What is NEON?
NEON is not an 80s convention.
It's also not your typical pop culture event. Rather, NEON is a meticulous celebration of retrofuturism from the late 20th century. And unlike the obnoxiously large expos that have become commonplace in 20XX that are all too happy to sell that nostalgia back to you, this is aesthetically and sonically immersive. It's an escape off-world, specifically to a place that never really existed, but you wish it did.
Retrofuturism is a term coined in 1983, defined as “a revived enthusiasm for depictions of the future created in the past; also, the use of a style considered futuristic in the past.” NEON celebrates what the near past imagined our future would be, most commonly seen in the cyberpunk genre, but NEON is also focusing on classic elements like synthesizers, low technology and, yes, neon—it's what incredibly popular shows like Stranger Things and Synthwave creators are doing right now, which is why we're putting together an exceptional lineup of some of the most dynamic and skilled musicians in this genre on the planet.
NEON is also not just a music festival, however. NEON is a celebration of elements from that time period which seek to create a portal to the things you loved but also to take you a step beyond into new imaginative worlds: a huge arcade consisting of only Golden Era cabinets; collaborative maker spaces and workshops for electronics projects like modular synths; panel discussions and drill down talks from innovative thinkers of the era; the type of old school tabletop gaming you'd spend entire weekends playing with your friends; an early computing historic gaming time capsule and LAN room; and a Yacht Rock lounge for when you need to sail away from it all. These are just some areas of Synth City that we've dreamed up for you to explore—we'll also have themed shopping, vendors and artists.
Of course, an event isn't truly immersive unless its attendees play their part as well, which is why we encourage retro or cyberpunk fashion if you're into dressing up. But more important is that you bring your enthusiasm for the theme and subject matter. Prepare to meet your people.