Loop Magazine’s Official HARD Summer 2025 Recap: What You Missed (and What We’ll Never Forget)

  • By: Marina Monroe

Summer in Los Angeles hit HARDer, better, faster, stronger…

HARD Summer 2025 had no shortage of energy, and somehow, we were always in the right place to catch it. We hit the sets, the press lounge, the chaos, the fits, and the crowd moments for the completely sold-out fest. Here are the moments still on loop.

Sets That Shook Us (Literally & Emotionally)

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Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Demian Becerra

Sara Landry

The aura farming levels were off the charts during her set.  She had the crowd in a full-body stomp with her dark, industrial techno – a stark, beautiful contrast to the glitter-drenched chaos elsewhere.

Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Jamal Eid

Dom Dolla

Main stage madness and a set that needs to be studied. Pyro-synced drops, a low-flying plane, and a crowd so locked in you could feel it in your bones. Thanks to the festival fairies for the last-minute set extension, nearly two hours of peak Dom. Still sore from sprinting in my combat boots to also catch Gesaffelstein (the two of them playing same time was the worst schedule conflict of the fest).

Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Julian Bajsel

Gesaffelstein

Delivered pure, unrelenting darkness. From the second the first pulse hit, it was like entering a different realm – cold, cinematic, and borderline spiritual. When “Opr” dropped, the entire crowd lost its mind… and never got it back. Full blackout moment, the kind that rewires your brain. I walked away a full convert.

Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Jake West

Crankdat

 Brought the whiplash HARD needed. One second I was singing along to a sweet Taylor Swift hook, and the next it was full-on trap mayhem. The drops hit like a slap in the face – in the best way. The crowd was unhinged. It felt like a workout and a rave and a serotonin overdose all at once.

Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Don Idio

Four Tet

He played like it was 3AM in a warehouse while the sun was still up, which made the whole thing feel a little surreal. His set was textured, trippy, and just weird enough to keep you floating. I stood too close, blew my ears out, and I’ve been yelling in conversations ever since (thanks, bass). Worth it.

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Photo Courtesy of INSOMNIAC // Credit: Scott Hutchinson

The Crowd: Fashion, Heat, and Zero Chill

The crowd dressed like Burning Man and Blade Runner had a baby and raised it in Silver Lake. Crochet tops, alien visors, kandi, LEDs stitched into everything, lingerie, and one guy in full latex at 3PM. Functional? No. Festival-perfect? Absolutely. It was chaotic, committed, and kind of beautiful.

Micro Moments That Slapped:

  • The plane flying in during Dom Dolla’s insane set timed perfectly with the drop and the pyrotechnics. PEAK moment – literal fire.
  • A girl in a wedding dress that said “married to the bass.” Iconic.
  • I Hate Models at sunset. Massive crowd. Mayhem. We’re obsessed with him. His set even had to pause a few times – that’s how packed it was. Main stage for him next time please.
  • The guy wearing a literal disco ball as a helmet. Vision impaired, vibes unmatched.
  • Feid x Snoop Dogg? Historic. The surprise combo that no one saw coming. Still not over it.
  • Crowd moment: full PLUR circle during a Sara Landry drop. Pure serotonin.

HARD 2025 didn’t just go big, it went all in. The weekend hit like a perfectly timed drop and Loop caught every beat. 

Till next time, you beautiful rave goblins.

xx Marina & Loop

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