[Event Recap] Escapade Music Festival 2022 Was Sheer Bliss

Time is one of the most precious gifts known to man. Ironically enough, it's one we often take for granted in the present. This sentiment became a reality for us during this year's edition of Escapade Music Festival. Looking back, we wish we could have frozen time to live these blissful moments for just a little while longer... 

To most, this desire may seem unattainable; but, for The Flag Gang, we've discovered a way to bring it into existence once again! The possibility is simple - by us sharing our favourite festival memories with you all, we can make this wish a reality. Without further ado, check out our 2022 event recap below...

On Friday, June 24th, 2022, we were busy putting the last-minute touches on our festival outfit and eagerly anticipating the experiences that would lie ahead. After a final glance at the set times, we began our venture toward the festival grounds. The sun was beaming almost as much as we were!

As we approached Landsdowne Park, we began to take notice of the immaculate site layout that was efficiently mapped out. The box office was our target and we aimed to reach it amongst the sea of festival-goers. Thanks to an army of helpers, the check-in process was a breeze. We could have jumped in delight!

It was at this moment in time that we began to fully soak in the dynamic atmosphere. From an aesthetics point of view, the festival's organizers truly went the extra mile to stay on-brand with their signage which was all presented in both official languages - huge props to the team for that!

While hundreds of thousands of ravers flocked to their desired stages, we were still in awe of the overall format. Despite the three stages being close in proximity, the sound didn't interfere. Each designated location offered useful and exciting elements to discover, such as water stations, merch tents, and more!

We ended up at the Main Stage where MIKAL was expertly commanding the decks. It was a pleasure to see him on such a noteworthy platform, especially after witnessing him perform at Hypeak Entertainment's CLOSER a few weeks prior. The growing crowd was grooving in unison. It had us smiling from ear to ear!

As undeniable happiness was flowing through the air, we introduced a festy newby to rave culture by giving them their first piece of kandi! PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) is an ideology we stand by, and to continue to pass it on means everything to us, especially in the realities of today's society.

We caught the beginning of Holy Goof's set, and then decided to swing by the Stadium Stage to see our friend Draeden's performance. As we wiggled our way to the front, we were instantly captivated by the stage's design. It was evident that hours of work went into the final concept. As always, Draeden through down!

Among the crowd, ILLENIUM's devoted fanbase was visibly present thanks to his beloved merch. Like many Illenials, we made our way to Main Stage to take part in the ILLENIUM Meet-Up at the top of the hill. It was a blessing to be introduced to so many die-hard fans and like-minded individuals. Lost Kings played in the distance.

After squeezing in a few more hugs, we made our way down the hill and over to the Trance Stage. Upon entering the pavilion, we couldn't hold back our permanent smile. The audience's energy matched with NIFRA's set was incredibly special. It was clear that each stage offered a unique experience. This one was our favourite!

Although Mother Nature was kind to us that Friday, we ended up spending a lot of the remainder of the day indoors at the Trance Stage. Despite it only being one half of Cosmic Gate performing, he delivered a set worthy of enough energy of two people combined! Audien also blew us away with his stage presence and skillset!

Speaking of talent, we had to check out part of Nicky Romero's set - we were not disappointed! There's a reason why this producer is at the top of his game; his crowd control and throwbacks seemed to tickle even the toughest of critic's fancy. Back at the Stadium Stage ATLiens impressed us with their genre-bending tracks.

Shortly after, the Belgian duo Ganja White Night unleashed a killer bass set, perfectly accompanied by the trippiest visuals. We were thrilled we caught their set as the sun was setting! We managed to squeeze in part of Tiësto's performance before heading back into the pavilion. His iconic anthems are always a hit!

When Andrew Rayel took the Trance Stage, we knew the crowd would be in for a treat! We've had the opportunity to catch his performances in the past, and can truthfully say that they get better every time! The legend even took the time to take photos with his fans at the rail following his set.

The positive vibrations were electrifying - they lead us towards Main Stage where ILLENIUM was dropping his biggest chart-topping singles. Although his performance was top-notch, we ended the night at Escapade by watching deadmau5 from the bleachers while sampling some of the food vendors' items.

Our heart was full going into day 2. Despite getting a late start to the day, we managed to get there to see one of our most highly-anticipated acts of the day: Westend. As fate would have it, we caught up with the talented musician before his heavy-hitting house set. We'll never forget his down-to-earth nature.

On the same topic, Dave Summit appeared from the backstage shadows. He was undeniably 'Pullin Up' with nothing but positivity and gratitude. It was a sincere pleasure to meet this superstar. We can't wait to catch his set at Riverside Festival this coming September...

What stood out to us at this moment in time was the seemingly endless support provided by the artists. No matter one's "status", many DJs were present to show their appreciation for one another's craft. This was especially obvious when Prok & Fitch were performing. We spotted many fellow musicians cheering them on!

In true Prok & Fitch fashion, they took the time to meet their dedicated fans at the rail following their jaw-dropping performance. Their kindness is always contagious - one couldn't walk away from them without leaving happier. The energy at the House Party Stage was giving us goosebumps. House music is incredibly healing.

We quickly dipped out of the pavilion to catch part of Deorro's set on the Main Stage. The Mexican-American DJ delighted his audience with a perfect mix of mainstream bangers and remastered classics. His Latin American roots shined through in many of the tracks he was unleashing. He had everyone grooving!

As soon as Gordo took the House Party Stage, the energy in the room shifted. The Guatemalan-American DJ left the audience in awe thanks to his seemingly endless house music anthems and high-energy transitions - a distinct difference from his notorious Carnage bass alias. Simply put, Gordo is an absolute beast!

While Solardo was throwing down some soulful house songs, several security guards were distributing water bottles...for free. There's no question Escapade did everything in its power to keep its attendees hydrated throughout the weekend. There were quite literally dozens of cases of water for anyone who wanted some.

Although we greatly appreciated the water bottle, we made our way to the bar for some extra hydration...The serving staff were always so professional and clearly passionate about all things dance music. Shout out to whoever hired the staff at this year's edition - they undoubtedly found some of the best individuals to assist.

With water in one hand and an alcoholic beverage in the other, we made our way to the Ophelia Records Stage to check out the long-awaited Seven Lions b2b Kill The Noise performance. Alan Walker's set played in the distance, creating a magical stroll through the festival grounds for us.

Hilarious enough, upon arrival at the distant stage, we were offered Monster Energy drinks for free. Hydration was unquestionably on our side that evening! If we were to guess, we'd say a few hundred of energy drinks were distributed without any related costs over the weekend. How spoiled were we?

The beverages were definitely taking effect as our energy levels were through the roof! While we sipped on our drinks, the crowd was headbanging in unison. Seven Lions and Kill The Noise were a match made in heaven. Their distinct sound expertly complemented each others. Their chemistry was next-level.

We dashed through the various lively areas, catching part of Kaskade's set, before returning to the House Party Stage. The pavilion became a house music temple and we couldn't wait to worship Duke Dumont! This God's visuals were the best of the weekend, especially during 'Red Light, Green Light' - just wow!

We ended day 2 by attending Audioform and FMG Collective's official Escapade after-party with Kill The Noise. It's hard to describe just how epic the stage was - it was worthy of the festival grounds! The artists matched the stage's magnitude by delivering monumental performances. Congrats to everyone involved!

Going into day 3, we felt like something extra special was about to occur. Although we didn't quite know what was about to happen, we knew the House Party Stage was calling. Before stepping into what felt like a 2nd home to us, we kicked off the day by interviewing CastNowski - stay tuned for that, Flag fam!

Although we were also supposed to interview BISCITS that Sunday, we, unfortunately, didn't link up due to a miscommunication with his team. Thus, we began our adventures by witnessing his impeccable set. As he gushed in a recent Instagram post, 'Wait A Minute' "still does the trick." The crowd roared in delight!

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A post shared by BISCITS (@itsbiscits)

The vibes were high on the last day of the festival. In our opinion, there are a few factors that come into play: house music is a spiritual thing, the pandemic is coming to an end, and Escapade sure knows how to throw a good party! The gratitude we felt all weekend is sincerely unmatched...

We believe this feeling is mutual amongst the talent as we spotted countless DJs sticking around to soak in all the good vibrations at the House Party Stage. CID was up next; little did we know he was about to throw down one of the best house music sets we would ever witness...

One of the highlights during CID's set was hearing his and WILL K's hit single 'OoooH' live for the first time. The audience sang in a beautiful harmony while many onlookers also shuffled to show their appreciation of the track. CID truly doesn't miss - we can't wait to hear more of his productions moving forward.

Another massive name was not only about to take the stage, but also make his Canadian debut: Joel Corry! Instantly, the English DJ wowed the crowd by dropping high-energy house bangers, including his very own acclaimed productions such as 'Head & Heart', 'Bed', 'Liquor Store', and more!

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A post shared by Joel Corry (@joelcorry)

We believe it's safe to say that Joel Corry should be an honorary Canadian after that monster of a performance! We managed to wiggle our way backstage to catch the set we were most looking forward to all weekend: John Summit! No words can begin to describe how excited we were to see the magic unfold...

As predicted, the rising powerhouse commanded the pavilion thanks to his captivating stage presence and iconic productions such as 'Thin Line', 'Sun Came Up', 'Make Me Feel', and 'La Danda,' We raise a bottle of tequila to you, sir. That was outstanding!!!

During John Summit's performance, we stood beside a friendly individual. We asked them who they were...only to discover it was BISCITS, the artist we were supposed to interview that day! The cosmos works in truly miraculous ways. We can't wait to share our exclusive interview with you all soon - keep it locked.

The remainder of the festivities completely revived our soul. We managed to squeeze in Dom Dolla, SLANDER, Above & Beyond, and Martin Garrix's impactful sets. Looking back, each artist had such a profound influence on our life and continues to do so through their music. In short, Escapade was sheer bliss...

We closed off this incredible weekend with one of the sickest after-parties we've ever attended: Malaa at City At Night. We immediately knew this was why we were feeling like something extra special was about to happen earlier that day. Thank you to everyone who made the weekend so memorable! We'll cherish these memories for years to come.

Photos courtesy of Samuel Daly & Brandon Hebert