REVIEW: Lightning in a Bottle 2025 Redefines What a Music Festival Can Be
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY SOPHIE GRAGG ☆
Photos By Lighting in a Bottle
OVER THIS MEMORIAL WEEKEND, I found myself under the scorching sun and cool night skies of Lake Buena Vista, fully immersed in the five-day experience that is Lightning in a Bottle, a festival that transcends genre, format and expectation. While many may know the name because of the Do LaB’s iconic Coachella stage, LIB is its own beautifully wild universe: an independent festival that offers so much more than music. It’s art. It’s connection. It’s evolution.
Nestled around a sparkling lake (yes, you can swim in it), LIB invites its attendees to camp, connect, and completely immerse themselves in the environment. While the main programming runs Friday through Sunday, most people arrive early and stay the full five days to soak up every sunrise stretch and moonlit dance. It gets hot during the day and very windy at night, but somehow that unpredictability just becomes part of the magic.
At its heart, Lightning in a Bottle is still a music festival, and the lineup this year was stacked. While electronic acts dominated, the curation felt thoughtful and textured, with highlights from across the spectrum. John Summit closed the festival out Sunday night with a hard, fast, unforgettable set that stood out even against his own high standard. Salute, one of my all-time favorite DJs, played a uniquely intimate set that had us floating.
Other favorites included Jamie XX, Subtronics, Sammy Virji, TroyBoi, The Blessed Madonna, Shygirl, Channel Tres, Hamdi, Tate B, and surprise guest Zhu, each delivering their own flavor of dance floor magic. Khruangbin brought an otherworldly feel-good energy Saturday night, giving us a welcome shift in pace. Magdalena Bay dazzled with their dream-pop glitchiness, while artists like Priya Ragu and Reyna Tropical brought cultural storytelling and sonic richness to the stages:
The music was constant and thrilling, but it was far from the only rhythm at the heart of this weekend.
What truly sets LIB apart is its daytime programming, which included a full spectrum of workshops, ceremonies and classes that make the festival feel less like a rave and more like a temporary utopia.
We took a homemade beauty care class where we made (and took home!) our own soap and deodorant. At a pizza-making workshop, we built sourdough pies under the sun. We created bubble art and cyanographs in hands-on art sessions that reminded us how playful and experimental creativity can be.
One evening we found ourselves in a cacao ceremony, hearts open and minds clear. Another afternoon, we were sitting in an environmental lecture learning about reintroducing grizzly bears to California. Later, a talk on the power of kelp in our ocean ecosystems. Yoga, breathwork, activism, ecological stewardship—it was all there. All of it accessible, and all of it wrapped in an atmosphere of shared learning and gentle curiosity.
As a vegetarian, I was beyond impressed with the food options at LIB. It wasn’t just grilled cheese and greasy pizza, though if that’s your vibe, you could find it too. Think: superfood bowls, hearty curries, rainbow wraps, and crisp veggie tacos. Everything tasted good and felt good.
Hydration stations were easy to find and quick to use, and the elixir bar was a true standout. Serving up non-alcoholic mocktails infused with adaptogens like kava, this little oasis provided restorative drinks that matched the festival’s ethos of conscious consumption and wellness. Elixir Bar, based in Nevada, has built a reputation for functional beverages that support mood and energy—exactly what you need when you’re dancing under the sun for hours on end.
At the core of it all? The people.
LIB attracts a genuinely kind and open crowd. Everyone we met, especially our campsite neighbors, was friendly, helpful and down to connect. Camping in the wind and heat wasn’t easy, but that shared experience created a sense of community that felt rare and special. We traded snacks, borrowed gear, danced together in the dust, and looked out for each other.
Staff and security were warm and welcoming. Lines were minimal. Smiles were everywhere. Whether we were dancing till the sunrise or meditating by the lake in the morning, the energy was full of joy, intention, and curiosity.
I’ve been to a lot of music festivals, and I love them all in different ways, but Lightning in a Bottle was unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It was an invitation to expand. To explore. To play. To be.
