Detroit’s first Electronic Music Festival in 2000, captured in nostalgic photos
In the spring of 2020, downtown Detroit hosted its first Electronic Music Festival, transforming Hart Plaza into a mecca for techno lovers.
Free to attend, the inaugural festival paid tribute to Detroit's status as the birthplace of techno, drawing Detroit's top DJs and thousands of fans eager to dance beneath the skyline.
Scott Vizioli, center, of New Jersey, dances in front of the C-Pop Stage during the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival at Hart Plaza in Detroit on May 29, 2000.
What started as an ambitious yet underdog event quickly became a cultural milestone, setting the tone for an event that became a fixture of Memorial Day weekend.
Whether you were there in the crowd or just want to see what it looked like when Detroit's techno roots came alive, the photos below offer a window into the spirit of that first year.
