Early in January, the worlds of EDM and club classics met RPGs and cult classics in Las Vegas’s own Area 15. Area 15 is an experiential playground, mixing immersive storytelling with technological marvels all just outside of the Las Vegas strip. It houses an extension of Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart attraction, augmented reality dodgeball, axe throwing, and, naturally, a zip line. But we know you’re not just here for the zip line.
Area 15 is also an artist venue and recently housed the latest Video Game Rave, another installment in a long string of themed raves that have been spreading their way across the country. The Video Game Rave series follows a similar path that Shrek Rave has been paving for the last few years. This societal wave of counter-culture-themed raves has been cresting since the pandemic. The need for communal dancing paired with the hyperfocus on silly things that just make people happy has begun to blend perfectly as a quintessential party platform.
This latest Video Game Rave at Area 15 featured two DJs, GrooveCube and LA’s own Synova. Both are no strangers to the Video Game Rave scene- they’ve been touring with the show since mid-2024. By the time the tour made it to the Las Vegas stop, the pair had perfected the balance of spinning Synthwave seamlessly into Sonic the Hedgehog. GrooveCube leaned a bit more on recognizable pop hits weaving into iconic gaming scores, while Synova brought in heavy drum and bass, occasionally dipping into dubstep. They truly shone the brightest together, bringing in dancehall bangers over Undertale’s “Megalovania.”
Accompanying the beautifully blended beats was an ongoing projection of classic video game playthroughs. The gaming footage didn’t always match the music, but there is something magical about throwing ass while the screen shows Link speedrunning through temples. A fan favorite was naturally footage of Mario Kart, and that’s perhaps due to the attendee cosplay being heavily Mario-themed.
As with most gaming events, cosplay is heavily encouraged, and ravers rarely disappoint in the fashion category. While not everyone was in cosplay, a majority of cosplayers were some variation of a traditional Mario family character while raving hard. You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen two Luigi cosplayers make out while Haddaway’s “What is Love” is blasting. Some interesting cosplay included Chell from Portal, an NCR ranger from Fallout, and the Lamb from The Cult of the Lamb.
The gamers, ravers, and cosplayers all congregated in The Wall, one of many venue spaces available inside Area 15. The Wall is one of Area 15’s smaller venue spaces, clocking in at around 3,000 square feet, but it still had a full bar and never got overly sweaty. Given the theme and circumstances, having that many dancing gamers in one room and not getting sweaty or smelly is a major testament to the capabilities of the Area 15 event space.
Excellent community energy amplified by incredibly talented artists made for a fantastic night at the Video Game Rave. To attend a Video Game Rave near your city, be sure to check out their Instagram. For more on Area 15, including information on their upcoming John Wick Experience, check them out here.
Have you been to a Video Game Rave? Do you want to go? Let us know down below!
I attended this event as a guest of The Vox Agency, receiving complimentary tickets.
