Thousands Flock to Pershing Square for Paradise in the Park

By: Haley Bosselman By: Haley Bosselman | August 25, 2021 | Lifestyle Parties

Paradise, a dance music event that tours the globe, descended upon downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 21, bringing 5,000 attendees into Pershing Square.

Founder and Welsh DJ Jamie Jones created Paradise in 2012 at the notorious Ibiza club DC-10, ensuring party-goers the opportunity to experience a taste of the world’s most notorious nightlife scene.

On the other side of the globe, Paradise in the Park provided Angelenos with a top-class lineup of house and techno DJs, including Jones himself, whose set closed out the night. The sold-out event appears to be a tradition for Los Angeles. When Paradise in the Park first came to the city in 2017, it sold out the MacArthur Park venue. By 2019, it moved to the L.A. City Hall-adjacent Grand Park for another sold out show.

Paradise surely rode in on dance music fans’ itching anticipation to gather after a year-plus of so few festivals. This year continued Jones’ partnership with Future Primitive, which curate live electronic music events around the city and have become specialized in underground dance music spaces that embody the cinematic nature of Los Angeles.

The initial lineup promised showings from Art Department and Yulia Niko, but had a bill shuffling come event day. Instead, Sohmi, Serge and Amémé graced the Paradise in the Park stage to plenty of fanfare. Toward the end of the night, British house DJ Hot Since 82 warmed up the stage for Jones’ headlining set. Later, the entire lineup shifted from downtown to Hollywood for a surprise, official after party at Sound Nightclub.

But before the Paradise crew traded partying under the night sky for a more intimate gathering, Angelenos showed out in their summer best, putting on a parade of festival and streetwear fashion.

See more of the day-to-night event below (including a showing from Diplo).

Young woman in front of event sign. Paradise in the Park brought glitz to summertime in downtown Los Angeles.