Hard Summer back and bigger
EDM-focused fest expands to three days, with more than 100 acts expected
With an extra day of dance and hip-hop music on the schedule, the expanded Hard Summer Music Festival returns to the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino from Friday through July 31.
“We’re really excited for another Hard Summer and the music,” said Meagan DesChenes, executive producer of the event. “We have a lot of great acts across the board from hip-hop to house music to techno; we have it all this year.”
This will be the second time the EDM-focused festival sets up its five stages at the outdoor San Bernardino venue, where more than 100 acts will be performing throughout the weekend to massive, dance-loving crowds.
Here’s what to know before you go.
Can't-miss acts
The music will pretty much be nonstop and the lineup is stacked. Hard Summer caps its first evening with Grammy winner and rap sensation Megan Thee Stallion. Lil Uzi Vert headlines Saturday, and DJ and singer Porter Robinson closes out the event Sunday.
There’s a smorgasbord of other dance and rap artists, including upand-coming acts and established names.
“We just really try to get a good mix of music so there’s something about everyone,” DesChenes said.
Some of DesChenes’ Friday highlights include a back-to-back bassheavy performance by Zeds Dead and Subtronics, as well as British
HARD SUMMER
When: 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m.-midnight July 31
Where: NOS Events Center, 689 S. E St., San Bernardino
How much: Single-day general admission is $89-$99, three-day general admission starts at $229, single-day VIP admission is $169-$184, threeday VIP admission starts at $439. Guests must be 18or older for admission and 21or older to purchase alcohol or be in VIP sections. All passes on sale at hardsummer.com.
Parking: On-site plus several ticketed round-trip city and hotel shuttle options, with hubs in Ontario, Mission Hills, Riverside, downtown Los Angeles and Fullerton
Info: hardsummer.com
DJ Joyryde.
“You can’t go wrong with Joyryde; he always brings the party and is a fan favorite,” she said.
On Saturday, besides Uzi, her can’t-miss sets include trap, hiphop and bass DJ Alison Wonderland, electro-pop and disco DJ Madeon, Southern rap legend Three 6 Mafia and one of DesChenes’ favorite performers, DJ Nia Archives, a UK-based jungle and drum and bass artist.
For Sunday, she suggests catching Chris Lake, known for the hit single “Changes,” as well as Atlanta rapper 21 Savage, who recently released two new songs, “No Debate” and “Big Smoke”; and Brooklyn-based singer Evan Giia on the main stage.
Expanding the footprint
When it comes to dance parties, Hard Summer has become a popular destination, and about 70,000 people are expected each day. Those people will need room for their sweet dance moves, so organizers decided to add an extra day this year.
“We just really wanted to find a way to have everyone come in and enjoy the show, so we added the third day to just be able to spread people out more,” DesChenes said.
The general layout of the festival has been altered, too.
“We’re moving some of the stages a little further back to help with the flow,” she said.
Keeping it cool
Since temperatures will undoubtedly be hot, DesChenes said this year there will be additional shade structures, more turf covering the pavement and more mist and water stations spread out across the festival grounds.
“We have water cannons at all of the main stages that will be blasting the audience,” she said.
The “shady lane,” a long tent structure equipped with a mist system that was constructed between stages at the festival in 2019, will return to give fans a break from the sun as they walk between the two main stages.