23-05-2025
Detroit's first Electronic Music Festival in 2000, captured in nostalgic photos
In the spring of 2020, downtown Detroit hosted its first Electronic Music Festival, transforming Hart Plaza into a mecca for techno lovers.
Free to attend, the inaugural festival paid tribute to Detroit's status as the birthplace of techno, drawing Detroit's top DJs and thousands of fans eager to dance beneath the skyline.
What started as an ambitious yet underdog event quickly became a cultural milestone, setting the tone for an event that became a fixture of Memorial Day weekend.
How it happened: An oral history of the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival
Whether you were there in the crowd or just want to see what it looked like when Detroit's techno roots came alive, the photos below offer a window into the spirit of that first year.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Relive Detroit's 1st Electronic Music Festival in nostalgic photos
