SAN FRANCISCO — The inaugural Portola Festival brought dance vibes old and new to Pier 80, nestled amid old shipyards in a once mostly abandoned and now-burgeoning neighborhood just downwind of Chase Center. An industrial vibe for a burgeoning festival sounds about right—Portola had plenty of hiccups on Day 1. There was spotty reception (those giant shipping cranes weren’t hiding cellphone towers) and navigating the ongoing traffic jam of concertgoers trying to get into, out of and just past the Warehouse Stage to anywhere else was a logistical nightmare. 

But the kids were just there to dance, and they were rewarded with a sunny San Francisco summer day (sounds about right for the end of September), a cold San Francisco night (a fannypack and silver lamé tank top didn’t keep you warm after sunset) and plenty of jams to suit every need.

For those wanting to relive the ‘90s, Fatboy Slim was the guy. The DJ, whose name is Norman Cook, started off by teasing the packed Crane Tent crowd with intermittent snippets of his hit “Praise You,” then segued into Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

He kept all bodies gripped to the driving groove throughout his set, weaving a medley of his greatest samples and songs in and out. He may be middle-aged now, but it was clear that Fatboy Slim has been around long enough to know how to work a crowd.

The throngs ecstatically welcomed the refrain, “Eat, sleep, rave, repeat” into the tent as Fatboy Slim opened his scrawny arms alongside tongue-in-cheek sample, “Play that funky music, white boy!” A DJ with a sense of humor and a raft of pop culture references can put the groove in anyone’s heart. That cheeky vibe injected wit and vigor into a scene that can sometimes get stuck inside its own head. With age comes wisdom; and, it seems, the mercurial ability to teleport even post-millennials back to the heady heyday of the ‘90s techno scene. 

With the crowds of dancers, the sparkling lights, the guy with the words “House Every Weekend” written in glitter on the back of his jacket, and the sustained dance zone vibe everyone was in, it felt like one massive Ibiza house party.

It was the kind of set that erases the tedium of a boring rave with the kinetic energy of a joyful one. Once Fatboy Slim slipped into Del the Funky Homosapien rapping on the early Gorillaz track “Feel Good, Inc.,” then into “Born Slippy” by Underworld from the seminal “Trainspotting” movie soundtrack, finally ending with “Weapon of Choice.”

Wisdom doesn’t just come with age; sometimes it’s innate. Harley Edward Streten (aka Flume) has a lifetime of musical wisdom at 30. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Flume helped bring future bass to the fore, smoothing out dubstep with melodies and pop riffs. Flanked by keyboards on either side, Flume backed himself up amid ethereal lights and stretched-out grooves. He seemed to have the uncanny knack of finding a deep groove and embedding the lyrical fluidity of a male or female vocal within it, drawing out a sustained dance groove for the crowd to vibe on throughout his set.

Flume provided a unique counterpoint to the uber-beats of Fatboy Slim’s set just down the way at the Portola Festival grounds. The open-air stage setting gave his songs plenty of room to float through the chilly nighttime air. It suited the graceful notes and gave the crowd something delicate and elegant to wrap their ears around.

Having remixed artists from Lorde to Arcade Fire, Flume has earned electronic music accolades from all sorts of genres. His set might have held the siren songs to keep people from finding an early ride home to avoid the crowds and provided a nice bridge from Day 1 into Day 2, from eat, sleep, and on into rave, repeat.

Over in the aforementioned chaos of the Warehouse Stage, English DJ Jamie xx (of The xx) resurrected the ‘90s techno rave scene like it never went out of style. Fans of retro house who also love smoke machines curling onstage under minimal lights and lasers would love this guy. Crowds jammed into the front of the warehouse area just as the lights went low and the beats gave way to the plaintive wail of a sampled soul diva.

Echoing through the cavernous building, it felt at times beautiful, tripped-out and thoughtfully mellow, and at other times maybe a little uneventful. But if this were like an actual ‘90s rave that lasts 72 hours, think of it as a lovely time to relax a bit and pace yourself. At least, that’s how it was in the beginning of his set. 

Just before sunset in one of the outer tents, British rapper slowthai came onstage shirtless and ready to dig deep into his bag of tricks. Born Tyron Kaymone Frampton in working-class England, slowthai plied the tricks of his trade: dirty grime and hardcore rhymes—not surprising for a guy who once held a fake head of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson onstage during the 2019 Mercury Music Prize ceremony in London.

“Are you high as shit? If you’re not drunk, get drunk, if you’re not high, get high,” he implored, jumping into the crowd and stirring things up, only to pull back and level off into some less grimy and more accessible beats, not unlike fellow Brit rapper Mike Skinner of The Streets. 

There’s no doubt that Charli XCX was one of the most-anticipated acts of the day with the scene that unfolded at the Warehouse Stage. Half an hour before the English pop star’s set, a massive crowd surrounded the tented stage’s entrance, creating a bottleneck in the festival’s main pathway. The crowd filed in moments before showtime, with many discussing the other times they’ve seen the artist on her current festival circuit.

Charli XCX took the stage shrouded by fog smoke and teal lighting. She opened with “Lightning” and dominated the floor with two dancers by her side. With the singer’s heavily choreographed set (including songs from her new album, Crash) and the constant hype from her fans, the Warehouse was full of nonstop action. Some setlist highlights included “Gone,” “New Shapes” and “Unlock It.”

Despite a late start, Caroline Polachek took the stage in front of a crowded Ship Tent and kicked things off with a “Pang.” Her performance was focused, like an arrow hitting bullseye, as she moved in sync with each accented note of the 2019 track. Even with her intense delivery, Polachek radiated an ethereal energy that made her performance look effortless. For “Hit Me Where It Hurts,” Polachek, formerly of the duo Chairlift, sashayed across the stage, her hair flowing behind her as she reached for the falsetto notes. Set highlights include fan favorites “Bunny is a Rider,” “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” and The Corrs’ “Breathless.”

It only seemed fitting that the DJ introducing PinkPantheress opened with Rosalía’s “BIZCOCHITO,” one of TikTok’s hottest sounds at the moment. PinkPantheress, fellow viral sensation, started her set with of “Break It Off” and “Notice I Cried.” Onstage, the British singer-songwriter donned a collected energy, even carrying a purse on her shoulder as she sang. There was no question PinkPantheress is having her moment. Everything about her set radiated cool, from her Y2K style to her signature bubbly, lo-fi sound. Popular songs “Just For Me” and “I Must Apologise” also made the set.

Chloe Catajan contributed to this report. Follow photographer Chloe Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe.