Lights All Night 2023: A New Year’s Eve party as big as the Texas stars at night [Full Review]

Lights All Night 2023 has officially concluded with two incredible days of heart-pounding performances and has once again proven why this event sits in the upper echelon of festivals to ring in the new year.

As Lights All Night 2023 was getting set to begin, you couldn’t deny that the veteran New Year’s Eve festival put together one of the most impressive lineups in its history. Over two days, attendees would be greeted by Skrillex, Subtronics, NGHTMRE, Diesel, Sultan + Shepard, ACRAZE, Chris Lake, Sullivan King, AC Slater and many others. With one of the most star-studded lineups to date, the anticipation was as high as it has been in years, and fans couldn’t wait to begin the festivities and celebrate the beginning of 2024 under the lights in downtown Dallas, TX.

Promoted once again by Disco Donnie Presents, the doors for the first night of LAN 2023 opened, and what would come over the next 48 hours would arguably be one of the most memorable editions to date. No matter which stages you decided to spend your night at, whether it was Metroplex, Disco Rodeo, The Lonestar, or The Watering Hole, each brought their own energy and provided a unique experience unlike the others.

As expected, night one set an incredibly high bar. From the early part of the night until the closers, there were multiple can’t miss sets around the grounds. The Metroplex stage saw the likes of melodic bass star Nurko, followed by Apashe’s newly renowned production and music, which was one of the surprise contenders for the set of the weekend, and then came one of the most energetic sets of the festival from Sullivan King, with lastly Chris Lake and then Skrillex closing out the stage. On The Disco Rodeo stage, fans danced away the night to the sounds of acts such as J. Worra, Kream, Chris Lorenzo, and AC Slater. While those two stages were indoors, attendees also had the opportunity to go outside and explore two other stages, such as The Lonestar, with acts such as Sultan + Shepard, Marsh, Jody Wisternoff and Luttrell. Or even discover local talent at The Watering Hole, like Xyan, Phon, Kause and Thvnks.

But it was, of course, Skrillex who stole the show on Saturday as he made his long-awaited return to Dallas. Bringing an entirely new show since the last time he was there, fans were going to get to see the new era of Skrillex with their own eyes. With a minimal production that only featured his logo but did include a healthy portion of lasers and pyro, the legendary producer proved that, at the core, what makes a show great is the music. In an impressive showing, Skrillex not only played through his new material but also took the crowd back in time as he ripped through some of his biggest songs during the 2010s.

The second day would even bring more anticipation as by the end of the night LAN and its attendees would be welcoming in the new year across the grounds. But before that moment came, there were plenty of acts to get the night kicked off. First on the Metroplex came Grabbitz, Level Up, Barely Alive and Peekaboo, followed by one of the most crowded sets of the two days as Diesel made another stop in Texas and did not disappoint with one of the more fun performances LAN has had. After came the LA-duo, ARMNHMR, as they brought their new album’s production to the market hall. At The Disco Rodeo stage, fans were treated to huge names such as Westend, Kyle Watson and AYYBO. Those outside at The Lone Star stage got to witness the sounds of Sully, Truth and Jantsen, along with others. At The Watering Hole, local talents such as Chris Vipe, Ched, and Pure Static lit up the night.

But everyone knew what the main purpose of the night was and why so many had traveled to be in that moment. It was to bring in 2024. No matter which stage you experienced the clock turn to midnight and watched a new year begin, one thing is certain, that there was no better place to be than Lights All Night. For some, it was at The Disco Rodeo with Hugel, followed by ACRAZE, who put on a show to remember. For others, it was at The Watering Hole with SASA, and then, AALIOURA or The Lone Star with Champagne Drip and Integrate.

However, for most, it was at The Metroplex where NGHTMRE, in the middle of a monstrous set, brought in 2024 as Travis Scott and Playboi Carti’s ‘Fe!n’ played through the speakers. But there was still one more act to follow that many made the trip solely to see, Subtronics. Arguably the most anticipated show of the festival other than Skrillex, he put on a masterclass for 90 minutes. As he closed out LAN ’23 with one of the most mind-boggling sets with unique dubstep drops and a splash of Drum and Bass, it’s not hard to see why the bass producer’s stock is rising higher than anyone’s at the moment.

Lights All Night 2023 was one for the history books. After announcing a stacked lineup, the festival had a lot of expectations to live up to, and it did. Every artist brought their A-game, and what’s even more impressive is that there was so much variety sprinkled throughout the stages. Lights All Night is a can’t miss New Year’s Eve event if you can get to it. Each year, Disco Donnie Presents and this event finds a way to top themselves from the previous edition. And it’s easy to say that Lights All Night 2023 was one of the best yet.

Featured Image Credit: ALIVE COVERAGE