Inside the Top 10 Electronic Music Cities in the World

Here’s a deep dive into the top 10 leading electronic dance music cities across the globe.

With electronic dance music currently on the rise on a global scale, many travelers are choosing their next adventure based on how prevalent the rave scene is in that particular city. From North America to Europe and beyond, electronic music culture has been a revolutionary trend of this decade.

Here is Exron’s take on the top 10 electronic music cities in the world where music aficionados can dance their hearts away any time of year. Trust us, all these cities are worth traveling to as electronic dance music culture radiates anywhere you reside.

Ibiza

An obvious choice, Ibiza is classified as the mecca of electronic dance music. For decades, the White Isle has been home to some of the hottest clubs in the world and has welcomed top-tier names across the scope. Notable clubs hosting weekly residencies every summer include the al fresco Ushuaïa Day Club, Hï Ibiza, DC10, Pacha, Amnesia, and Club Chinois among many others. Whether you’re a devoted electronic music fan, a casual partygoer, or a curious traveler, the enchanting island has so much to offer.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is home to two of the most sought-after electronic music festivals in the world. People from all over the globe travel to Amsterdam to attend the house and techno-leading festival Awakenings in the summer and the all-encompassing Amsterdam Dance Event in the fall. The progressive European city is also home to Gashouder, a venue housed in an old industrial building where names like Adam Beyer, Enrico Sangiuliano, Adriatique, Eli Brown, and Chris Liebing among many others have performed.

New York

They don’t call it the City of Dreams for nothing. New York City welcomes the most exquisite dance music artists pretty much 365 days a year. The nightlife scene throughout the massive city is top-tier, featuring renowned venues like The Brooklyn Mirage/Avant Gardner, Knockdown Center, Musica, Nebula, Jolene Sound Room, and many more. Every Labor Day weekend, ravers from all over travel to the Big Apple to attend Electric Zoo Festival at Randall Island’s Park, and in November, techno lovers have the privilege to attend the two-day North American edition of Time Warp.

Miami

With its tropical weather and top-class house and techno soirees year-round, why wouldn’t Miami be on our list? The breathtaking city is home to Ultra Music Festival, the world’s leading electronic music festival. Since 1985, the iconic Winter Music Conference has been held in Miami, and every single March, Miami hosts over 1,000 artists to perform at over 250 venues across the city during Miami Music Week. Electronic music enthusiasts also make sure to visit Miami just to experience the legendary Club Space, where some DJs have been known to perform until 12 pm noon the next day.

London

The rave scene in London is notably one of the best in the world and many top-chart artists grew up and evolved within the flourishing city. Defected Records, one of the industry’s leading record labels is London-based, making it accessible for up-and-coming DJs and producers to network to chase their dreams. London also hosts Creamfields just outside of the city center and is recognized for its magnitude of house and techno shows at pristine clubs such as Fabric, Ministry Of Sound, Electric Brixton, Drumsheds, and the iconic Printworks that has inevitably shut down.

Berlin

Known for its techno-heavy events, Berlin is a city we couldn’t leave off our list. Recognized as Europe’s “techno headquarters”, thousands of travelers flock to Berlin’s forward-looking clubs every weekend. One of the city’s most noteworthy nightclubs is Berghain, which is famous for being the most exclusive, hard-to-get-into nightclub in the world. Watergate, Tresor, Anomalie, and Trauma Bar Und Kino are a few of the other progressive city’s most esteemed electronic music nightclubs.

Chicago

House music was born in Chicago in the early 1980s and quickly expanded to other prominent music cities within the U.S. like New York City and Detroit. Since then, the house music scene in the windy city has been a staple of its overall culture. On Labor Day weekend, Chicago hosts the notable house and techno festival ARC and the well-rounded North Coast Festival. Industry legends like Frankie Knuckles, Felix Da Housecat, Green Velvet, and John Summit are all Chicago natives who have shaped the scene in their own unique way.

Los Angeles

As one of North America’s most booming cities, Los Angeles has become an electronic music hub ever since the 90s underground rave scene ignited. Recently, international event imprints like Afterlife, Mayan Warrior, Zamna Tulum, and many others have debuted their world-class house and techno parties in LA. Insomniac’s Factory 93 underground events are also held in LA, and just outside of the city, Insomniac-owned festivals such as Escape Halloween, Dreamstate, and Beyond Wonderland are held year after year.

Barcelona

Barcelona isn’t just a great city to visit in general, its electronic music scene is one that leaves visitors begging for more. The stunning Spanish city has held a rich festival tradition throughout the years, with Sónar, Primavera Sound, and Brunch-In The Park continuously taking over. The eccentric elrow concept that has taken the planet by storm was also born in Barcelona, curated by Catalunya-born entertainment business leaders Juan Arnau Jr. and Cruz Arnau.

Las Vegas

Last but not least, Las Vegas is another prominent electronic music city thanks to its world-class nightclubs, day clubs, and venues. And of course, for being the original home of the iconic Electric Daisy Carnival. Encore Beach Club, Omnia, Hakkasan, Tao Las Vegas, and Jewel are only a few of Sin City’s major clubs. After much anticipation, the Las Vegas Sphere at The Venetian Resort has recently opened its doors to the public, which means that Nevada’s hottest city (literally) will gain even more traffic from electronic music enthusiasts across the board.