FVDED In The Park’s cancellation in 2023 dealt a major blow to Metro Vancouver’s struggling music scene. One year later, Holland Park in the neighboring city of Surrey hosted a celebration of life, not a funeral, for the summer music festival.
FVDED went all-in on electronic dance music this year, phasing out its 50-50 hip-hop split to accommodate an elite lineup of DJs. It seems omitting world-renowned rappers like Future, Jack Harlow, G-Eazy and Young Thug freed space to build a brilliant EDM lineup. It was legitimately shocking to see a roster as deep as Swedish House Mafia, Kx5 (deadmau5 and Kaskade), Chase & Status, Chris Lake, Dom Dolla, Gryffin, John Summit, SLANDER and Zeds Dead on a two-day, three-stage poster.
Holland Park was pulsing with electrifying beats from 2-11pm on July 5th and 6th. Two of the weekend’s show-stealers, however, were Deathpact and EDM.com Class of 2022 superstar ISOxo.
Deathpact—whichever member of the mysterious collective was present—would not be overshadowed by industry giants on the lineup. Diversity is one of the things I most look forward to at a major music festival and Deathpact whipped up the perfect formula. Their performance seamlessly sourced a wide breadth of sounds, including a highlight DMX remix, and encapsulated them within the experimental bass music that fans expect. There was never a dull moment during the hour-plus set, especially the surprise b2b with Dr. Fresch and Jon Casey.
Red Rose Films
I arrived at the Northwest Stage halfway through ISOxo’s set. I politely apologized my way through the crowd, fanning and misting sweaty festival-goers as a symbol of peace, to film a short video from a suitable sightline.
The energy permeating between ISOxo and the audience was palpable. The brief minutes I spent in the crowd’s core were wonderfully overwhelming. I weaved my way out of the tent and found my two friends patiently waiting to regroup with others. I took their backpacks, wore them like a suit of transparent armor adorned with trinkets and playthings, and sent them into the storm to experience it firsthand.
Speaking of the crowd, I’m happy to report that FVDED’s notoriously rough clientele was absent from this year’s show. I’ve never attended prior iterations at Holland Park but was repeatedly warned about poor fan etiquette. It’s possible the omission of rap music welcomed a larger share of festival-goers who exercise the concert etiquette typically associated with ravers.
I experienced a few unsavory encounters but people were generally polite. I had many pleasant interactions, including with several first-time ravers who were very enthusiastic about the weekend.
Cell service was scarce once the festival was populated with approximately 24,000 people, according to Surrey Now-Leader, each day—except for Freedom mobile users who experienced a rare victory—but that’s not the fault of organizers. It was difficult reconnecting with friends who had peeled off from the group but that was remedied on Day 2 once we were acclimated and meeting points were established. Besides, there’s plenty of fun to be had in solo adventures.
Red Rose Films
Everything else ran smoothly: lines were relatively short, food trucks were abundant and bathrooms and water stations were adequate. The forest area offered ample shade, hammocks and fairy lights for great photo ops. The addition of one or two water stations to help limit congestion at the most convenient locations would’ve been prudent and, if possible, additional shade near the mainstage.
FVDED in the Park was a smashing success. The festival was on the other side of death’s door last year, but kicked it off its hinges and roared to life in 2024. The event reportedly sold out its 48,000 capacity, an encouraging sign for Western Canada’s music scene as British Columbia can finally point to a set of festivals that can stand up to Eastern Canada’s juggernauts.
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