Get Together to celebrate the holidays

By Rachael Grothe, December 3 2019 —

Get Together, an annual two-day Electronic Dance Music festival in Edmonton, gives the chance for holiday revelers to get loud, go crazy and dance themselves silly at the massive rave party on Dec. 26–27.

The event put on by Blueprint Alberta and Live Nation Concerts features a mix of EDM, house, dubstep, trance and drum-and-bass music. The first Get Together festival took place in 2014, and has garnered larger crowds and bigger headliners every year since. This year, top artists for the event at the Edmonton Convention Centre include Kaskade and Rezz. Also featured are Said The Sky, San Holo, Slander, Destructo, Kompany, Nitti Gritti, Bonnie X Clyde, Dabin and Calgary locals Atmos vs. Enzeo.

Blueprint Alberta promoter, Scout Sackley, highlights the different types of music that will be featured in the festival.

“The event is all electronic music,” Sackley says. “There’ll be some house music. More specifically, there’ll be some mid-tempo bass, dubstep, dance music. Maybe a little trance.”

Sackley says there will be stations set up around the venue for anyone who needs some water or a place to sit and to expect some wild costumes.

“Expect a large crowd,” Sackley says. “There’s always places for water, and bleachers that you can sit on if you’re tired, with a great view of the stage as well, which is always nice. You can probably expect a lot people who are intoxicated. Everybody’s really friendly, for the most part, and there are really crazy costumes.”

Sackley sees Get Together as a great chance to discover new artists and warns attendees to avoid showing up for just the headliners.

“Go to the whole thing. A lot of people will go like, ‘Yeah I want to go see this artist.’ You’ll always go and see people that you didn’t think you’d like,” Sackley says. “Especially if you’re paying for it, I mean, go to see everybody.”

Some essential items to pack for the festival include earplugs, water and some colourful, off-the-wall outfits.

“Earplugs are important,” Sackley says. “Some festivals, you don’t really need them. Some of them, you really want them. Water is important, but at every place they’ll have some free water. Bring your wackiest outfits.”

For non-EDM fans, Sackely still recommends the festival speaking from personal experience where a friend of his, who mostly listens to classic rock, came to the festival and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

“Last year, one of my friends I went to high school with, who doesn’t really like the music and just likes a lot of old-school rock came and bounced around and had a great time,” Sackleys says. “So, if someone’s just looking for a really fun event with a lot of really interesting people, and interesting music, come have fun.”

University of Calgary fourth-year geography major and past Get Together attendee Karli McNeil, finds the festival to be a highly positive experience.

“Personally, I think the lineup is awesome,” McNeil says. “In my opinion, this festival’s better than all the other ones that are in Alberta. I find Get Together is more people who have been in the scene for longer, know how to handle themselves at a festival and they’re going to take care of each other. So I’d say two things — the lineup is always amazing, and the people make it worth it.”

McNeil also recommends taking care of yourself during the festival and making sure that all your basic needs like water, sleep and food are met.

“Basic health needs to be level,” McNeil says. “Because if you’re tired, or you’re hungry or whatever, you’re not going to have a good time.”

For McNeil, the appeal of the festival lies in the atmosphere of the festival and the memories she can make with friends.

“I look most forward to being in a happy, high-energy environment with people I love,” McNeil says. “Also, replaying the videos of people doing funny dance things afterwards.”
Get Together is over halfway sold out, so snatch up your tickets soon if you’re interested. The single-day general pass for Get Together is $99.50 plus GST, and a two-day general pass is $129.50 plus GST, available for purchase on the Get Together event website. Doors open at 8 p.m. and close at 2 a.m. both nights, but the website suggests arriving sooner rather than later to avoid long lines. This event is 18+. Videos and pictures from previous festivals are featured on the Get Together Facebook and Instagram pages.