House and techno lovers flocked to Downtown LA last weekend to enjoy a weekend of sets by some of the finest global and local talents at Insomniac’s Skyline Festival. This year marked the third edition of the event, and the first year Skyline’s new home: Gloria Molina Grand Park.

After last year’s event was hosted at the spacious Expo Park, Insomniac’s decision to house Skyline at Grand Park was initially met with some confusion. The DTLA venue has hosted electronic music events in the past, but none at this scale during a time when the genre is at its most popular. The first day saw the most logistical challenges, with large crowds at entry, taking many attendees an average of 45 minutes to get into the festival grounds. The narrow layout of the park also created many choke points closer to stages and bathrooms. However, the staggered terrain of Grand Park made for excellent views at any stage and provided ample seating for anyone needing it, without having to miss the music.

Logistical issues aside, the sets at Skyline did not disappoint. The first day featured an array of sounds from esteemed House DJs such as PAWSA, Chris Stussy, and Chris Lake. Up-and-comer Rossi also delivered a stellar house set, perfectly building up the energy for the night on the West Side. On the East Side, listeners were treated to a funky sunset set from Adam Ten, one of house music’s finest rising talents.

This year, Skyline hosted a small new zone called the Arts District, which was marketed as a hub for art installations, food, and music from local underground talent. While there was oddly no art or food directly in the Arts District, the eclectic sets from DJs such as OZA and Etari kept the crowd engaged. Lucky attendees on Saturday were also treated to a surprise B2B from underground royalty Masha Mar and Heidi Lawden.

The second day saw a smoother entry experience overall, proving that while Insomniac is not immune to logistical errors, the company knows how to listen to feedback from attendees and apply it with swiftness. Early-arrivers on Sunday were treated to one of the best sets of the weekend by Adiel. The Italian DJ delivered a mesmerizing all-vinyl set, bringing hypnotic and groovy techno to DTLA in the middle of the day to an ecstatic crowd.

Highlights from Sunday also included a captivating house set from LP Giobbi and Deborah De Luca’s return to Los Angeles. Playing in LA for the first time in two years, De Luca’s set took listeners through all forms of hard techno for her 90 minute set, building to a perfect end with a euphoric hardstyle track.

As a perfect callback to last year’s extremely rainy Skyline, the last hours of Sunday received a light mist, providing relief to dancers who spent all day moving and grooving.

While a 2025 edition of Skyline has not been confirmed yet, eager festival-goers can expect to see this event return next year in February, with a guaranteed lineup full of heavy-hitters.

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