and house DJ has been tearing up the global scene, and FVDED was no exception. His set was one of the weekend’s most high-energy moments. Cops & Robbers (his new collab with Skepta) and If U Need It went off- the crowd was bouncing in sync, sunglasses were falling off, friends were jumping together, girlfriends were on their partner’s shoulders, and Sammy was tuned into every crowd reaction. He knew this set was going to be gearing up the crowd for the iconic acts that followed, and he delivered. One of our top picks of the entire fest.
Kaytranada
Montreal’s grooviest DJ Kaytranada brought the funk, disco, and all the feels. His set featured all the classics: You’re The One, Be Your Girl, and Intimidated had the crowd swaying, dancing, and singing like we were at an intimate rooftop party, not a massive outdoor festival. Admittedly, a few transitions felt off, and there were moments where the energy dipped. Still, it’s Kaytra. Watching him dance on the big screen, in his element, made it all feel intimate and special. His presence alone had fans feeling lucky to be in the crowd.
Disclosure at Northwest Tent. Credit: FVDED in the Park (Marc Ducusin).
Disclosure
Of all the names on the bill, Disclosure was easily one of the most anticipated acts amongst house fans. They delivered a tightly produced, genre-fluid set that had everyone dancing and squeezing into a dance floor that seemed too small for a duo this popular. The crowd was all in, especially when Latch dropped and everyone collectively lost their minds. She’s Gone, Dance On was another fan favorite, of course. Their set blended UK garage, deep house, and funk seamlessly, and truly was such a fun set that made it feel like you were dancing in the clouds.
Tiësto
Tiësto proved yet again why he’s still a global icon. Closing out day 1, he delivered a hypnotizing set that blended his classic big-room anthems with an unexpected (and welcome) techno-heavy twist. It was the perfect mix of nostalgic singing and headbanging. Our favorite was Hot In It featuring Charli XCX —people were screaming every word and dancing hard as the sun set over the city. The energy was unreal. Packed lasers, flawless transitions, and an endless sea of hands in the air. As a man who seems to be everywhere all the time, we are so glad Tiësto chose to close out the first day at FVDED and gave us everything we were excited for.
ZEDD at Pacific Stage. Credit: FVDED in the Park (Brandon Artis).
Zedd
Zedd’s Saturday night performance wasn’t just a set; it was a show. His visuals were colorful and beautiful, hundreds of synchronized lasers filled the sky and the pyrotechnics had the crowd screaming. The man knows how to turn emotion into motion. From DnB breakdowns to techno interludes, Zedd played something for everyone, all while keeping it fun and nostalgic with his pop bangers. When he talked about his love for Vancouver (and shared that it’s the city he’s performed in the most!), it felt heartfelt and electric. Nostalgia took over as the crowd belted every lyric to Clarity and Stay the Night. It was emotional, it was euphoric, it was peak Zedd. We couldn’t imagine a better way to close out a great FVDED weekend, except perhaps a fireworks display.
More House Highlights
Some smaller artists put on a set so great that they rose to the top of our list quickly. Rebecca Black came in with her post-Boiler Room hype with something to prove, and she crushed it. Talk about a glow-up! Her set was dark, punchy, and seriously fun; heavy on techno, sprinkled with hyperpop bangers, and flawlessly mixed. You could feel the crowd slowly realizing, “Oh shit, this is really good.” It was one of the most pleasantly surprising sets of the weekend and had me wishing we could have stayed longer.
Rescheduled for Saturday, Nooriyah’s set was worth the wait. Her ability to blend Arabic, Desi, and global tracks with house heaters created a dancefloor that felt like a celebration of worldwide sounds. She took us around the globe and back without ever leaving the stage. Truly one to keep an eye on.
Uncle Waffles brought amapiano with house-fused finesse that had the early crowd vibing hard. AC Slater smashed his bass-house set as usual. San Pacho had everyone grooving with his Latin house beats and even brought a goose on stage as his plus one. It took us way too long to realize it wasn’t real…
Bass Music
The 2025 lineup brought some high-caliber bass talents to Holland Park this year. A few heavy hitters brought the heat to the Northwest Stage, such as Black Tiger Sex Machine, Dabin, and RL Grime. The Pacific Stage had rising trap “goon” Juelz and wonky bass legend Subtronics, both of which had fans breaking necks in broad daylight. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – we’ve never seen a bad Subtronics set. Other honorable mentions include Maddy O’Neal and Zingara with early yet heavy dubstep sets that got us started on the right foot. We also must give a shoutout to the sub-genre of drum and bass as a whole. Throughout the entire fest, we heard drops of DnB from nearly all stages – cementing the fact that the sub-genre is quickly rising in popularity (as it should).
Forest Stage. Credit: FVDED in the Park (Banana Cam Photo).
Forest Stage: Perfect for the PNW
The Forest Stage, set amongst a backdrop of gorgeous evergreen trees, held down most of the bass artists in its smaller but mighty space. Behind the stage itself, in the trees, was a shaded rest area with hammocks, string lights, and gorgeous inflatable mushroom and bear art installations. The stage design was noticeably intentional. It made it feel as though this stage was set elsewhere than a park located in the middle of the city; it felt like it was set in an enchanted forest. Here are some highlights of impeccable acts who graced the Forest Stage:
Aspen King
While waiting for more company to arrive on day 2 of the festival, we found ourselves drawn to the forest stage early to see none other than Aspen King, Canada-based DJ/producer whose incredible range caught our attention. Her set included some excellent experimental bass, with sprinkles of house and UK garage. When she rinsed a bass remix of Kanye West and Rihanna’s All of the Lights, we looked up to the stage to see a woman on the decks! In a male-dominated fields like DJing and music production, finding stellar female artists is always an exciting moment for us.
Mary Droppinz
Another one of the many remarkable female names on the loaded FVDED in the Park lineup was Mary Droppinz. Her sound was incredibly unique, experimental, and versatile; it has the ability to take the audience to space. Her late afternoon set was at the perfect time, when the crowd was beginning to grow but not at its peak, drawing a crowd that was ready to begin their festival experience the right way – with some hot, nose-scrunching wubs and dubs. We even caught her at the end of her set and were able to thank her in person for such an incredible time. She was so sweet in person!
Levity at Forest Stage. Credit: FVDED in the Park (Banana Cam Photo).
Levity
Similarly to Disclosure, we felt that Levity needed a bigger stage. The exponentially popular bass trio managed to gather what we found to be the largest crowd at the Forest Stage all weekend. Although only two of the three members were on stage, the energy they brought to their dubstep- and remix-heavy performance would’ve convinced you that all three were there. After an insane hour and 30 or so minutes, the Levity boys ended their set with one of their newest SoundCloud releases, a remix of MGMT’s Electric Feel, which initially debuted as the closing track for their EDC Las Vegas 2025 set in May.
The Official Afters with Levity & more
If you felt like one incredible set wasn’t enough, Levity also threw an official afterparty at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC with support from Aspen King as well as goddard., UK-based DnB artist who really set the feral tone that comes with any afterparty. Levity, with another 90 minute set, put on what we think is their best performance yet. They sprinkled in some house and techno, which is a rarity in their set tracklists. All in all, Levity gave their two performances their all and we could tell. How lucky are we to have gotten three hours of Levity in one day?
Of The Trees
Closing out the Forest Stage on the last night of the festival was Of The Trees, and we couldn’t think of a better artist to do so. Seeing Of The Trees amongst the trees was an experience we will never forget. His low-tempo, low-frequency experimental sound really was the perfect way to round out and end the weekend. Don’t get us wrong – Of The Trees still put on some heavy bass that got our heads banging to the end. His seamless blend of remixes of some of the hottest hiphop to his original tracks that ignite a somatic experience inside the crowd made for yet another successful set and perfect wrap up of the weekend. Word of advice – catch his set at least once in your life; you won’t regret it!
Festival attendees at Northwest Tent. Credit: FVDED in the Park (@auudrey.a).
Festival Organization: Blueprint is the Blueprint
From a logistical standpoint, FVDED was one of the most seamless festivals we’ve hit this season. Bathrooms were accessible (GA+ trailers were a godsend). Water stations were abundant, easy to find, and the lines weren’t too long either. There was a Red Bull tent with energy drinks for purchase, which was much needed to keep us going throughout the day and into the night. There were also Liquid IV areas and staff passing out free Liquid IV packets, which goes to show how much festival organizers care about their customer experience. The sound bleed between the 4 stages was present but minimal, given the relatively small size of the park itself. The cutting-edge sound systems made each drop hit that much harder. Everyone seemed in a great mood – maybe it was the sunshine, the renowned lineup, or the fact that the weekend was just that well-organized.
Final Thoughts
We absolutely enjoyed our time at FVDED in the Park this year and we cannot wait to come back again. With an insane roster of EDM talents, excellent and unique production, extremely thoughtful curation, and a clear focus on the attendee experience, FVDED in the Park has more than surpassed our expectations. Do not miss out next year! Super early bird tickets are available online here.
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