North America’s largest Halloween festival, Escape: Psycho Circus, has come to a massive close, bringing together a record-breaking 125,000 costumed fans at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino. On October 27 and 28, the highly anticipated event transported Headliners into an immersive world of twisted attractions, creepy characters, and unforgettable sets from over 75 dance music tastemakers across four monstrous stages. Amidst the sinister Psycho Circus, fans enjoyed the revolving carousel, contortionists, fortunetellers, and burlesque shows all weekend long.
Photo by Jake West
Over 5,000 revelers dared to enter the 32,000 square-foot Asylum, Escape’s largest and most intricate haunted maze. The frightening theater experience recreated 30 distinct rooms from seven years of Escape storylines, featuring 120 costumed actors and 25 sound systems. Those brave enough to admit themselves into the Asylum were dressed in a straitjacket and mask before entering the dark and dismal halls of the ward. Guests explored the twists and turns inside the maniacal Mad Hatter’s mind, where padded cells, blood showers, and graveyards awaited.
Photo by Jake West
The iconic Slaughterhouse stage spanned 200 feet wide inside a 450-foot long tent, featuring a reimagined clown’s mouth smiling eerily from ear to ear. The devilish design housed over 700 video tiles, 375 lights, and 24 lasers, bringing performances to life from DJ Snake, Tiësto and REZZ. The Ghouls’ Graveyard dedicated Friday night to the brand-favorite Bassrush Massive, with killer sets from Datsik and Nero, followed by big hitters on Saturday like NGHTMRE, Zedd, and Eric Prydz.
Photo by Jake West
The Chopping Block sat at the center of the festival, drawing fans into its massive circus tent with hardstyle aficionados curated by Basscon, and genre-crossover acts hosted by Audiotistic. Mike WiLL Made It surprised fans with a special guest performance by Rae Sremmurd during their set, and Boys Noize closed out the show with an unprecedented live performance. Factory 93 took over the Cannibals’ Tea Party stage in true underground fashion with minimal vibes, a black disco diamond, and the best in house music from Green Velvet, Jamie Jones, and Nicole Moudaber.
Photo by Jake West
Yet again, Escape has shown us why it is Southern California's premier Halloween destination. With its amazing decorations spread throughout and top-notch music acts, Headliners were delighted with the spooky sights and the dancing experience of a lifetime. Congrats to Insomniac on pulling over 125,000 attendees across 2 days!