DoLab hit us early with this year’s line up, and we’ve been so obsessed we had to take some time to break it all down. Showcasing a variety of huge headliners like Zeds Dead, Mau P, Sara Landry, Empire of the Sun, and many more, we needed a second to get our heads back on straight. This star-studded lineup is a dream come true, let’s take a deep dive together and see what more is in store.
Credit: DoLab // Julian Bajsel
The lineup
Each year, the LIB lineup gets better and better, and this year just might be the hottest yet. This festival always does a superb job curating an extensive lineup that groups together a giant umbrella of electronic music genres. This year is bringing us huge names from all over the map, so let’s go through all the amazing artists that await.
Let’s start of with the biggest of the big guys, Zeds Dead. Before the duo kicks off their largest tour ever, Journey of a Lifetime Tour, in July, they will hit LIB with what we are sure will be one of the biggest highlight sets of the fest. In 2025, they headlined Same Same But Different fest and they exceeded expectations. We are more than excited to see what they have planned not only ahead of their tour, but ahead of their announced hiatus once the Journey of a Lifetime Tour completes.
Next up we’ve got not one, but two Amsterdam superstars, Sara Landry and Mau P. We’re so happy to see these two headed our way, bringing together this stacked multi-genre lineup with their stand out house and techno sounds. Both these artists are spending the coming month playing mostly European locations before they make it over to us for LIB, and we can’t wait to welcome them.
LIB always hits us with a unique and notable headliner that stands out from all the rest, and this year we get the pleasure of having Empire of the Sun. While we love our babes behind the decks beyond belief, it’s always such a vibe to see a band perform too. Empire of the Sun have been stars in the scene for decades, the Australian duo formed in 2007. Live guitarists, drummers and vocals all come together on stage to put on a different kind of EDM set you won’t forget.
Credit: DoLab/Jess Gallo
Making our way down the list, we get to artists like Inzo, Daily Bread, Of The Trees, Alleycvt and many more within the bass realm. All of these artists are expected to find the groove of LIB and prepare sets that will leave lasting marks on our minds.
Still within the bass genre, we see big names from the DNB world like Chase & Status, Dimension and Flava D. Another set that you’ll wanna keep on your radar if you love the world of bass, is Ivy Lab, as the duo is set to part ways at the end of 2026.
Along with Mau P and Sara Landry, we will get many more within the house and techno space also. It’s awesome to see staples like the Desert Hearts crew and Lee Burridge. Their years and years of experience are sure to make for special sets at LIB.
Feminine Focus
This year, LIB is putting extra effort into booking more female artists and it’s definitely noticeable. They’ve partnered with the organization called Book More Women, who describe themselves as “an organization working to advance gender equity in music through data and community.” In 2025, Book More Women reported that only 22% of major festival bookings were female artists. We are thankful to see LIB and DoLab taking care to keep those numbers on the rise.
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We will see over 25 female artists throughout the five days of LIB, and we are more than here for it!
More than the music
LIB is a fest full of wonder and surprises, and we encourage anyone who’s never been before to explore and then explore even more. Beyond the stages, there are endless workshops and lectures. The Learning Kitchen hosts all sorts of cooking experiences, The Compass is filled with all kinds of classes, and The Artclave always has creativity to be discovered.
Credit: DoLab/Juilian Bajsel
Explore further and you’ll find interactive installations that make for the perfect chill time activities. Art cars also saunter around the fest, but at night they really come to life, so if you see one (or hear one) go on a little adventure, follow the art car and see what happens.
Try to remember that LIB is an All Ages festival! There really is something for everyone here, even the kiddos. This festival is one of the most impressive all age events we’ve ever seen with the way they cater to families that want to have a safe place to introduce the next generations into the scene.
Arriving to LIB
LIB opens its gates at 12pm on Wednesday, May 20th, and they do NOT do 24 hour access, so they will close for the night at 11pm before reopening at 10am the following days.
Since LIB is freeform camping, you will want to come early to get your prized pick of spots. In our past couple LIB experiences, the lines on Wednesday at opening have not been long waits whatsoever. We do hear that wait times get higher through Thursday and Friday afternoon, but even so, we have never heard of max wait times going above a couple hours.
Once you are through the gates, there are a few camp areas to choose from unless you’ve purchased upgraded sites. The three main free access sites that come with ticket purchase are Sunrise, Sunset, and High Noon campgrounds. These three campgrounds make a triangle around the fest. Once this year’s map is released, be sure to scope out what areas are closest to your favorite stages, each one will be close to one of the three larger stages.
Bakersfield is hot, so stay hydrated while setting up camp, and be sure to take breaks in the shade. Camp set up can be one of the most strenuous parts of a festival, don’t overdo the lifting before you get to the dancing!
Where to find whatever you need
The festival is set up on a large recreational campground area, so it is equipped with a large general store just inside the entrance to the festival grounds. There is also a huge merch tent in the middle of the main stages, as well as a couple smaller ones on either end of the festival site.
There are shower trailers throughout the campgrounds, usually accompanied by stands for ice and a few other vendors with food or other needed camp products. There are water spigots scattered through the campgrounds, but they are non-potable water so just be aware.
Almost all of the vendors and food options lie within the festival grounds, so depending on where you are camped, there are a variety of options near every enter/exit point from the festival grounds into the different campsites. Bars are at every single stage, as well as bathroom access.
LIB is one big family, truly. This festival holds a special place in all attendees hearts and there are many that come back to the fest every year, us included. If you are a newcomer, everyone is there to welcome you and point you in the right direction for anything you might need. Lean on your neighbors, howl at the sunset with them, and wander through the campgrounds exploring. You never know, you may find a dome full of lasers hiding amongst all the tents, don’t be shy and dance with your neighbors till sunrise!
Day to night
As we said, Bakersfield gets hot this time of year, luckily there are plenty of ways to stay cool throughout the day. The festival sits along a large, man-made lake that can be a great spot to keep yourself comfortable. Many festival goers bring floaties of all kinds and spend the hot hours lounging in the lake. The water is not the cleanest, but it is patrolled by law enforcement water safety entities throughout the duration of the fest.
There is also a plethora of shade structures within the festival. We are always impressed with the variety of structures LIB is able to set up. Lots of shade with lots of comfortable seating, this is huge when is comes to longer festivals in hotter weather.
When the sun sets, you’ll hear the howls radiate across the festival, and the lasers come to life. Every year LIB stage production gets better and better. Last year brought an updated Thunder and Stacks stage, we’re excited to see what new things come next. The three large main stages are never a let-down, but last year we saw even more life given to the smaller stages too.
After 2am, the night belongs to the smaller stages. With the Stacks Junkyard stages lineups already released, we’re looking forward to how crazy the early AM hours can get. This is the time of night where we see surprise sets sneak their way in, so keep an eye out for what DoLab has up their sleeve.
Credit: DoLab
Late night sets keep going through till 4AM, and they are totally worth staying up for. This time of night is when we see artists catch their own LIB vibes and keep energy high despite already having a long festival day.
Festival info
DoLab does a great job at loading up their website with tons of info. We’ve listed where to buy passes, as well as a few of their most useful links.
There is so many incredible things to discover about LIB, and we hope this gives you a good idea of how much there is to look forward to. We are gearing up for our best year yet in Bakersfield and we can’t wait to see you there!
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