About ten years ago, Diplo shut down a street in Philadelphia to throw a free block party featuring underground hip-hop and dance artists. It would eventually grow into a 15-city tour, as Diplo and EDM hit new levels of popular demand. But now, due to music festival oversaturation, the Mad Decent Block Party Tour has been drastically cut back.
According to a post on Mad Decent’s Instagram account, the series is celebrating its ten-year anniversary with only two shows instead of its usual double-digit output.
“Due to the overwhelming amount of festivals and dance events that now exist, talent and venues are limited for an event that is meant to be affordable to the masses. Because we only want to deliver a quality experience in a few markets this year, we have chosen to dial back Mad Decent Block Party to Philly and Denver for 2 special 10th anniversary events,” reads a statement on the page.
“We put together an incredible lineup for our return to Red Rocks – Major Lazer, Cashmere Cat and Alison Wonderland to name a few – and all proceeds from Philly’s block party will benefit Beyond The Bars, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing musical equipment and instruction to incarcerated and underserved youth.”
The two events are on Friday, July 7 at Festival Pier in Philadelphia and on Sunday, September 3 at Red Rocks in Denver. Tickets for the Philadelphia party are available here.