By: Cole Epley

Movement: Detroit Electronic Music Festival – May 29-31, 2010

Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, Michigan

www.paxahau.com

2010 marks a decade of Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, Michigan. For 10 years, electronic fans have made the journey to the Motor City, revered as the Mecca and birthplace of techno. Organizers anticipate 2010’s festival to be as big as it has ever been. Last year’s event drew more than 83,000 electronic music fans from across the continent and beyond to Hart Plaza.

Attendees this year can expect nearly 100 artists performing from noon to midnight every day on four scintillating stages of pulse-pounding electronic bliss. Headliners include Plastikman and Model 500, and you won’t want to miss live sets by Booka Shade, Ghostland Observatory and Pretty Lights. Also on board is Chi-town’s Derrick Carter (widely regarded as one of the best DJs in the world), Detroit natives Claude vonStroke and Kenneth Thomas, DJ Sneak, Canada’s Excision, Simian Mobile Disco and Martyn. Find the full lineup at the festival homepage: http://www.paxahau.com/movement/?cat=3

Tickets: Three-Day Weekend Passes are available for $60 and are on sale at the festival homepage. Click the ‘Buy Tickets’ link on the left hand side of the page and follow the instructions to make your ticket purchase. VIP Packages are also available for just $150 and include the following: VIP Check-In, VIP Access to birds-eye view above and behind Main Stage, premium drink tickets at the VIP bar, discounted drinks, Movement Festival T-shirt voucher, executive bathroom access and more! Visit the site for full details.

Lodging: Event pricing discounts are in effect for VIP ticketholders at the MGM Grand hotel with the festival code (available at the ticketing site). Organizers have reserved a block of rooms at the Westin as well, and links to both the MGM Grand and Westin specials are available on the festival homepage. Movement organizers have teamed up with the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website at www.visitdetroit.com to provide a comprehensive list of all Downtown hotels and lodging options.

Stages: This year’s Movement Electronic Music Festival will feature four stages of live electronic music performed by almost 100 artists. The actual schedule is yet-to-be-announced, but the lineup is set, so be sure to visit the homepage as the festival draws nearer to find out when and who will be playing at Movement!

Facilities: Philip A. Hart Plaza is the premiere outdoor convention, festival and demonstration site in Downtown Detroit, lying immediately south of the intersection of Woodward and Jefferson Avenues. It sits on 14 acres of mostly hard surface and will be packed with nearly 100,000 electronic music fans for this year’s Movement Festival. Restroom facilities will be located conveniently on-site. Festival organizers are proud to announce that they have teamed up with The Night Move, a shuttle organization which will provide transportation from Royal Oak and Ferndale to Movement Festival all weekend long. The site also contains information and links to local cab companies, Detroit Metro Airport and local transit authorities, among others. Parking can be found on the city streets as well as in various pay lots in Downtown Detroit, and all are within walking distance of Hart Plaza.

After Parties: There’s certainly no shortage of after-parties at this year’s Movement Electronic Music Festival. Visit www.paxahau.com/movement/?cat=6 to get a glimpse of what’s on the menu for each of the 8 official after-parties happening throughout the weekend. Almost all of the events are 18+ affairs, but check the site to be sure you won’t be denied entrance. Presale ticketing is available to these events as well, so if you want to plan ahead and get tickets early (recommended) be sure to visit the site to pick your poison.

Surroundings: Hart Plaza is located immediately south of the Woodward and Jefferson Avenues’ intersection and is situated right along the Detroit River. The venue offers gorgeous views of the Downtown skyline and is located within walking distance of Ford Field and the historic Fox Theater. A handful of Downtown area attractions include: Belle Isle Park, Black Holocaust Museum, Cobo Arena, Detroit Institute of the Arts, Fillmore Detroit, Greektown Casino, Comerica Park, MGM Grand Detroit Casino and the Motown Historical Museum. The visitor’s bureau website, listed above, gives a comprehensive listing by area of Detroit attractions and points of interest.

Untz Featured Genres: techno, electro, house, drum & bass, livetronica, psychedelic, dubstep, trance, breaks and downtempo.