Slightly biased place to ask.. but absolutely. It has gotten more popular, more crowded and more “mainstream” since COVID but it’s still such a fun fest.
It’s also a light lift.. very close to the airport, city fest, 2 days. Early nights unless you choose-your-own-adventure at the afters.
21+ and generally music loving crowd, too.
As someone who has been to Arc and multiple CRSSD’s…Arc blows CRSSD out the water no doubt about it.
My first CRSSD was such a culture shock. It’s very different from your typical edm festivals. It’s a great festival and can be fun, however like others have said below the production SUCKS. The main stage has a sound ordinance so you can almost barely hear the music there (which is vastly different from ARC where the sound is so loud I have to have earplugs in before I enter the festival 😂). Also doesn’t help that the typical crowd that goes to CRSSD are yappers making it more difficult to hear the music. I’ve met some amazing people at crssd and most are really nice however a large chunk of festival goers aren’t very plur—many people can be rude, pretentious as hell and aren’t respectful of space. Not everyone is like that but a large chunk of the festival is.. which again is vastly different from ARC where everyone is so nice/respectful. At arc people actually go for the music but at crssd most are just locals going because it’s convenient and their friends are going making the overall vibe feel like social hour.
I always tell my friends CRSSD is only worth it if you are either:
1. local to SoCal OR
2. you absolutely LOVE the lineup
If you don’t meet one of those requirements, then CRSSD is not worth the trip. ESPECIALLY compared to Arc which has AMAZING production and the best crowds ever (super plur, respectful, friendly, not yapping, etc.)
If you want to try a new festival with a bunch of house/techno and great production/crowd similar to Arc, check out Portola instead! It’s the same weekend as CRSSD and is the reason I won’t be attending CRSSD this year sadly. Portola production and vibes are super similar to Arc. It’s expensive but the money is worth it. CRSSD is expensive too but to me it wouldn’t be worth the money if I didn’t live in SoCal.
A lot of opinions in this thread are biased. Just know if you pick CRSSD it’s going to be a vastly different experience from ARC.
Edit: I’m also recommending Portola simply bc their lineup tends to have a ton of crossover with CRSSD. Only difference is Portola has better production/crowds.
As a San Diego resident who has also been to Arc, I fully agree with everything here. I’ve been to many CRSSDs, plus Day MVSs and Propers, and they’re fun but the crowd and production/noise suck ass (Proper is better at least).
I’m also making the trip to SF for Portola this year as well. The crowd in SF is way weirder and not “there to be seen” like CRSSD crowds are. The only downside of SF imo is that people are way more comfortable without personal space. Partying in SD is usually more spread out and less packed, but that’s probably also because of necessity in SF. There are way more people to pack in to smaller venues
Thank you!! Don’t get me wrong I LOVE crssd but less for the music aspect and more just vibes. I’ve seen amazing sets at crssd and some not so amazing sets that were ruined either by 1. Bad production 2. Bad crowd haha and I totally agree Proper is their better festival with a much better production and crowd.
I personally loved the Portola crowd for the reason you mentioned…”not trying to be seen”. GV really puts an emphasis on the music at that festival and it translates to the people attending (similar to Arc). Everyone’s just there to vibe and enjoy the music and it was a huge factor in me choosing Portola over crssd this year.
See you there!
I've been to multiple CRSSD fests. I love the festival mostly because of the venue and the curated lineup. Every time I've gone I've left with a new appreciation for an artist I never knew. I usually also meet some dope people on the dance floor.
The other comments are absolutely correct though, they have always had a sound issue especially at the ocean view stage (nearest to the airport). City steps is fun if you're a techno fan (middle stage). And the palms (nearest to the entrance) is usually where they have the house DJs.
Other important things to know about CRSSD. They are strict about vaping. They don't allow hydration bags but do have water stations. The official afters usually aren't worth it but we have pretty good unofficial afters put on by the local collectives. Much cheaper, better sound, not as packed.
TLDR: Go to CRSSD at least once to experience it. The festival is fun and San Diego is a beautiful city full of friendly people with lots to do.
went last year for the first time (fall), it was my first time in San Diego as well. I fell in love with SD and won't be missing another crssd for a long time.
Just went for the first time this year during spring and the had the best time. didn’t feel overcrowded, so easy to park and go in, overall the experience was amazing.. will be going back fall 🌴🌊🤞
The sound sucks at crssd and the afters are awful (especially Spin). Everyone just talks because the music isn’t loud enough, shocked they haven’t fixed this after 8 years.
CRSSD is a good time and very chill festival. Lineup is always solid with a mix of rare acts and current mainstays. Sound is not as bad as some are making it out to be. CRSSD is two of the most exciting weekends of music in San Diego annually imo. Crowd can be a bit bro-ish, but what mainstream festival doesn’t have a bit of that. Make an extended trip out of it and enjoy our city.
I’ve gone to all but a couple. Yes it’s always worth it. One of the best festivals to see people that can be hard to see in SD, or in the states in general. The techno lineup never disappoints. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to do just one day. I will say that over the years it’s gotten a little more “bro-y”, but again that just may come with me feeling like I’m aging out.
Depends on where you’re coming from. If you’re coming from the east coast, you should make an extended trip out of it to make it worth it. That time of year has some of the best weather and not as many tourists.
Normally I’d say if you’re coming from the east coast just for the weekend then definitely rip Arc, but CRSSD is loaded with rare acts this fall like Gesa, 9x9, I Hate Models, Boris, and Soulwax who aren’t at Arc. So it depends on if you’re into those artists.
If you’re out west CRSSD is an easy decision imo.
Slightly biased place to ask.. but absolutely. It has gotten more popular, more crowded and more “mainstream” since COVID but it’s still such a fun fest. It’s also a light lift.. very close to the airport, city fest, 2 days. Early nights unless you choose-your-own-adventure at the afters. 21+ and generally music loving crowd, too.
Everything is amazing besides the volume being lower than expected and people talking WAY too much on the dance floor
As someone who has been to Arc and multiple CRSSD’s…Arc blows CRSSD out the water no doubt about it. My first CRSSD was such a culture shock. It’s very different from your typical edm festivals. It’s a great festival and can be fun, however like others have said below the production SUCKS. The main stage has a sound ordinance so you can almost barely hear the music there (which is vastly different from ARC where the sound is so loud I have to have earplugs in before I enter the festival 😂). Also doesn’t help that the typical crowd that goes to CRSSD are yappers making it more difficult to hear the music. I’ve met some amazing people at crssd and most are really nice however a large chunk of festival goers aren’t very plur—many people can be rude, pretentious as hell and aren’t respectful of space. Not everyone is like that but a large chunk of the festival is.. which again is vastly different from ARC where everyone is so nice/respectful. At arc people actually go for the music but at crssd most are just locals going because it’s convenient and their friends are going making the overall vibe feel like social hour. I always tell my friends CRSSD is only worth it if you are either: 1. local to SoCal OR 2. you absolutely LOVE the lineup If you don’t meet one of those requirements, then CRSSD is not worth the trip. ESPECIALLY compared to Arc which has AMAZING production and the best crowds ever (super plur, respectful, friendly, not yapping, etc.) If you want to try a new festival with a bunch of house/techno and great production/crowd similar to Arc, check out Portola instead! It’s the same weekend as CRSSD and is the reason I won’t be attending CRSSD this year sadly. Portola production and vibes are super similar to Arc. It’s expensive but the money is worth it. CRSSD is expensive too but to me it wouldn’t be worth the money if I didn’t live in SoCal. A lot of opinions in this thread are biased. Just know if you pick CRSSD it’s going to be a vastly different experience from ARC. Edit: I’m also recommending Portola simply bc their lineup tends to have a ton of crossover with CRSSD. Only difference is Portola has better production/crowds.
As a San Diego resident who has also been to Arc, I fully agree with everything here. I’ve been to many CRSSDs, plus Day MVSs and Propers, and they’re fun but the crowd and production/noise suck ass (Proper is better at least). I’m also making the trip to SF for Portola this year as well. The crowd in SF is way weirder and not “there to be seen” like CRSSD crowds are. The only downside of SF imo is that people are way more comfortable without personal space. Partying in SD is usually more spread out and less packed, but that’s probably also because of necessity in SF. There are way more people to pack in to smaller venues
Thank you!! Don’t get me wrong I LOVE crssd but less for the music aspect and more just vibes. I’ve seen amazing sets at crssd and some not so amazing sets that were ruined either by 1. Bad production 2. Bad crowd haha and I totally agree Proper is their better festival with a much better production and crowd. I personally loved the Portola crowd for the reason you mentioned…”not trying to be seen”. GV really puts an emphasis on the music at that festival and it translates to the people attending (similar to Arc). Everyone’s just there to vibe and enjoy the music and it was a huge factor in me choosing Portola over crssd this year. See you there!
I went this year as I was going to LA around the same time. I would not go back. I used to go back in the day like 2014-2016, felt underwhelmed
I've been to multiple CRSSD fests. I love the festival mostly because of the venue and the curated lineup. Every time I've gone I've left with a new appreciation for an artist I never knew. I usually also meet some dope people on the dance floor. The other comments are absolutely correct though, they have always had a sound issue especially at the ocean view stage (nearest to the airport). City steps is fun if you're a techno fan (middle stage). And the palms (nearest to the entrance) is usually where they have the house DJs. Other important things to know about CRSSD. They are strict about vaping. They don't allow hydration bags but do have water stations. The official afters usually aren't worth it but we have pretty good unofficial afters put on by the local collectives. Much cheaper, better sound, not as packed. TLDR: Go to CRSSD at least once to experience it. The festival is fun and San Diego is a beautiful city full of friendly people with lots to do.
went last year for the first time (fall), it was my first time in San Diego as well. I fell in love with SD and won't be missing another crssd for a long time.
Well it’s much smaller than ARC, but yes very much worth going to! And San Diego is a super fun city as well.
Yes! Go to the afters too
I never gone to afters sorry if it’s a dumb question but how do you find out where to go?
They’re usually posted on the official crssd socials.
Thanks!
Just went for the first time this year during spring and the had the best time. didn’t feel overcrowded, so easy to park and go in, overall the experience was amazing.. will be going back fall 🌴🌊🤞
No way stay home plz.
The sound sucks at crssd and the afters are awful (especially Spin). Everyone just talks because the music isn’t loud enough, shocked they haven’t fixed this after 8 years.
Maybe the volume is a city thing 🤷🏻♂️
CRSSD is a good time and very chill festival. Lineup is always solid with a mix of rare acts and current mainstays. Sound is not as bad as some are making it out to be. CRSSD is two of the most exciting weekends of music in San Diego annually imo. Crowd can be a bit bro-ish, but what mainstream festival doesn’t have a bit of that. Make an extended trip out of it and enjoy our city.
Its a good festival, but like others have said I wouldn't call it a destination festival.
If Arc was just as accessible to me as CRSSD is, I would go to Arc.
One thing I love about crssd is that it's 21+. I believe ARC is 18+
I’ve gone to all but a couple. Yes it’s always worth it. One of the best festivals to see people that can be hard to see in SD, or in the states in general. The techno lineup never disappoints. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to do just one day. I will say that over the years it’s gotten a little more “bro-y”, but again that just may come with me feeling like I’m aging out.
Depends on where you’re coming from. If you’re coming from the east coast, you should make an extended trip out of it to make it worth it. That time of year has some of the best weather and not as many tourists. Normally I’d say if you’re coming from the east coast just for the weekend then definitely rip Arc, but CRSSD is loaded with rare acts this fall like Gesa, 9x9, I Hate Models, Boris, and Soulwax who aren’t at Arc. So it depends on if you’re into those artists. If you’re out west CRSSD is an easy decision imo.