Pressure & Play: Open Radius Finds Its Balance

By Ryan Hayes

Year three of Blueprint’s Foundation Series festival Open Radius feels like the payoff of a carefully paced long game. In year one, FISHER and Purple Disco Machine anchored the weekend with an accessible, feel-good house. Year two pushed further outward with John Summit delivering a less mainstream focused set and Sara Landry nudging the crowd deeper into house’s harder sub-genres. Now, in year three, Charlotte de Witte and Peggy Gou are a confident step forward, a natural progression.

Blueprint didn’t push too hard, didn’t rush its audience towards the deep end; they’ve slowly and intentionally built a house-literate fanbase. Open Radius v14.0 headliners mirror the confidence of the FVDED’s lineup: poignant, timely, and unmistakably earned.

Charlotte de Witte’s sound is built on driving pressure and precision release—her sets are hypnotic, trance-infected modern techno designed for total live immersion. Tracks like “The Age of Love (Charlotte de Witte & Enrico Sangiuliano Remix)” and “Doppler” are standouts: long-form tension, rolling momentum, and pinpoint accurate release that hits hardest when shared in a sea of bodies. Locked into a synchronise pulse Charlotte’s journey promises to be dark, driving, and consuming.

Peggy Gou sits on the other side of the spectrum, radiating warmth, groove, and playfulness. Tracks like “Starry Night” and “(It Goes Like) Nanana” capture her broad appeal: infectious melodies and bouncing basslines that project a sense of joy. Peggy turns dancefloors into a communal celebration rather than drop riddled spectacle.

Together, they set a perfect emotional balance for the weekend, and we’d expect the remainder of the artists to follow suit. Both Charlotte and Peggy have spent years refining their craft—touring relentlessly, building labels, shaping their respective scenes, and earning their prestige and authority the hard way. Here credibility is key. And in a scene overwhelmingly dominated by male headliners, an all-female top billing matters—a reflection of where dance music should continue to head. Talent first and foremost.

With 22 artists across two days, Open Radius isn’t about excess. It feeds off direction and focus. Charlotte de Witte and Peggy Gou provide exactly that—and they are more than enough reason to trust this year's festival will be worth your time.

For tickets, click here.

Open Radius Day One Delivered on Every Front

By Ryan Hayes

Day One of Open Radius was a vibe. The audience’s energy was immaculate—yes it was bolstered by the stellar acts, but the communal umbrella of house music was the driving force behind the event's air of camaraderie.

From traditional ‘raver’ attire to North Face rain jackets and blundstones everyone was welcome. Entry was smooth, the bars/bathrooms were ample, and the food trucks didn’t have outrageous lines. 

The festival's secondary stage, Propagate, dripped with an organic throwback aura. There was a sense that you were with a group of friends experiencing an impromptu party in an isolated location. It was intimate and authentic. Everyone there was looking to get lost in the music and the energy was both welcoming and contagious. 

Nic Fanciulli drew an early crowd to the mainstage. His new single ‘Hold On,’ only released 24 hours earlier was a hit, and everyone was primed for Gorgon City.

By the time Gorgon City was underway the weather had begun to turn. Moody skies, biting wind, and a mainstage backdropped with trees rustling and whispering through gusts of wind—a Vancouver May long special. Despite rain intermittently peppering the audience the crowd swelled undeterred by the weather. House heads were out in force, nothing was going to get in their way. 

Gorgon City’s pacing was on point, and they really ramped up the tempo for the back half of their set. The duo’s original productions ‘Voodoo,’ ‘5AM at Bagleys,’ and ‘All That You Need’ were all high points. Near the end of their set they dropped their newest release, ‘Run It Back,’ and an audible pop rippled through the crowd.  

Summit took the stage just before 8:30pm and hit the ground running; everyone had already settled in and embraced the BPM.

At this point in John Summit’s career there can be no doubt that he deserves to sit atop any festival lineup. His arsenal of modern anthems is unrivalled, his style of house is malleable (trance/DnB/bass all woven seamlessly) and his personality is magnetic.

The Alok remix of ‘Focus’ & the Odd Mob remix of ‘Palm Of My Hand’ crushed. And it was a true moment to see thousands sing along to Delirum’s nearly 30-year-old track ‘Silence.’ Summit’s newly minted remix modernizes the track for 2025 and festival goers have clearly not tired of, or forgotten, the chorus.

The night came to a close with ‘Where You Are,’ ‘Gas Pedal Remix,’ & ‘Go back.’ Two years after its release, ‘Where You Are’ still hits as a euphoric unifying anthem destined to be remembered as a certified top tier classic.

This may only be the second iteration of Open Radius, but the festival already feels fully realized and mature. See you next year. Rain or shine. Count me in.

Foundation Series: Open Radius Brings a House Music Odyssey to Vancouver This May Long Weekend

By Ryan Hayes

Open Radius, Blueprint’s premier house music event, is returning this May long weekend to the PNE Centre Grounds for its second voyage.  19+, two days, two stages, & over 20 talented house artists covering a diverse array of soundscapes to get lost in. Open Radius is set to function as the thirteenth event in Blueprint’s Foundations Series; the project began in February 2023 & deserves a large amount of credit for restoring vibrancy to the Vancouver scene.

House music’s favorite anthemic producer & bender advocate John Summit is headlining day one while the dark Queen of pulsing hard techno Sara Landry is taking the reins of day two. Supporting Summit on May 17th are renowned veterans of the scene Gorgon City. The duo is a must-see, as their sets dutifully deliver dynamic bass-driven house laden with soulful vocals. On May 18th Mau P is set to hold down alongside Sara Landry. After releasing "Drugs from Amsterdam” in 2022, rising star Mau P became a purveyor of the scene leading the way in the genre’s evolution.

Past the headliners, the true draw of Open Radius and the Foundation Series as a whole has always been the breadth of an event’s lineup. Outside of the four main heavy hitters, there are 16 immaculately curated artists representing the true diversity of house, striving to create the perfect backdrop for a long weekend steeped in good vibes. 

Discoverability at any festival is crucial, and Blueprint has worked hard with this series of shows to foster the right environment to welcome eager music lovers ready to experience the genre.

The event is rain or shine…and as we all know with May long weekend in Vancouver the odds are 50/50. But some of my favorite musical moments were made in the rain. Forged through a communal love for the intangible escape that a festival atmosphere can create, Open Radius is sure to fulfill this promise. Come for the headliners, stay for the experience. Leave with two days chock full of memories.

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