There are festivals you go to because one of your favorite artists is on the lineup.
Then there are festivals you go to because you already know the entire weekend is going to be unforgettable.
Day Trip has become the second kind.
Every summer, thousands of house music fans make their way to the Queen Mary Waterfront, where the backdrop is just as memorable as the music itself. Palm trees sway overhead, the Queen Mary towers over the harbor, boats drift across the water, and somewhere between the ocean breeze and the bass, you remember why Southern California festival season is unlike anywhere else. It’s hard to imagine a better place for a house music festival.
As Day Trip returns to Long Beach on June 27 and 28, Insomniac is bringing one of its strongest lineups to date, featuring more than 50 artists across three stages and a weekend that promises everything from feel-good disco grooves to underground techno, high-energy tech house and unforgettable sunset sets.
Whether you’re a longtime Day Trip veteran or thinking about making this your first year, here’s why this might be the festival’s biggest edition yet.
A Lineup Built for Every Kind of House Music Fan
One of the things that has always separated Day Trip from other electronic music festivals is its commitment to house music in all its forms.
Rather than chasing whatever happens to be trending, the festival continues to celebrate the genre’s incredible diversity. That means you can spend one set dancing to funky disco-inspired rhythms before wandering over to hear deep rolling basslines, soulful vocals or darker techno sounds—all without ever leaving the festival grounds.
This year’s lineup reflects exactly that philosophy.
Festival favorites like Purple Disco Machine, Cloonee, Odd Mob, GORDO, Adam Beyer, Loco Dice, HI-LO, Lilly Palmer, Sidney Charles, Kolter, Riordan, Silva Bumpa, and dozens more will take over the waterfront throughout the weekend.
Fans are especially excited for the special back-to-back performances, including Green Velvet B2B Josh Baker, one of the most talked-about bookings announced with this year’s lineup.
And then there’s one of the weekend’s most unexpected appearances.
RuPaul.
It may surprise some people at first glance, but longtime dance music fans understand why it feels perfectly at home. House music has deep roots in Black and LGBTQ+ communities, and RuPaul’s appearance is a fun reminder of the culture that helped shape the genre into what it is today. Rebecca Black also joins this year’s lineup, continuing her evolution into one of electronic music’s most interesting performers after earning respect across the dance music world.
More Than a Festival—It’s a Summer Tradition
Ask someone who’s been to Day Trip before what they remember most, and chances are they won’t start by naming a DJ. They’ll talk about dancing during sunset while the sky turns orange behind the Queen Mary. They’ll remember meeting strangers who became friends before the weekend was over. They’ll talk about wandering between stages, discovering artists they had never heard before, grabbing food between sets, and somehow losing track of time until the final song of the night.
That’s because Day Trip has never been only about the lineup. It’s about the experience.
There’s something refreshing about a festival where people actually come to dance. You’ll find incredible outfits, creative self-expression and plenty of photo opportunities, but the focus always comes back to the music. The crowd feels welcoming, energetic and refreshingly unpretentious—a big reason why so many people return year after year.
A New Stage for 2026
This year’s festival introduces another exciting addition with the debut of the new Long Beach Amphitheater, expanding the festival footprint and giving attendees another space to explore throughout the weekend.
The addition creates even more opportunities to discover new artists while helping spread the energy across the Queen Mary campus.
For returning attendees, it’ll make the festival feel both familiar and brand new.
Five Sets We’re Most Excited About
Purple Disco Machine
One of the most recognizable names in modern house music, blending disco, funk and feel-good energy into the kind of set that’s impossible not to dance through.
Green Velvet B2B Josh Baker
A dream pairing for longtime house fans, bringing together two generations of artists for one of the most anticipated collaborations of the weekend.
Odd Mob
Few artists have exploded as quickly over the past couple of years. Expect high energy, massive drops and one of the busiest crowds of the festival.
Adam Beyer
If you’re looking for driving techno, this is the set to circle on your schedule.
RuPaul
One of the weekend’s most talked-about performances. Equal parts celebration, nostalgia and dance floor energy.
First Time at Day Trip?
A few tips can make a great weekend even better.
Arrive early. The festival grounds are worth exploring before they fill up, and you’ll have time to catch artists you may not have planned on seeing.
Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable. You’ll easily cover several miles walking between stages and dancing throughout the day.
Hydrate. June sunshine on the waterfront can be deceptively warm, so take advantage of the free water refill stations.
Don’t spend the entire day at one stage. Some of the festival’s best moments happen when you wander into a set without knowing what to expect.
And finally, stay for sunset. Trust me on that one.
The Perfect Way to Kick Off Summer
Day Trip has grown into much more than another stop on the festival calendar. It has become the weekend that officially feels like the start of summer in Southern California.
With a world-class lineup, one of the most beautiful festival settings in the country and a community that comes together simply because they love to dance, it’s easy to understand why people keep coming back.
If you’ve never experienced Day Trip before, this might be the perfect year to change that. And if you’ve been before… We’ll probably see you on the dance floor.
Event Information
Day Trip Festival 2026
Dates: Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28, 2026
Location: Queen Mary Waterfront, Long Beach, California
Age: 21+
Tickets: Available now at DayTripFest.com
Check out our full calendar of events happening in Long Beach
This article was researched and written by Salvador Flores for Playalarga. Artificial intelligence was used as an editorial tool to assist with grammar, organization and fact-checking. All editorial decisions and final content were reviewed by the author.
