Cruel World has been adored since Goldenvoice announced its arrival. The post-punk, new wave and goth fest is easily becoming the most anticipated events for its glorious lineup, bringing beloved ’80s artists originally from the underground and the newer artists they’ve influenced.
Taking place Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, the festival will feature Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, Love and Rockets, Adam Ant, The Human League, Echo & The Bunnymen and Gary Numan.
Register now for access to passes starting today, Friday, January 27, 2023 at 12 PM PT on cruelworldfest.com. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public, but in the past this fest has been sold out. Payment plans are available at $49.99 down.
Passes:
There are four admission types to choose from, all with the option to include add ons, such as merch or parking, or bundle with a hotel. All passes have the option to pay in payments starting at $49.99 down.
GA General Admission starting at $159-179 + fees: GA contains two tiers, 1 and 2, which depends on availability. No difference in tiers but the price.
GA + starting at $249 + fees: This offers access to the fest, but with some perks. These pass holders have their own GA + entry lane at the front gates, fast lane access to merch, and an exclusive GA + lounge that includes air conditioned restrooms, shaded area and seating, and more.
VIP starting at $399 + fees: This pass basically offers similar amenities as the GA + pass but with two VIP areas (adjacent to two stages), exclusive food and beverages, yes, those air conditioned restrooms, and a complimentary parking pass.
Clubhouse starting at $799 + fees (21 years and older): This is the best of the best and boasts the best way to experience the festival comfortably. This package includes all the amenities from previous admission types, upfront stage viewing, entry to the indoor air-conditioned Clubhouse (which includes beer, wine, cocktails, snacks and lockers) Wi-Fi, parking and more.
Hotel Packages: There is also an option to bundle hotel and passes together starting at $349.
Twin Tribes Photo: Justin Bieggar
GUM Picks:
This year marks Siouxsie’s first North American performance in 15 years, so of course she needs to be on your list when you go, as should Iggy Pop. Additionally, Love and Rockets are returning to the stage since their last performance in 2008.
Animotion:
Synth-pop vets, Animotion, have been through some changes since their 1983 inception and their 2001 revival, with original founding member and drummer David “Frenchy” O’Brien’s death in 2019. The band has more to offer then their cult-classic track “Obsession” which was felt immensely on their last album Raise Your Expectations. – JA
Aurat:
LA darkwave outfit Aurat have been making waves through the shadows since their inception in 2017. They set their presence in stone with a self-tiled EP the same year, followed by an ever-increasing show list that spreads hypnotic bilingual gothism across the states. – JB
Boy Harsher:
Boy Harsher are the highly experimental cold wave duo from Savannah, GA. Blending their cinematic influence into stunning visual expression, primal spirits are summoned without warning when the duo takes the stage. -JB
Ela Minus:
Brooklyn-based producer, drummer, and electronic mastermind is an eclectic and mesmerizing artist. On their debut album acts of rebellion, the Colombian native’s arrangements and productions are a haunting, cold disco. Ela Minus possess a sharp ear for crafting atmospheric cuts that prey on all senses during live performances. -JA
Glass Spells:
San Diego synth-pop band duo Glass Spells, comprised of Anthony Ramirez and Tania Costello, rightfully take their disco-goth and retro production from dark clubs to a larger stage. Following the artist over the years, they’ve always produced quality atmospheric cuts and immersed conscience sentiments in each delivery. -JA
Glass Spells
GVLLOW:
Riverside native GVLLOW was bred in the punk scene and took everything that environment threw at him, including pain. GVLLOW pulls from trap, hip-hop, post-punk and sensually moves between each genre for the ass-spanking we all deserve. Tracks such as “Johnny Cash” are filled with gritty confidence against an industrial flow, to then the darkwave mania of “Last Dance.” They bleed with time and passion and all eyes are on GVLLOW. -JA
Molchat Doma
Few bands on this lineup have experienced the insane power of going viral like Belarusian post-punks Molchat Doma. Their universally recognized single,Судно (Sudno) bolstered by nefarious algorithms, serves as the de facto doomer’s anthem. With three albums down, the band continue to push through the fog of misconception as they bridge gaps in the musical landscape. -JB
Riki:
From the Bay Area goth-punk ensemble Crimson Scarlet to the solo dark synth-pop project that is Riki, the artist is a magical connoisseur of all things electronic. Riki’s 2021 LP Gold highlighted the depth of her stained-glassed soundscape and broke ill-lighted hearts along the way. – JA
Twin Tribes:
Delicately balancing the melodic and melancholic in an era that begs for originality, Brownsville duo Twin Tribes have forged their own branch of the darkwave candelabra in a blaze of shadowy glory. With their release of Shadows in 2018, the duo hit the ground running, touring strong on the resurgence of a movement that pulls deep from the soul to decorate a new landscape of soul-twisting movement. Now three albums in, they redefine and embolden the shadows in which we dance. – JB
Urban Heat:
Austin’s romantic and industrial goths stay true to the scene that cultivated their sound but offer more on each release etching their own seat at the table. Bubbling on the lower vocal register and pushing proto-punk to ethereal heights, Urban Heat embodies and converts the obscure beauty into melodic washes of new wave, dark wave and everything in between. – JA
More FYIs:
This is a cashless event, but if you do have cash on you there will be locations where you can convert cash to a pre-paid Visa card.
Stay connected on Cruel World’s socials for the latest information.
Girl Underground Music 
Cruel World has been adored since Goldenvoice announced its arrival. The post-punk, new wave and goth fest is easily becoming the most anticipated events for its glorious lineup, bringing beloved ’80s artists originally from the underground and the newer artists they’ve influenced.
Taking place Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, the festival will feature Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, Love and Rockets, Adam Ant, The Human League, Echo & The Bunnymen and Gary Numan.
Register now for access to passes starting today, Friday, January 27, 2023 at 12 PM PT on cruelworldfest.com. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public, but in the past this fest has been sold out. Payment plans are available at $49.99 down.
Passes:
There are four admission types to choose from, all with the option to include add ons, such as merch or parking, or bundle with a hotel. All passes have the option to pay in payments starting at $49.99 down.
GA General Admission starting at $159-179 + fees: GA contains two tiers, 1 and 2, which depends on availability. No difference in tiers but the price.
GA + starting at $249 + fees: This offers access to the fest, but with some perks. These pass holders have their own GA + entry lane at the front gates, fast lane access to merch, and an exclusive GA + lounge that includes air conditioned restrooms, shaded area and seating, and more.
VIP starting at $399 + fees: This pass basically offers similar amenities as the GA + pass but with two VIP areas (adjacent to two stages), exclusive food and beverages, yes, those air conditioned restrooms, and a complimentary parking pass.
Clubhouse starting at $799 + fees (21 years and older): This is the best of the best and boasts the best way to experience the festival comfortably. This package includes all the amenities from previous admission types, upfront stage viewing, entry to the indoor air-conditioned Clubhouse (which includes beer, wine, cocktails, snacks and lockers) Wi-Fi, parking and more.
Hotel Packages: There is also an option to bundle hotel and passes together starting at $349.
GUM Picks:
This year marks Siouxsie’s first North American performance in 15 years, so of course she needs to be on your list when you go, as should Iggy Pop. Additionally, Love and Rockets are returning to the stage since their last performance in 2008.
Animotion:
Synth-pop vets, Animotion, have been through some changes since their 1983 inception and their 2001 revival, with original founding member and drummer David “Frenchy” O’Brien’s death in 2019. The band has more to offer then their cult-classic track “Obsession” which was felt immensely on their last album Raise Your Expectations. – JA
Aurat:
LA darkwave outfit Aurat have been making waves through the shadows since their inception in 2017. They set their presence in stone with a self-tiled EP the same year, followed by an ever-increasing show list that spreads hypnotic bilingual gothism across the states. – JB
Boy Harsher:
Boy Harsher are the highly experimental cold wave duo from Savannah, GA. Blending their cinematic influence into stunning visual expression, primal spirits are summoned without warning when the duo takes the stage. -JB
Ela Minus:
Brooklyn-based producer, drummer, and electronic mastermind is an eclectic and mesmerizing artist. On their debut album acts of rebellion, the Colombian native’s arrangements and productions are a haunting, cold disco. Ela Minus possess a sharp ear for crafting atmospheric cuts that prey on all senses during live performances. -JA
Glass Spells:
San Diego synth-pop band duo Glass Spells, comprised of Anthony Ramirez and Tania Costello, rightfully take their disco-goth and retro production from dark clubs to a larger stage. Following the artist over the years, they’ve always produced quality atmospheric cuts and immersed conscience sentiments in each delivery. -JA
GVLLOW:
Riverside native GVLLOW was bred in the punk scene and took everything that environment threw at him, including pain. GVLLOW pulls from trap, hip-hop, post-punk and sensually moves between each genre for the ass-spanking we all deserve. Tracks such as “Johnny Cash” are filled with gritty confidence against an industrial flow, to then the darkwave mania of “Last Dance.” They bleed with time and passion and all eyes are on GVLLOW. -JA
Molchat Doma
Few bands on this lineup have experienced the insane power of going viral like Belarusian post-punks Molchat Doma. Their universally recognized single,Судно (Sudno) bolstered by nefarious algorithms, serves as the de facto doomer’s anthem. With three albums down, the band continue to push through the fog of misconception as they bridge gaps in the musical landscape. -JB
Riki:
From the Bay Area goth-punk ensemble Crimson Scarlet to the solo dark synth-pop project that is Riki, the artist is a magical connoisseur of all things electronic. Riki’s 2021 LP Gold highlighted the depth of her stained-glassed soundscape and broke ill-lighted hearts along the way. – JA
Twin Tribes:
Delicately balancing the melodic and melancholic in an era that begs for originality, Brownsville duo Twin Tribes have forged their own branch of the darkwave candelabra in a blaze of shadowy glory. With their release of Shadows in 2018, the duo hit the ground running, touring strong on the resurgence of a movement that pulls deep from the soul to decorate a new landscape of soul-twisting movement. Now three albums in, they redefine and embolden the shadows in which we dance. – JB
Urban Heat:
Austin’s romantic and industrial goths stay true to the scene that cultivated their sound but offer more on each release etching their own seat at the table. Bubbling on the lower vocal register and pushing proto-punk to ethereal heights, Urban Heat embodies and converts the obscure beauty into melodic washes of new wave, dark wave and everything in between. – JA
More FYIs:
This is a cashless event, but if you do have cash on you there will be locations where you can convert cash to a pre-paid Visa card.
Stay connected on Cruel World’s socials for the latest information.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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