Some say that Seesaw National Park bullys Namkanda’s other national parks on the charts, but since park charts aren’t a thing that can’t be accurate, but!
If you ask them, citizens of Seesaw Dawn and beyond can sense a change in the air as Fall approaches, “beast mode vibes”, they say. This frenetic atmosphere of anticipation  is because Seesaw Park—already drawing millions of visitors annually—brutally flexes on the nation once a year, and yep it’s that time of year again. Seesaw Park Midnight Music Festival is almost here!

Poster design by Badly Drawn Namkanda.

 

Yes, people have done the double take at seeing the ads posted around the nation's cities, of course festival founder Vice-President Min's iconic black guitar stirring up feelings of nostalgia, adventure and longing, we totally get it...

Photo taken at a Polar Night Mall, moments after NKPD cleared the area after breaking up an altercation between a group of tourists who were all attempting to remove the festival ad from the wall to take as a souvenir.

 

An event that owns the hearts of music lovers and adventure seekers from around the globe, the internationally acclaimed festival takes place in Shadow, the largest city in Seesaw Dawn region, an eclectic city celebrated for its music and arts scene. The five-day festival takes place on twelve stages, some set around areas nearest the edges of the park, some within the park itself on the mostly open areas known as ‘the plains’.

Having been twice, this HN writer can tell you it’s an unforgettable experience. It's not only the incredible music you get to experience with your own eyes and ears, but the celebration, the vibes. The organizers are obsessively intent on keeping the park safe, the fans safe, and for five days creating a magical atmosphere, blending world-class performances with the wild yet serene backdrop of the park’s beauty and it works.

 

Oh just when we thought it couldn’t get any better? Seesaw Midnight Music Festival raises an astonishing amount of money for charities, supporting causes ranging from environmental conservation to education to community development.

Their commitment is probably most visible in the media during this time of year due to it's popular annual blood drive, which has become an event within the festival itself.

 Blood Drive posters featuring mascot Tony Montana, courtesy of Badly Drawn Namkanda.

 

Tony Montana's button, one of many designs available, given to donors at the blood drive.

 

Operating around the clock for each day of the festival, seven donating stations are set up, each with a mini stage and a theme, chosen and voted on by fans in the app during the summer months. There's gaming setup and prizes to be won, too. And donors come ready to play.

 

When they arrive they could be walking into a vampire and Horror themed station, a Fortnite station, Marvel & DC, a SpongeBob Rave station or any number of other things fans suggested. Cosplays and costumes are encouraged, and donors never disappoint. I’ve never seen actual hordes of people lining up and camping out to be stuck with a needle! The Midnight Blood Drive has become a beloved tradition, attracting international media coverage, pulling thousands of donors, and benefiting countless lives.

But why “Midnight”? I’m glad you asked. When the festival originally began a few years ago, it was just a bit smaller (lol), and it kicked off at 9pm. Yeah, NINE PEE EM. It was a thing. And people loved it. Whether you were a natural night owl or not, you came to the festival and stayed for sunrise over the mountains, or as close to it as you could!
So the festival runs days and nights now of course, but the fans will always be in love with the night, and one of the most thrilling aspects of the festival was and still is the highly anticipated "Midnight Madness" events.

This is when each main stage becomes the focal point for a very special moment: a surprise collaboration! These unique, high-energy performances can include a wild range of interesting, provocative, often clever, sometimes shocking, but always amazing collaborations between these artists sharing a stage.

The 'Midnight' projects are kept a closely guarded secret, and fans never know who will be performing together at Seesaw until it happens on the night, so of course playing the guessing game quickly became tradition. Once an artist is announced for Seesaw, fans and even journalists scour their social media posts for clues about who they may be sharing the stage with. And of course many artists play along, gleefully dropping fake hints, much to their fans amusement.

Well this year fans can look forward to over 150 artists and a staggering array of music genres, so they have their work cut out for them! The greatest thing about Seesaw is not just it’s lineup but it’s ability to bring together so many fans of music and art, all forming a very special bond under the stars of Seesaw.

 

 

Reminders for newcomers:

Region: Make sure your app's location settings are on for Seesaw Dawn, not Seesaw Future.

Tickets: Sale will be announced via the app, so keep them updated as they sell out quickly!

Camping: The lottery system is still in play. All ticket holders who want to camp overnight within park lands may register with your ticket number in the app. Winners are drawn randomly, only those holding permits via the lottery are allowed to camp during the festival.Good luck!