The Foote Green was transformed into a raver’s paradise on Saturday, April 29, with festival goers donning bucket hats, EQ shirts, festival fashion, fishnets, bralets and tank tops.
As the calm before the storm of finals week approached, the EQ Collective hosted their annual AfterGlow Music Festival at the University of Miami, giving students an opportunity to let loose before the stress of exams began.
The multi-genre festival catered to audiences of all music tastes, featuring EDM, Romanian EDM, hip-hop sets and more. Party Pupils’ set was the most anticipated, and they did not disappoint with their opening of Waka Flocka’s “ No Hands.”
Attendees enjoyed a variety of activities like crafts, crystal purchases, playing video games on a big screen and indulging in delicious food trucks and Dippin’ Dots.
Inflatable aliens roamed the crowd and LED light whips added an extra level of excitement to the event.
Tables scattered throughout the festival offered a range of activities like necklace making, lunar messages and appearance by WVUM Radio Station.
The festival was made possible by the hard work of volunteers. One of them was freshman computer science major Anthony Davenport.
“I decided to volunteer because it seemed like an exciting and fun event taking place right on campus,” said Davenport. “The vibe was amazing, everyone was friendly and I had a great time enjoying some amazing sets. It was an awesome environment!”
As the sun began to set, the lighting design of the festival added an extra layer of rave vibe, with immersive lighting throughout the Foote Green.
Freshman media scoring and production major Jaeyoung Lee, admired the lighting display.
“The way the lightning is programmed is especially impressive to me since I used to program my Christmas lights to songs at my house for a while. Lasers are straight fire, and it’s a great learning experience for me since I want to do stuff related to this,” Lee said.
The festival’s founder, UM alum Devin Fisher, shared how AfterGlow came into fruition.
“It was an opportunity to get some career experience, but it’s really turned into this blossoming event where a lot of students get to flex their own skills and also just bring the campus together for a really fun dancing event,” Fisher said.
Rave first-timers like freshman microbiology & immunology major Hilary Huang enjoyed the festival.
“The experience was really cool since it was my first time at a rave. I enjoyed the overall vibe as well as the laser lights and music,” Huang said.
Freshman motion pictures major Zo Zadan already looks forward to next year’s festival.
“The music was so fun, and the lights had such a vibe,” Zadan said. “I definitely recommend going next year!”
The 2023 AfterGlow Music and Arts Festival provided an opportunity for students to de-stress and have some fun, and with its ever-growing popularity, it is sure to become a staple event in the UM community for years to come.