How to find Mainstream Raves and Underground Raves In Your Area? Full Guide


It is not for the same reasons, but mainstream raves and underground raves can be tough to find.

On one end, for the mainstream raves, it might be because you are new to it or because there are too many options available.

And on another end, underground raves are not necessarily rare, but they are by definition hidden from the public.

There are actually many ways to go about finding raves, whatever their type and size. In this article, we will cover all of our best tips to find them, no matter where you are at the moment.

Mainstream raves

What are mainstream raves?

We call it “mainstream raves” in opposition to “underground raves” as everyone does have access to it.

They are a large-scale dance party featuring electronic music. These events are produced by promoters and always feature famous DJs.

They are open to the public, different kinds of activities are available during the event, and security is all over the place to ensure safety.

Mainstream raves typically attract a large number of people, and they can be held indoors or outdoors.

Some of the most popular mainstream raves in the US include Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, and Ultra Music Festival.

How to find mainstream raves in your area?

Facebook

Surprisingly Facebook is probably the best platform to find mainstream raves in your area.

Most promoters these days have learned that an effective way to get the word out about their upcoming events is to create a Facebook event for it and then invite people to join.

By posting details about the rave, such as what music will be played, when it will take place, and where it will be held, these promoters make their raves easy for anyone to find.

And even though Facebook is losing some audience these days it is still the best platform to start your research as raves promoters are sure to be well-attended by those in the local community looking for a good time. Whether you’re new in town or just looking for something fun to do on a Saturday night, checking out raves on Facebook is definitely your best bet!

All the specialized websites

Next, a Google search for “raves near me.” could definitely help you find what you are looking for.

This should bring up a list of upcoming raves in your area.

Alternatively, you can also check out websites like Eventbrite or EDMtrain, or 19hz.info which lists rave local events and raves in your area. Not every website will necessarily cover your city or your area so it is good to look up many websites.

There are a ton of different websites, and it is always good to check the details of the rave at least on two sites to make sure everything checks out.

This is because occasionally you can find mistakes on those websites.

The reason for those mistakes is that some websites are getting the info really early while others are given the info later on and more often than not some details have changed.

Some websites catch the change and update the details, but some don’t, so just be careful.

Follow your best artist, venues, and promoters

Another good way to find out about a rave for you is to follow artists you love. With social media, artists always announce where and when they will be and if you like their style, the chance is high that you will love the rest of the show.

Following the venues you have already been to for previous raves is also a good way to know what is going on in the city you are living in.

You will obviously see events that are the very opposite of what you like. But because the venue does host shows that you like, the probability for you to find other great shows like raves and festivals for you is really high.

If you have been to a rave you loved, try to remember the name of the promoter. They are not responsible for 100% of your experience of the rave, because you make the rave too, but they do represent a good chunk.

The best promoters out there do their best to make the experience unique and enjoyable for all attendees.

So if you remember who was the promoter at your last best rave, you can almost blindly trust them for any of their events, you know you will have a blast if they are in charge.

A quick note on promoters: unfortunately, some of them are only in this game for the money, whereas the best of them work their ass off to make sure the attendee gets the most out of it.

If you are mindful of this, you can vote with your money to decide which production company gets your money and which does not.

We know it is hard sometimes to not go especially if they managed to book your favorite artist but if we vote as a community on who gets the money, we force bad promoters to evolve for the better.

We know this sounds a bit like a rant, and maybe it is, but we think that it is the rave community that has the power, not the promoters. So we need to show them, as a community, what is OK and what is not. *End of rant.

You can also do it the old fashion way by going to local stores related to music

Even though nowadays, most of the advertising for raves takes place on the internet, some keep on promoting in the streets and in local shops.

They usually give flyers to the stores that have the right demographic, which basically is all the shops that attract people from 18 to 35 that are into music.

It could be in your local record/vinyl type of stores, skate shops, hipsters coffee shops, college area, etc…

Underground raves

What are underground raves?

Underground raves typically work by small groups of people who are passionate about music, arranging the event, and finding a suitable venue.

This can be anything from an abandoned warehouse to an unused office space or even someone’s house, featuring DJs or other performers who play an eclectic mix of music that spans a variety of genres and styles.

Once a venue has been secured, the group will then promote the event through mostly word-of-mouth.

Word-of-mouth is the most common way that people find out about these parties, and it’s not uncommon for them to be invite-only events.

Also called “underground parties,” underground raves are smaller-scale events than their mainstream counterparts and tend to have a more intimate feel.

Due to their secretive nature, underground raves aren’t always easy to access or find, but they are a popular venue for music enthusiasts and die-hard party-goers who are looking for an exciting night.

To keep the event secret and safe, organizers may ask guests to leave their cell phones in a secure location upon arrival and only allow them back in once the party is over.

The genre is EDM which ranges from techno, to dubstep, to trap, to jungle, to house to DNB, and so on.

Underground raves can be a great way to experience new music and meet new people, but they’re not for everyone.

If you’re thinking of going to an underground rave, be sure to do your research ahead of time and be prepared for a long night of dancing.

In addition to the eclectic mix of music, underground raves also typically feature unique artists who are not well-known to the mainstream public.

This allows attendees to discover new music and explore different genres that they may be otherwise unfamiliar with. Ultimately, underground raves offer a unique and exciting experience that is not easily found elsewhere.

How to find underground raves in your area?

As we said, while mainstream raves are open to the public and advertise their upcoming events, underground raves usually don’t have any formal advertising; word-of-mouth is typically the most common way that people find out about these parties.

Furthermore, because they’re often held in non-traditional venues (e.g., warehouses, abandoned buildings, etc.), underground raves can be difficult to find if you don’t know where to look.

So let’s see what you can do!

Use your network

The first thing you will have to do is to check in your own entourage if there are any people that have been in the rave scene for a while.

Keep in mind that underground raves are hard to find on purpose, this is why you have to either know someone who knows someone that knows, so you can be first introduced to those secret events.

And if you find any, as you will probably not be able to go by yourself, and they will not know you as much, ask if you can tag along with your friend or the friend of your friend.

Use local shops

For local shops, unlike what we said to find the mainstream raves, the idea here is not to use them to find flyers, but rather to ask the person at the counter of the shop. You want to have a discussion with this person to see what he or she knows.

By using this method, we have been successful in finding underground raves in areas we did not know.

The trick here is obviously not to go to the shop and ask for any special info right away.

But the way we do it is to talk to the person there (hopefully he or she does not have many customers at that moment), and smoothly ask about the local events.

Once we tell our story about the fact that we don’t know the area and that we do rave at other places and that we would love to discover special events, we usually get what we are looking for.

It does take practice, though, in social skills and the ability to cold read the person to see if he or she can be a person that is into those types of events.

It is not an easy one, but you really can get some results.

Use mainstream raves to find underground raves

By going to mainstream raves, you will meet new people that could possibly be hardcore ravers with a good network.

By befriending them you will expand your own circle and there is a high chance they can get you in, to the next underground event.

Also, even though word of mouth is usually the main way for underground raves to promote their event, you could also get flyers while leaving a mainstream rave. They do that from time to time.

So if you see people handing over some flyers at the end of your rave, it could definitely be for an underground rave. So when you leave your rave, be on the lookout.

The more you do this process, the more you will find them

Even though all of our tips are valid and work, the name of the game is network. The more you will immerse yourself in the music culture, mainstream raves, and make friends there, the higher chance you get to find an underground rave.

And the more you do this the easier it will be to find your next underground raves and sooner or later you will become the person newbies are looking for at mainstream raves 🙂

How underground raves work

Once you found one, it will fall under either an invite-only private party or a secret location rave party.

For the invite-only, it is fairly straightforward, once you get the info, you will only have to be at the right place at the right time with the invitation. Easy-peasy.

But for the secret location party, there is an extra step to keep in mind.

If it is a secret place, there is a great chance that the info you have will not be the place you will party at.

The way it works is that the info you got tells you to go to a specific address at a specific time. When you go there, you will meet someone that will tell you where it does take place.

It is a two-step process, you get info to go get the real info. You usually meet the person at the “checkpoint” about 1 hour prior to the beginning of the event.

So be on time and make sure you have a car, or you have someone with you that can drive you there.

It does feel like a treasure hunt sometimes, but that is how it works.

We hope this article helped you and saved you some time in your research, and we wish you a great event!

Rave safe!

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