Electrifying Lineup at HARD Day of the Dead Music Festival

Juliana Jurenas

For the third consecutive year, the HARD Day of the Dead music festival is returning for a weekend of heavy beats in Southern California. A diverse lineup of house music and dubstep artists will have the Fairplex, also known as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, jam-packed with beat-thirsty crowds dancing their way through the weekend long ‘Day of the Dead’ celebration on Nov. 1 and 2.

Founded by Gary Richards, HARD music events have been held around the world since the inaugural festival in 2007 in Los Angeles. HARD has received endless growth in popularity among electronic music fans, dubbing it “HARD Fest” due to the impenetrable crowds and blasting music.

Day of the Dead is a well-known Mexican holiday translated as Día de Muertos, a day of remembrance for the loss of loved ones. Instead of honoring those lost with flowers and prayers, HARD will be spending that time hosting artists and DJs on the Fairplex stage. In the past HARD has turned out colossal crowds, most notably with their summer 2014 rave a few months ago.

An electrocuting line-up, day one headliners include Pretty Lights, Knife Party, and Diplo, followed by day two headliners Calvin Harris, Zedd, and Bassnectar. The most anticipated act happens on Saturday night when Deadmau5 and Eric Prydz band together, or against each other, to battle onstage by layering their respective music and building off each other’s sounds in an improvisational spectacle.

Attending a festival like Day of the Dead involves more than just buying a ticket and showing up; preparation is key to enjoying this event at its full value. With a theme like Day of the Dead, the crowd is bound to bedeck themselves in extravagant spooky costumes. Day of the Dead has fans harboring together in anticipation and counting down the days. It can be easy to get lost in a crowd of 40,000 people, so be sure to bring a buddy and come dance for the dead at the most progressive music festival in Los Angeles this fall.

HARD Day of the Dead will take place Nov.1 and 2. Tickets can be purchased here.