Empire of the Sun Announce Chrysalis Destination Festival

13 hours ago7 min read4 comments

The air in San José del Cabo will be thick with more than just coastal humidity come May 14th, 2026, as Empire of the Sun unfurls their Chrysalis Destination Festival, a three-day sonic pilgrimage curated by the band itself. This isn't just another date on the festival circuit; it's a logical, almost inevitable, next act for Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, two artists who have always treated their music as a portal to a more flamboyant, art-drenched dimension.Remember their 2008 debut, 'Walking on a Dream'? It wasn't merely an album; it was a world-building exercise, a synth-pop manifesto delivered by beings from a neon-soaked future-past. Their live shows have always been less like concerts and more like roving theatrical productions, a cascade of elaborate costumes, towering headdresses, and choreographed spectacle that makes most stage shows look pedestrian.Chrysalis, then, feels like the ultimate expression of that ethos—a complete environmental takeover. The choice of location is telling.San José del Cabo, with its dramatic desert-meets-ocean landscape and vibrant art district, provides a canvas as visually rich as their soundscapes. It’s a move that places them in a lineage of artist-curated events like Pharrell’s Something in the Water or Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, where the focus shifts from a simple lineup to a holistic aesthetic experience.One can already imagine the stages designed as alien structures, the art installations humming in sync with the music, the entire event feeling like a single, continuous piece of performance art. For fans, this is the culmination of a long journey.It’s a chance to not just hear 'We Are the People' under the Mexican stars, but to live inside the Empire of the Sun universe for a full 72 hours, a testament to the enduring power of an act that has always prioritized visionary artistry over fleeting trends. The festival's name, 'Chrysalis,' suggests a transformation, and one wonders if this event will signal a new creative phase for the band itself, a metamorphosis from touring artists to architects of immersive worlds.

#Empire of the Sun

#Chrysalis

#destination festival

#San José del Cabo

#Mexico

#2026

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