DEMSFEST

Dundee, Scotland
April 1

The Dundee Electronic Music Society–better known as DEMS–is a student-led organisation that has been responsible for bringing swathes of dance music talent to Scotland's fourth city over the last couple of years, with past guests including Jasper James, Theo Kottis and even DJ Assault. On April 1st, DEMS will go one further by hosting its first-ever festival. Taking place at Dundee University Students Union, the 12-hour DEMSFEST will feature sets from local talent such as Le Freak and Friends, Floor Above and Is Kill, with all proceeds going to The Brain Tumour Charity.

RA Pick: Comrade Massie's bothy bass (a marriage of traditional Scottish music with four-on-the-floor club tunes) is one of a kind.

RE/FORM

Los Angeles, United States
April 1 - April 2

The LA festival, which continues to expand each year, impresses with another sprawling lineup boasting some of the best in house and techno across two days. This edition features the likes of rising techno star Daria Kolosova, as well as seasoned acts like Luke Slater AKA Planetary Assault Systems, who plays back-to-back with Ø for the duo's US debut of Roog Unit. This year RE/FORM festival will take place at a new venue, Optimist Studios, and the festivities will continue into the early morning, with afterparties that will be announced a week prior.

RA Pick: Daria Kolosova has an affinity for hard and fast records that temper the rough edges with plenty of swing.

Rewire

The Hague, Netherlands
April 6 - April 9

Rewire has grown into one of Europe's foremost experimental electronic festivals. Now into its 12th edition, The Hague-based festival, which takes place across several city centre venues, continues with its tried-and-tested formula, hosting a broad selection of forward-thinking live acts, DJs, panel talks and one-off commissions. Highlights for 2023 include Kenyan club experimentalist Slikback, Manchester-via-Preston outlier Rainy Miller, a live show from the always enticing LSDXOXO and a unique collaborative performance from Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith.

RA Pick: HTRK make some of the most hauntingly beautiful music around.

Equation

Mai Chau, Vietnam
April 7 - April 9

A rave in a cave is a novel concept. At Equation, a 25-metre high limestone cave in the northern mountain town of Mai Châu, roughly three hours from Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi, hosts one of two stages at the festival, now an essential destination for dance music fans in Asia-Pacific. Natural caves are known for their unique acoustics–high reverberations and resonances in particular–so it will be quite an experience absorbing high-octane strains of techno, jungle and psychedelic ambient in a subterranean setting. The other stage is the garden stage, in case you need some time in the open air. Vietnam's crowd knows how to get down–read our feature on Saigon's thriving club community for a taste–so start working on your stamina now.

RA Pick: A trio of Vietnam queer collectives (Peach, Genderfunk and Snug) team up for a showcase of otherworldly drag performances.

Inner Varnika

Melbourne, Australia
April 7 - April 9

This outdoor festival, situated on a stretch of land that seems to go on for days, was once described as "the closest thing to a temporary autonomous zone" by its directors. It's easy to see why. A fiercely independent spirit encourages total freedom of expression, while the lineup prioritises talent over popularity. One of the event's more endearing quirks is "Suit Sunday," a day in which attendees don church-appropriate clothing so the festival can qualify as a religious gathering and avoid tax. There's also a strong commitment to sustainability, with all generators fuelled by renewable biodiesel and expert waste managers on site. Inner Varnika is many things, but it's definitely not your average bush doof.

RA Pick: Brothers DJ Fett Burger and DJ Sotofett bring new meaning to back-to-back action when they perform as Sex Tags.

Organik

Shimen District, Taiwan
April 21 - April 23

This year, Taiwan's Organik moves from Na Sun Na Gu to the paradisiacal white sand beaches of a new site, named "Secret Island" by the festival team. 2023 marks a milestone for the three-day event, which celebrates ten years this April. Organik places significant emphasis on psychedelic techno and rolling trance, this year adding to the meditative soundscape with a new ambient stage. Smoke Machine, the promoter behind Organik, has enlisted a diverse crew of DJs from across the world, including Kate Miller, Amor Satyr, Sedef Adasï and Call Super.

RA Pick: Spekki Webu's sets are heavy on the low-end, with no shortage of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Paired with Mama Snake's angular, hypnotic techno, this will be a back-to-back to remember.

Gop Tun

São Paulo, Brazil
April 22 - April 23

If last year's event is anything to go by, the second edition of this sizzling hot São Paulo festival will be teeming with electronic radiance. Led by DJs Bruno Protti, Caio Taborda, Fernando Nascii and Gui Scott, Gop Tun is the culmination of a decade-long history of label and party shenanigans. Across an urban landscape with the sea as a backdrop, Gop Tun presents an 18-hour party featuring a diverse programme of 33 artists performing across four stages at the Live Stage Canindé. Don't miss the likes of Zombies In Miami, Diogo Strausz, Paulete Lindacelva, Nicola Cruz, Bambounou, Jayda G and Kamila Govorčin.

RA Pick: Jasmine Infiniti will ramp up the energy with her creative blends and experimental take on house, techno, Afrobeats, dancehall and breaks.

INTONAL

Malmö, Sweden
April 26 - May 1

The energy in historic locations can resonate with musical frequencies and you'll feel that at INTONAL's opening concert in the stunning St Johannes Church, where prolific musician and mystic Laraaji will be joined on stage by multi-instrumentalist Valentina Magaletti. INTONAL is, by definition, nonconformist, calling itself "a sanctuary for experimental minds"–just take a look at the lineup. Highlights include the moving experimentation and spoken word of Coby Sey, who will grace the stage at independent venue Inkonst on the Friday, as well as Bendik Giske on the same day and Rian Treanor & Leila Ziu on the Saturday.

RA Pick: Don't miss Julia Holter and Tashi Wada's haunting soundscapes.

Queen's Yard Summer Party

London, United Kingdom
April 29

A number of London promoters have staged multi-venue Hackney Wick takeovers in recent years, inspired by the first party to take this format: Queen's Yard Summer Party. Having become somewhat of a staple of the London summer calendar, as the temperature–and subsequently spirits–start to lift, the Queen's Yard Summer Party plays host to tens of crews and well over 100 DJs for a day-to-night dance with a focus on local talent. For 2023, 16 venues will take part in the day, with each dance floor soundtracked by everything from the moody sonic of Sicaria to the hypnotic psytrance flavours of auratekh and the high energy, genre-bending selections of Daytimers' SUCHI.

RA Pick: ohmydais has a record bag full of breakneck percussive tunes.

Rainbow Disco Club

Shizuoka, Japan
April 29 - May 1

In a feature from 2018, Resident Advisor called Rainbow Disco Club "one of the most idyllic music festivals you'll find anywhere," and "a haven for children, dogs and ravers alike." The Japanese festival might place great importance on being family friendly, but it also hosts sets from some of dance music's very best, some of which become the stuff of legend, like Ben UFO's set from 2019. We expect more of the same dance music magic this year, as Ben UFO returns to the festival alongside other highlights like Yu Su, Special Request, Kenji Takimi, Daphni and Moxie.

RA Pick: Expect a hypnotic and revelatory experience as DJ Nobu goes back-to-back with Eris Drew for the first time.

Find our full festival listings for April here