Alice Milne
Get ready for this year’s Movement Festival, the 2024 edition of this world-renowned techno event.
Celebrated in Detroit, the birthplace of techno, this experience is returning this year with some impressive acts.
What is Movement Festival all about?
The iconic Movement Festival is coming back this Memorial Day weekend (25-27 May, 2024) to share its vision of electronic music. Spanning across six stages, each of different environments, sounds and moods, anyone can take their pick for how best they’ll be spending their weekend.
If you’re ready to go hardcore, head to the Underground Stage, a warehouse style party taking place under the main level of the Plaza. Head up to the Detroit Stage to get a true taste of what “Detroit Techno” means, featuring only artists from the area.
Then take a walk over to the Waterfront Stage (beautifully hidden in the trees by the river) to experience any genre possible and then go end the night at the Movement Stage to soak up the biggest names in electronic music.
Plan out your downtime at the festival
At some point you’ll probably need a minute to chill out from dancing your weekend away, in which case we’d recommend to explore.
Aside from the scenic stages and massive plaza for you to look around, you can head over to Movement Studio and become the DJ you’ve always wanted to be. Try out the newest and best instruments and technology in the industry, when you’re ready to leave but feeling a bit empty handed, don’t forget you’ll be in a chance to win a lot of the equipment on display.
Movement Festival is also running an artist in residence program, showcasing immersive art and murals around the plaza for everyone to enjoy. Keep your eyes peeled for any hidden pieces. You can also find a space dedicated to paying homage to Detroit’s most impactful (and sometimes unknown) icons in the music industry.
Where Movement Festival all began
Debuting in Hart Plaza as Detroit Electronic Music Festival in the year 2000, it was instantly a hit event. With an estimated 1.5 million attendees over ‘00 and ‘01 editions, these insane numbers are for a reason.
After changing its name around a few times, in 2006 it cemented itself as “Movement Festival” and brought in massive names such as Carl Craig, Earl Sweatshirt, Skrillex, Thundercat, Moby, Deadmau5… I could go on, but there’s hundreds of electronic heroes who have shown up at Movement festival.
The importance of techno in Detroit
This Michigan city is the birthplace of techno. Back in the 1980’s, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson were holed up in their basements in Belleville, inspired by funk, house and electronic music. They worked together to create what we now know as techno. In fact, it was their track called “Techno City” which inspired the naming of the genre.
These whizzes ended up being called “The Belleville Three”, icons in their own rights.
May was heavily influenced by ideas of science fiction, queer clubbing spaces and European futurism and created tracks under “Rhythim Is Rhythim”, which properly blew up in British clubbing scenes and went onto globalize techno.
All three of these Belleville legends have had their hands in organizing and performing at Movement Festival, simultaneously curating a perfect experience and giving it a bit of history for us music nerds.
Who can you catch at Movement Festival this year?
As always, Movement is back with a first-class line-up. With over 115 acts spanning over 6 stages, where do we start?
We’ve got the likes of Fatboy Slim, Honey Dijon, 999999999, and even the legend Kevin Saunderson is coming in back-to-back with… Idris Elba. Yes, the Idris Elba. You may know him as an actor (Luther, The Wire, etc.), but I’d recommend swinging by his set to catch his smooth house beats – especially if its anything like his 2023 Coachella appearance.
Not feeling house? I Hate Models has got you covered with his uniquely brutal take on techno – a surreal and dark mix that summons an element of nostalgia. We wrote about our experience seeing I Hate Models in person at Kappa Futur Festival.
Honey Dijon’s appearance is one we’re most looking forward to – with her infusions of queer history into funky disco beats, how can we not be hyped?
The best part of all of this? The full line-up isn’t even out yet, this is just the beginning.
Let’s get you there
Take a deep breath in. Tickets (wave 2) start from $309.00 for the whole 3 days. Breathe out.
Luckily, Movement festival can offer you a payment plan, and considering the rich history and environment that it offers – we’d say it’s completely worth it.
For a total of $419.00 (wave 2) you can get VIP tickets for the full 3 days, including VIP viewing platforms for the stages, discounted drinks in the VIP lounge and free chair massages. There’s a load of free and discounted wellness benefits available to VIPs too – perhaps worth the investment for the seasoned raver.
