The Queen Mary Events Park evolved into a post-apocalyptic wonderland over November 29th and 30th, hosting the second annual bass-heavy Apocalypse: Zombieland Festival. With four wasteland stages, this festival offered a zombie-themed adventure for dubstep and drum and bass (DnB) heads alike. Amongst the spine-vibrating drops, the roaming undead, and stunning waterfront views of Long Beach, the weekend was nothing short of insane and beautiful combined!
Day One’s chaos began at the Zombieland Stage, where female deejay Hexx started the festival with bouncy, high-knee riddim. From there, we zigzagged across the festival grounds, surrounded by graffitied shipping containers at every turn, and eventually arriving at The Lab Stage, just as the sun began to set. Riddim pioneers like Alienpark and Decimate were in full force, delivering, again, bouncy, raw, rail-riding, high-knee jumping sets.
Obviously there was more to the all-bass festival than just riddim, as the Containment Zone Stage was a hotspot for world-class DnB.
Highlighting nearly every basshead’s night was the unforgettable b2b set from Andy C and (wait for it…) Deadmau5, who ventured into the world of DnB for a rare, upbeat, nonstop dancing performance.
Meanwhile, dubstep legends Caspa b2b Rusko turned back the clock at Zombieland, providing a throwback set for early-2000s ravers with hits such as “Cockney Thug Remix” and “Woo Boost”.
Getting from the Apocalypse Stage to Zombieland felt like moving through mayhem, with The Lab and Containment Zone offering exciting stops along the way. For those who faced the all-too-familiar set time conflicts, Friday night’s Apocalypse Official Afterparty on the Queen Mary ship offered redemption. Highlights included marathon b2b sets from HOL! b2b Shiverz, and the unholy trifecta of Automhate b2b Chibs b2b Pyke. Talk about a true riddim head’s dream (if you were able to rage til 6am).
Day Two brought even more ruckus as the apocalyptic vibes remained in the festival grounds. Starting at Zombieland, OG Nixin lit up the stage with pure riddim energy, including many of his “Gotcha, bitch!” ad-libs during his 60-minute set. Following that came many other powerhouses like YDG, Samplifire, and Kompany. This stage, overlooking the iconic Queen Mary, became ‘riddim central’ for Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Apocalypse Stage erupted with legends like Bear Grillz and Ray Volpe, setting the waterfront lit with massive basslines. At the Containment Zone, some of UK’s finest — Metrik, Turno, and Dimension — turned the stage into a kingdom of DnB, bringing in the largest crowds of the weekend.
The grand finale at Apocalypse Stage was a must-see for any dubstep enthusiast.
Icons like Excision, Tape B, Voyd, and Crankdat let loose sets that could wake the dead (quite literally — given the zombie theme). For those who couldn’t get enough, Saturday night’s afterparty on the Queen Mary delivered encore performances, with b2b sets from legends like Kompany b2b Samplifire and Basstripper b2b Turno closing out the weekend.
Apocalypse: Zombieland Festival‘s expertly curated stages, beautiful waterfront scenery, and literal zombies roaming the grounds resulted in a dope blend of rave and wasteland. Whether you were headbanging at Zombieland, skanking at the Containment Zone, or just vibing to big bass energy at Apocalypse, the LBC became ground zero for a bass music outbreak. Until the third annual, keep your survival kits ready…the apocalypse is not over yet!
Apocalypse: Zombieland 2024 official aftermovie:
Cover, thumbnail, & in-article photography by Jacob Samuel Lifschultz / Jake West Photo | @jakewestphoto
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