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At a rainy Lightning in the Bottle in 2008 (more photos here) | Photo by Ryan Jesena/LAist
You could say it's a hybrid of Coachella and Burning Man. A four day festival on a large chunk of open space featuring DJs and bands with a heavy dose of art and things like yoga and organic food. Now in its official fifth year at new location in Irvine -- it went on hiatus last year -- Lightning in a Bottle will bring back the crowds and its usual good-times vibe with it.
Organizer Jesse Fleming said the event was born 10 years ago out of a birthday camping party in the mountains. "It was such a good experience," he said. Once word spread, it got bigger and bigger ever year until they decided to run with the idea and open it up to the public as a music festival up in the Santa Barbara area.
"It's all pretty upbeat and happy," Fleming said of the line-up. "The whole idea in the line up it so make people feel good and happy." Booka Shade, Glitch Mob, Nico Vega and some 60 other acts make up the line-up that will help create a "sustainable dreamscape at Oak Canyon Ranch."
Keeping with tradition, the festival has always been about camping. This year about 85% of festival goers will be campers, who will stay all or some of this weekend Friday through Monday. The rest of attendees will be made up of people coming on day passes, something that was recently introduced.
The festival is a project of The Do Lab, which Fleming co-founded with his twin and younger brother along with Dream Rockwell, who is known for creating the Lucent Dossier Experience. The name is because they are always "doing," or better said, creating, experiences and magic for people to enjoy. And that's exactly what Lightning in a Bottle plays into.
