Rare Orlando 2018
Updated: Nov 28, 2018
Review of Rare Orlando
Now that we all have recovered from the third edition of Carnage’s Rare at the Orlando Amphitheater, let’s talk about the madness that ensued. This year continued to build on the EDM/Hip-Hop themed festival bringing some emerging hit makers like Gravedgr and veteran heavy hitters like Wiz Khalifa. There was one stage this year which was a change from the two stages featured at last year’s Rare, but this did not take away from any of the hype or energy. Having one stage allowed them to book bigger acts and spend more money on production, which was evident in the size of this year’s stage, with stars like Steve Aoki, and Orlando Hero Shaquille O’neal, aka DJ Diesel this year continued to raise the bar.
This year had a great balance of EDM and Hip-Hop acts which continued to solidify the theme this festival has curated by being a fusion of those two worlds. Gravedgr got things started early and didn’t give anyone a second to warm up. Then came DJ Diesel who has been hammering the festival circuit with some of the heaviest tracks around. Next up was two of Disciple Records own, Barley Alive and Virtual Riot who have become a dynamic dubstep duo who did not disappoint.
Then came the instrumental stylings of Keys N Krates who bring a unique style to their live performance and played all their biggest hits. After Keys N Krates soothed the crowd from a morning of fast paced beats and heavy bangers, it was time to bring out fan favorite and Florida grown Kodak Black. The crowd went nuts when Kodak took the stage and he brought the energy to another level. Borgore followed with an exciting set filled with dubstep bangers new and old and featured some of his new music.
It was then Steve Aoki’s turn to do what he does best, get the crowd hype and cover them in cake. Wiz Khalifa who was easily one of the biggest hit makers on the lineup did not disappoint and had the crowd singing along the entire time. Just when you thought the crowd may have had enough, Carnage came out swinging to close the day out. He was relentless and brought out anything the crowd had left in them to wrap up a massive day.
The festival grounds had an assortment of craft food vendors and food trucks, free carnival rides, and even VIP table service with a raised premium view giving the festival goers plenty of things to enjoy. There was a variety of food options featuring everything from hibachi steak and fried rice to chicken and waffles.
For carnival rides, there was a Ferris wheel which overlooked the festival allowing for great views of the stage, and for the dare devil’s a spinning deathtrap known as The Zero Gravity. We didn’t get the chance to pop any bottles, but the VIP area was packed and looked like an ideal spot to watch the exciting performances.
Rare has easily cemented itself into the Florida festival market as one of the events you don’t want to miss. The festival continues to grow and bring bigger and better talent every year. They also continue to book some exciting emerging artists who continue to become big stars. With a great location and amenities, along with really affordable ticket prices it’s obvious why Rare is doing so well year after year.
The production this year was bigger than ever and made for a satisfying festival experience. It will be interesting to see how Carnage and AEG are able to top this year but with a third year of raising the bar, there is no doubt they will succeed in doing the same next year.