On Wednesday we step up for the Mixmag pop-up party with rising star Riordan taking the reins up the mountain at Pano Bar. There’s nothing quite like the si- ght of skiing down the slope near the mountain peak only to see a full-on rave appear over your left shoulder. Riordan shakes off the cold and packs out the dance- floor as skiers speed like torpedoes down the mountain towards the thumping basslines, drawn like moths to a flame.
After a brief recovery - we should mention the incre- dible food experiences such as Hommage Au Fromage (raclette, fondue, and cheesy singalong guitar), Lunch In The Clouds (atop the mountain on the terrace at the Michelin Guide restaurant, Le Diable Au Coeur) and a host of other quality restaurants all designed to bring you back to life with energy for the night ahead - we’re back in festival madness. Sammy Virji is moved from Muzelle to the Alpine Stage and the queues still snake down the street and round the corner to see him. Of course, he delivers, thrilling fans with his unique house / garage crossover.
The party continues at the cavernous Indoor Arena where thousands of tireless ravers bounce to the twis- ted, bass-heavy DnB rollers fired out by Hedex. They’re still going strong when we leave Simula dropping his filthy basslines to search out a late-night pizza.
We wake on Thursday feeling jaded. Undeniable sta- mina is required to get the best out of Rise but a quick trip up the mountain to get some skiing in is the ulti- mate restorative. That fresh, clean air and the exhila- ration of flying down the slopes, plus a cheeky beer at Pano Bar, soon has us ready for more.
Before the dancefloor we take in the Bongo’s Bingo ex- perience; it’s bingo but wild, unpredictable, very boozy and a whole lot of fun. All of which sets us up nicely for the highlight of the night, Fish56Octagon, who has the Muzelle Stage heaving with fans loving his mix of banging house and classic trance. His obvious enjoy- ment and ‘I can’t believe I’m actually doing this’ facial expressions only add to the love in the room. Whatever his route to stardom you can’t argue that Fish can pick the tunes, knows his way around the decks, and can get any dancefloor rocking.
We take a change of pace as we hop over to the Al- pine Stage to catch French legend Dimitri From Paris spinning filtered house and pop classics, the perfect soundtrack to the dazzling fireworks display over the mountain, lighting up the sky in a kaleidoscope of co- lours as Rise celebrates 10 years and the close of ano- ther incredible festival.
Of course, there’s always an afterparty at Rise and it’s going off in the Indoor Arena as Josh Baker draws a huge crowd with a euphoric set of driving, 90’s-infused house. We meet an old raver from Canada wandering the dancefloor and I comment on the string of coloured bulbs he’s wearing around his neck. He magically pro- duces another set from inside his fur coat and places them around my neck like Hawaiian greeting garlands. We dance together and as I light up in different colours I reflect that Rise Festival might just be as near to the perfect festival experience as you can get.
Rise Festival returns from 6th - 13th December 2025.
Tickets are on sale now:
www.rise-festival.com/book-rise-festival-2025
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mixmagde.com
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