ESCAPE PSYCHO CIRCUS
Art by Hajime Sorayama (source: Pinterest)
Escape Psycho Circus is a two-day Halloween themed event that takes place in Southern California. It is put on by Insomniac Events and takes place at the NOS Event Center each year around Halloween. It is a relatively large event with multiple stages and tons of different genres of electronic music. They go above and beyond to stick to the Halloween theme, even having a haunted house that you can explore if you are willing to wait in line. Overall it is an enjoyable festival and worth checking out.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Escape is a massive event. There tend to be around 20,000 people, all confined in a relatively small space. It can feel pretty claustrophobic, especially around the stages where people tend to concentrate, and it can get so packed that there is no room to dance unless you go to the outside. If you are like me and prefer more intimate events, this may not be the festival for you.
Yes, I have had fun at this event, but the number of people can be really overwhelming very quickly, especially if you get a bad crowd. I have talked before about how the more general nature of Insomniac Events means you may come into contact with people that you might otherwise try and avoid: the bad vibes, pushing, and shoving super rowdy crowd. I know that music is a large part of the experience, but people are too. You can attend an event where the music is amazing, but the crowd ruins your evening. Of course, this varies from year to year, but I feel like it is worth mentioning with events like this one.
MUSIC
As this is one of Insomniac's larger events, there is a really wide range of music. They have everything from Dubstep to Techno, and they really strive to make sure that there is something for everyone. Though the lineups vary, they book a lot of huge artists so you can be certain that if you buy your tickets in advance, you will probably be able to find something you like.
COSTUMES
One of my favorite things about Escape is that you will some awesome costumes. It really is like halloween on steroids, with thousands of people all dressed up. So, if you are a festival fashionista this a wonderful event to attend. Get creative and crazy!
VENUE
The event takes place at the NOS Event Center in San Bernadino, California. While this venue is home to pretty much every SoCal Insomniac event, honestly, it's not the best venue in the world. It is essentially a giant parking lot, and though they spice it up with decoration and their groups of performers, it is still a giant ugly parking lot. There are a few turfed and slightly grassy places where you can sit, but not too many.
HOTELS
Unlike EDC LV or Nocturnal Wonderland, this is not an event that offers camping, so if you are going to stay for both days, you will need to find a hotel. There are a few hotels in the area, but they tend to book up relatively quickly, and the rates can be quite high, so I would suggest either booking early or trying to find an air Bnb.
SHUTTLES
There are shuttles to take you to and from the event from a specific hotel in the area. The shuttle passes aren't too expensive, but shuttles can be a little hectic. If you like to be a little more low key, I would suggest using Lyft or Uber. If you and your friends split the cost, it will be about the same amount as the Uber, and you probably won't need to deal with as many overly drunk people either, when you're tired and want to go home.
Getting a rideshare back home after the event is also pretty easy as there is a designated Uber and Lyft pickup area, which is pretty well managed. They tend to have places to sit and wait as well, which is really nice if you have been wandering around in platforms all evening.
LOCKERS
This event does have lockers available for rent, and I would recommend doing this if you can. As I mentioned, earlier, this is an outdoor venue with tens covering the stages. This means that though it gets ridiculously hot near the stages when the temperature drops, it gets really cold anywhere else. The walk back to the rise share and shuttles is pretty long, and believe me; you do not want to be waiting for your uber in the freezing cold in just a bodysuit and not much else. Yeah, it can seem a little silly to bring a coat just to lock it away for the whole evening, but when you are waiting outside for an hour for an Uber, you'll thank me for telling you to bring one.
FOOD
There are a few options for food at the event, but they do tend to lean a little towards the typical 'pizza, fries, chicken strips, etc.' Everything is pretty expensive, so if you are planning on eating at the event, I would factor that into your budget. I would honestly suggest eating before you go to the event as there are lots of really affordable options around the hotels (In and Out, Chipotle, etc.).
WATER
This event does have water refills stations, so bring your camelback if you have one! The bottled water is often not cheap, and the water refill stations are free, so if you are trying to save money, it is way more cost-effective. Most of the stages are in large pavilions which tend to trap the heat from the crowd inside, so it can get ridiculously hot. Not having to continuously run and buy more water is definitely a plus.
