When we returned to Deep Tropics Music Festival for our second year, it didn’t feel like we were just stepping into another music festival — it felt like rejoining a community. Set against the Nashville skyline and the State Capitol dome, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park once again transformed into a tropical playground where music, art, and mindfulness collide. You can have good music anywhere, but if the vibes are off, the experience falls flat. Deep Tropics nails both, creating a space where it feels like you’re hanging with friends, not just standing in a crowd.
That sense of connection came through in every corner. Dancers in colorful costumes popped up at the stages to amplify the music, while painters worked on canvases and murals that slowly came to life as the day unfolded. It all added up to more than just a setting; it felt like the festival was alive in every corner. But, as a music blog, we of course turn our focus to the artists who made so many memories.
Early Performances at Deep Tropics 2025
With the atmosphere already buzzing, Friday’s music wasted no time kicking in. AYCH hit the Lotus Stage with a hard-hitting set that got people moving far earlier in the hot afternoon than anyone expected. At the Congo Stage, Vangeaux b2b Kiana Nadine and later Hot Boxx b2b Arht kept the early crowd locked in with back-to-back bursts of energy, showing off the festival’s strength in curating fresh talent.
Maddy O’Neal at Deep Tropics 2025
Maddy O’Neal, who impressed us the last time we saw her in concert in 2023, has only grown in both sound and presence. Her set balanced bass-filled explorations with stretches of slow, rhythmic dancing. Each well-placed drop lit up the crowd with sudden bursts of excitement.
You can check out a clip of Maddy O’Neal’s Deep Tropics 2025 set in our Instagram reels.
Lane 8 Golden Hour Set in Nashville
As the sun dropped, Deep Tropics delivered one of its defining moments: Lane 8’s golden hour set at the Meru Stage. Follow our advice and never miss a sunset set at Deep Tropics. With the Capitol building and Nashville skyline glowing behind him, Lane 8 guided the Meru Stage through golden hour, evolving his sound from gentle to harder-hitting as the sun dipped lower. The curation felt deliberate, syncing with the crowd’s mood, and the cooling air only added to the sense that the evening was unfolding exactly as it should.
You can check out a clip of Lane 8’s sunset set at Deep Tropics 2025 set in our Instagram reels.
Sam Wolfe and Riordan on the Congo Stage
The Meru Stage may have commanded golden hour, but the Congo Stage had its own momentum at the same time. Sam Wolfe pushed into darker, techno-driven territory, while Riordan later lifted the energy with a fast-paced set that had the floor in constant motion. It was a sharp contrast to Lane 8’s melodic journey, showing how Deep Tropics thrives on different energies coexisting at once.
TroyBoi at Deep Tropics Festival
Back at the Lotus Stage, TroyBoi’s global-influenced trap sound offered yet another change of pace. The crowd responded with steady energy, riding along with his sharp beats and booming drops, before the spotlight shifted to Friday’s closer.
Alison Wonderland Closes Friday at Deep Tropics 2025
Alison Wonderland took the stage with a trap-heavy set full of unreleased material from her new album due in October. She thanked the crowd for leaning into the new songs, turning the moment into more of a shared experience than just a performance. From there, she built an atmosphere that was as much visual as it was musical — lights and lasers cut through the night sky, bathing the crowd in shifting colors that mirrored her dynamic sound. Heavy drops gave way to moments of breath, before surging forward again with layered intensity. It was a performance that balanced sheer power with intimacy, the kind of connection that Deep Tropics thrives on, closing Friday with both force and presence.
You can check out two clips of Alison Wonderland’s Deep Tropics Music Festival set in our Instagram reels here and here.
Closing Notes: After Parties and What’s Next
Official after parties stretched on until dawn, carrying the beat into the early hours. We chose to step back, letting Alison Wonderland’s finale stand as our closing note. With the sense of community still buzzing all around us, we stepped away knowing Saturday would bring another chapter to an already memorable weekend.
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