Magnificent Magnifique Makes A Mark On Our Hearts

Summer is coming to an end and with that, so is festival season. There was no better way to close it out in the Northwest than at the Gorge this past weekend. Once again, USC Events has hit the nail on the head. Magnifique was perfect despite it being a little chilly. The vibes were on point, there wasn’t any crowd migration for a festival weary crowd, and everyone had the best view in the house. Magnifique was certainly unique from other festivals we have attended over the past season and here is why we loved it so much.

So, you may ask yourself, how was Magnifique any different than Paradiso? There were quite a few ways, but one of the main differences were the vibes. As is often the case with all larger festivals such as Paradiso, you have to constantly keep track of myriad data points, such as: What is the next set we all want to see? Who is going with? Who is keeping down the fort here, if anyone? Is there any room at the other stage? Does anyone need to make a pitstop at the restroom and/or grab food and if so will we wait for them before going to the next stage or agree to a meeting place? What time do we need to leave this stage to make it in time yet beat the crowd at the other stage?  Does any of this sound familiar? We thought so.

However, at Magnifique, this wasn’t an issue, as there was only one stage playing music. That way, people found a spot, and for the most part, stayed put, giving more time to get into the music rather than trying to get from one place to the next. This meant that if you hadn’t heard one of the DJs play before, you were way more likely to stick around and listen to music, rather than just jaunt to another stage. You can never go wrong with listening to new music. The single stage also created more space for sitting out and vegging, as there was more grass space, picnic tables, and cool-off tents in the area that usually had stages. More room to chill out is always a plus when it comes to outdoor venues.

There is another difference between the Gorge at Paradiso and the Gorge at Magnifique, and that would be the weather. It was still beautiful, but quite blustery at times. Hopefully, you came prepared like we did, and you had multiple layers with you. If you happened to be in full rave gear with nothing else to cover you (Although we did try to warn you), perhaps you found a member of Conscious Crew and they gave you an emergency blanket. Huge props to Conscious Crew for having the foresight to be prepared for that contingency. This is one of the many reasons we have one of the best volunteer harm reduction groups in the world.

We wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t mention the music at Magnifique. There were quite a few live sets thrown into the mix, and that always gives the audience something to remember. Our favorite stand out set has to be Netsky. The live aspect of drum & bass sounds like a daunting endeavor, yet the band made it seem effortless and had us bounding from terrace to terrace and hill to pit. But we can’t knock any other performer out there. Every single one of them hit us right where we needed it. Kaskade made us tear up with Disarm You, Chromeo had us laughing when they mistakenly referred to the festival as “Majestic” (although it was an accurate name), Gramatik got our blood pumping with his unique brand of funky bass, and our very own Justin Hartinger nailed his transition sets perfectly. Needless to say, the music was incredible from beginning to end.

We highly recommend you return or go to the festival next year. We know we will. For those of you returning next year or worried about the weather next year, now you have the experience and will be much more prepared. What was your favorite moment from the weekend? Let us know!