I Run Like A Girl

This past weekend was SO. MUCH. FUN. Joe and I attended Portola Music Festival, a 2-day electronic music festival here in San Francisco. In our 4 years of dating, this was our first music festival together, and it was filled with new experiences and amazing memories. This was also my personal visit back to the electronic music scene as the last festival I attended was Snow Globe in 2017. Longtime readers of this blog might remember my NYC days when I went to these EDM events every single weekend. The whole weekend was a blast and a nostalgic nod to my past life. 🙂

Saturday: Portola day 1

A big motivation for me and Joe to attend Portola was the fact that it took place in San Francisco. We didn’t have to worry about accommodation and it was super easy to Uber to the venue from our apartment.

We arrived in the mid-afternoon on day 1. Immediately, we were transported to a totally different scene as Portola attracted a diverse crowd of EDM-loving ravers. We became one with the crowds as Joe called the crowds a “breathing organism” – it felt like second nature to weave in/out, close gaps (if you know, you know), and dance-in-a-line so our group didn’t get separated. 😉

We linked up with our friends, Sarah and Dave, who we spent most of the festival with. As the weekend went on, our group expanded as these things go. 😉

The festival took place at Pier 80 in San Francisco. I absolutely LOVED this venue, and Joe and I both agreed it made the experience extra special for us. Pier 80 was massive as it’s San Francisco’s largest cargo terminal at 60 acres. We were surrounded by massive cranes, warehouses, and converted cargo ships which added an underground, industrial vibe. I also loved how every stage had ample space to spread out and dance; the open space made the whole day feel more manageable.

There were SO many food options with lines of food trucks of all the Bay Area favorites. It was nice to take breaks and enjoy all the yummy food.

Admittedly, I didn’t know much of the lineup although Joe knew many of the artists. So I followed the group with what they wanted to see. One of my favorite parts of the festival were the stages – each one had a completely different vibe as we were transported to different worlds based on the space and the artists. This was unique from other music festivals I’ve been to where the stages largely had the same vibes.

The smallest stage was the ship tent – the crowds were tighter here and it had a classic techno vibe. We spent some time here seeing Kavinsky.

Another stage was the warehouse, which was exactly as it was named. The warehouse was HUGE – we had to walk 0.5 miles to get from one end to the other. The warehouse was especially unique after the sun went down as it was pitch black except for the light show. The music at the warehouse featured dark techno.

There were two massive outdoor stages which I loved equally. There’s nothing like partying outside with fresh air (although we had to bundle up once the sun went down). My favorites here were Dom Dolla, Nelly Furtado, Labrinth, Rina Sawayama, and Basement Jaxx.

The highlight of the weekend was Eric Prydz, the headliner on day 1. The light show was absolutely phenomenal with 3D lights. Joe and I were mesmerized by the show. Perfect end to the first day!

Sunday: Portola day 2

I was pretty dead on Sunday. I actually didn’t drink on Saturday, but I logged 11 miles yesterday and we stayed up very late. How did I do this every weekend in my early 20s while working full-time, studying for actuarial exams, and training for marathons? Let me tell ya, music festivals hit different at 30.

I literally stayed in bed until 12pm. I knew I needed to save as much energy as I could for day 2, so I enjoyed my slow morning of recovery and watching the 2023 Cross Fit games.

Day 2 looked a lot like day 1, so I’ll just share a few pictures from today. We bopped around the different stages, ate lots of food, and enjoyed the vibes. Joe and I did a half day at the festival since we were both pretty tired and wanted to be somewhat coherent for work tomorrow.

The highlight of day 2 was Charlotte De Witt in the Warehouse. The light show in the dark warehouse was crazy – the set was super intense but very memorable.

And that’s all from Portola 2023!! What a unique experience. I’m so glad Joe and I got to ring in our first music festival together and make new memories. I woke up today feeling just as dead as yesterday, and I’m looking forward to getting my body back on track – it’s crazy how two days of partying can really uproot my routine. Hashtag worth it.