SECRET PROJECT
Secret Project will always hold a special place in my heart. I went to the festival alone, after working a long shift, right after moving to LA. I didn’t know anyone at all in LA when I went to Secret Project, but I left having met some people who are now a few of my best friends in the world.
It is a two-day event, starting in the afternoon and going until the early evening, that focuses on a blend of house and techno music. So, if you aren’t really into those two genres, then this may not be the event for you.
One of the biggest standouts about this event in 2018 was the production. The event was pretty large for the smaller size of the venue, but it was managed well, even if the walk from one stage to the other in platforms was not the most fun.
MUSIC
Secret Project offers up what they call a blend of Acid, Techno, Disco, and house music. If you are interested in getting a sense of the vibe, you should check out the official playlist on Spotify.
Obviously, a line up will shift from year to year, but you can always count on them booking some pretty incredible acts. Factory 93 is responsible for some of the best house and techno events in LA, and this festival is no exception.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Secret Project is a cool, relatively laid back event. From the breezy outdoor venue to the focus on art it is one of the least stressful insomniac events you’ll find (don’t get me wrong, they can be fun, but EDC levels of people can be beyond stressful).
They put a lot of love and energy into the production of the event. The stages were incredibly cool (shipping containers with LED DISPLAYS, need I say more?) and the live painting was something neat to watch during dance breaks.
It is definitely not a typical ‘insomniac rave.’ Most of the people you see are probably going to be dressed in black or street clothes, so this might not be the place to bring out the colorful rainbow outfit unless you are really comfortable standing out (obviously wear what you want, but I figured I’d give you fair warning).
The event ended pretty early in 2018, as most of the events at Naud Street have a pretty early cutoff time. If you are planning on getting their a little later on in the day and still want to get your dance time in, I would suggest getting tickets for an after-party. There should be plenty of options, and it will take the pressure a little bit off of you to get there right when the event starts.
PRICE
General admission tickets for both days are around $129, which is pretty reasonable.
VIP
They had VIP in their first year, but it seems to have been eliminated. Honestly, it really isn’t much of a loss as the VIP area was hidden away in a corner and it’s more fun to be out on the dance floor anyway.
LOCKERS
There will be lockers for rental at this even for either one or two days, which is going to be a great place to stash your jacket or anything else you don’t want to carry around. You can rent the lockers on their website (https://www.secretproject.com)
1756 NAUD STREET
The venue for both 2018 and 2019 is the ever-popular 1756 Naud street in Chinatown here in Los Angeles. This is one of Factory 93’s favorite outdoor venues, and it is one of mine as well. As it is an outdoor event, you get to watch the sunset and aren’t subjected to the ridiculous heat you might have to suffer through somewhere else.
However, because it is outdoors, you also need to take the weather into account. Thankfully it didn’t rain when I went in 2018, but it did get pretty cold and cloudy in the evenings. If you tend to get cold early, I would suggest bringing a sweater or a light jacket just in case.
PARKING
Parking around Naud street is relatively safe, but if you can, I would always suggest you use Lift or Uber. The area is pretty tame during the day but its never a fun experience to walk through a deserted, somewhat sketchy area when everyone else has left.
WATER
Unlike most insomniac events, secret Project doesn’t have water refills stations, so plan accordingly. I would definitely suggest bringing a small backpack so that you can stock up on a few water bottles at a time and avoid the inevitable long lines.
FOOD
While there is food, the prices they are charging are pretty high. This is pretty much always the norm for any event, but it is something worth mentioning.
They tend to do an excellent job of providing options for people on specialized diets (vegans and vegetarians), but again the price is going to be pretty high, and they are generally more interested in pleasing a crowd than anything else, so don’t expect more than one or two options.
Personally, I would suggest grabbing something to eat before or after and saving yourself the money. However, if you do get something to eat, they do a very good job of making sure there is seating near the stage so you can still enjoy the music while you eat.
