Asher on Aspen: Aspen’s Palm Tree Festival turns up the heat

At 5 p.m. on Friday, I slammed my laptop shut and zoomed out the door — escaping the office for a weekend of nonstop music. The brisk winter air sliced through the night as I hustled to Rio Grande Park, already overflowing with a sea of bodies, packed like sardines, all huddling together for warmth and a good dose of tropical house. There was no escaping it: Things were about to get wild for the 3rd Annual Aspen Palm Tree Music Festival.

I arrived just in time for Dom Dolla’s set — a powerful surge of bass and beats that crashed over the crowd like a tidal wave. With tracks like “Take It” and “San Frandisco,” he created an energy that felt raw and real. He wasn’t just playing music — he was pulling the crowd into a frenzy, each drop and jolt of melody conjuring images of neon-drenched nights and acid-fueled dreams. It was pure, high-voltage energy — the perfect way to start the chaos of this fast-growing two-day festival.

But the night was still young. As the darkness deepened and the lights shifted, Kygo commanded the crowd with a calm yet powerful presence. I made my way to the front row, sucked in by his energy. Under the frigid night sky, it felt like he’d transported us to a sun-soaked paradise where the cold couldn’t touch us. Tracks like “Firestone” and “Stargazing” gripped audience members, pulling everyone into the beat, while “Stole the Show” lifted fans into a collective trance. In that front-row heat — I was lost, completely enraptured in Kygo’s surreal world.

Saturday rolled around with the same manic energy, and I was back for round two. Sofi Tukker took the reins with their trademark blend of irreverence and playfulness. The duo commandeered the stage with a fiery, unpredictable carnival of sound. From the first song, they unleashed a whirlwind of pulsating house rhythms, quirky hooks, and a defiant spirit, with tracks like “Swing” and “Best Friend” setting the crowd ablaze.

As the night neared its feverish close, Fisher took the stage like a wildfire in a storm of sound. His set was a high-energy grand finale, blending pounding beats with bursts of pyrotechnics that lit up the night sky. With songs like “Losing It” and “You Little Beauty,” every drop and bass hit sent waves through the crowd, making the icy ground shake with energy. Looking around, everyone was completely lost in the music. The set built up to an unhinged, electrifying climax that left fans stunned, exhilarated, and craving more — a perfect ending to the festival’s nonstop energy.

Amid the constant music, the festival itself was an artful escape — a carefully planned mix of high-energy EDM and tropical vibes, set against the stunning backdrop of Aspen’s snowy peaks. From the signature cocktails by Tequila Don Julio to the stylish touches from Celsius, DraftKings, Matua Wines, and Bumble, every detail was designed to whisk you away from the cold into a cozy, luxurious world.

For the third year in a row, the Palm Tree Music Festival made Aspen feel like a tropical paradise — a thrilling mix of winter’s chill and the hot pulse of tropical house beats. It’s incredible to think that world-class artists of this caliber are bringing their explosive sets to our small mountain town, turning it into a global music hotspot, even if just for a weekend. When it was all over, I was breathless and buzzing, completely hooked on the raw energy of the music.