In the US, Detroit, Michigan, is known as the birthplace of techno. This is why fans of techno, house, dance and other electronic music genres gather en masse to the Motor City every May.

You may not hear the name Movement as often as Glastonbury or Burning Man, but those who find their way to Hart Plaza will not be left disappointed.

Summoning and showcasing the best talent that techno and electronic music has to offer, millions of people have already stepped into and explored the world of Detroit’s techno festival.

Whether that was when it was called the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the Focus Detroit Electronic Music Festival, Movement, Fuse-In Detroit or, finally and currently, the Movement Electronic Music Festival (MEMF).

The current MEMF has been in operation since 2006 and has seen continued success under the operational direction of the Paxahau company.

However, as the list of previous names just suggested, the MEMF is actually the spiritual successor to a 20-year line of techno and electronic music festivals hosted in Hart Plaza each year.

Join us as we take a look at the history of the MEMF, as well as what it’s about and why so many people have made the journey to Detroit for over 20 years.

THE HISTORY OF MOVEMENT

There has been some form of Detroit techno festival for over twenty years. Four different groups with five differently named festivals all shared the same passion and have kept the spirit of techno alive in Detroit for over two decades.

The initial incarnation of Detroit’s techno/electronica festival came in 2000.

It was called the Detroit Electronic Music Festival and it was produced by Carol Marvin and her organisation, Pop Culture Media. Celebrating the birth of techno in Detroit, it was held at Hart Plaza.

The Detroit Electronic Music Festival was one of America’s first electronic music festivals and it was free of charge to get in.

Ford Motor Company handed over an unprecedented US$435,000 for the title sponsorship of the 2001 event.

This led to its name changing slightly to the Focus Detroit Electronic Music Festival. It also allowed fans to continue enjoying no charge on the door and for the festival to turn a profit.

However, a clash between Marvin and performer Carl Craig over the latter’s breach of contract suggested a chaotic environment to city officials.

Detroit city Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick got involved and instead, secured the Hart Plaza on memorial day weekend for the touring DJ Derrick May.

May had vast experience in the business as a performer, but he had no history of putting on productions of this scale. The event was renamed Movement and May assembled an A-grade team to help him succeed in 2003.

The biggest obstacle Movement faced was the funding they lost from the switcharound , which eventually caused the second festival to be the last for May in 2004.

May announced his resignation from Movement in 2005 and heading the festival was taken on by someone else. This time, techno veteran Kevin Saunderson was put in charge of a Movement replacement, which he named Fuse-In Detroit.

Shortened to Fuse-In, Saunderson negotiated with city officials to make 2005 the first year where an event in the Hart Plaza had a gate fee.

Despite a promising forecast, Fuse-In failed to recoup the US$756,000 budget.

In early 2006, Saunderson stepped down from his role, blaming financial losses and insufficient promotion.

Then, the following month, the Paxahau company was given the reins and the MEMF was born.

Paxahau, now celebrating its 25th anniversary as dance music promoters and producers, put on the festival consecutively from 2006 until 2019. There was a two-year break during 2020 and 2021, but 2022 saw a much-welcomed return to the MEMF.

Thanks to a little momentum building up over the last two years, 2023 is looking bigger and better than ever!

WHAT MAKES THE MOVEMENT ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL SO POPULAR?

Due to their wide range of events and activities present, music festivals draw the attention of a broad scope of people from different walks of life. The thing that connects everyone at the MEMF, obviously, is their passion for techno and electronic music.

The music isn’t the only thing fans travel across the world to engross themselves in, despite it being a major part of it.

There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes, and the team responsible for the festival go above and beyond to ensure there’s something good for as many people as possible.

THE PERFORMERS

Each year, the MEMF serves up a monumental, weekend-long list of artistes performing on multiple stages.

This jam-packed festival has so much going on, it would be tricky to check out every single performance on each of the stages. This is a long-accepted aspect of the festival format, so grab what you can at the buffet table, while it’s there.

The MEMF has a wide range of talent to choose from. It’s not just Detroit locals that you’ll find performing there, artistes from around the globe show up – newbies and legends alike.

The MEMF is also a fan of keeping some of the details under its hat and having “secret performers” show up unexpectedly.

Past lineups have included Fatboy Slim, Plastikman, Mr Scruff, Ida Engberg, Carl Craig, Jamie Jones, Beardyman, Woody McBride, Felix Da Housecat, Skrillex, Ricardo Villalobos, Josh Wink, Moby, Squarepusher, Kraftwerk, Orbital, JPhlip, Carl Cox, Claude VonStroke and even the Wu-Tang Clan.

We’d be here all day if we listed every single act that the MEMF had ever showcased.

It’s not just big names that everyone has heard of, either. There are plenty of up-and-coming artistes that very few people knew going in, but once they’d seen them live, couldn’t forget them.

Rest assured, you’ll find plenty to enjoy, no matter what you’re into.

THE PEOPLE

If you’re looking to mingle with like-minded techno-heads, house fiends and groove kids, real life trumps the internet.

We’re not saying you can’t make some great connections with people online, but standing (well, dancing) shoulder to shoulder with others seems a much better way to enjoy a weekend of techno and electronic music.

Although you’ll cross paths with many Motor City locals, expect to hear accents and languages from every inch of the map.

With Detroit known to many as the birthplace of techno, it causes many hardcore fans to make the pilgrimage every year. Sure, they have techno gigs in other places, but none of them are the MEMF, or even in Detroit.

While a lot of attendees are regular club-goers, many families also make the trip and take in lots that the MEMF has to offer.

It doesn’t have to be 100 miles per hour as soon as you get in, there are plenty of opportunities to soak in the surroundings and the atmosphere.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Many of those who visit the MEMF wish to submerge themselves and vanish in the moment, day or weekend. Lucky for them, that’s pretty easy to do.

Wandering between the different stages and tents is all part of the traditional festival experience. The fact that this festival is encapsulated in a Detroit River-side, 14-acre site full of modernist sculptures sets the mood in a unique way.

Getting lost isn’t usually a positive thing, but nobody would blame you for losing yourself in the grounds. It’s so easy to do when there are six stages worth of music over the three days of the event.

The MEMF is near the recently revived downtown area, so you don’t have to go far to find some food and a place to sleep in between shows; keeping you in the festival’s bubble without hitting you in the face with the real world too hard.

MOVEMENT ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL: WHEN AND WHERE?

The MEMF is held annually during Memorial day weekend (late May) at the Hart Plaza, in Detroit, Michigan.

The Hart Plaza is a 14-acre site situated beside the Detroit River, not too far from downtown Detroit.

Local travel and accommodation facilities are close by, and the festival provides the use of personal lockers. These can be accessed throughout the day and are a great way to make sure you don’t lose your phone and other personal belongings.

The 2023 Movement Electronic Music Festival takes place from May 27 to 29, Saturday to Monday.

The gates open at 2pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. They close at midnight on all nights except Monday, which sees an end to the day at 11pm.

There are currently over 115 artistes signed up to perform this year, with a few spaces open for last-minute additions and an unknown number of top-secret surprise appearances.

For more information, including the full line-up, ticket purchasing, travel guides, local transport and hospitality services and more, check out movementfestival.com.

Everyone who visits the MEMF is sure to take something home with them. Whether it’s a memorable weekend, some nifty merchandise, the contact details of a new friend, or even aspirations to be up on the stage performing one day.

Let us know below if you’ve been to the MEMF in the past or if you’re planning to go in the future.

For more content on techno, take a look at:

• Detroit Techno Music: The What, Where and Why
• Techno 2020: Not Exactly Business as Usual
• Sound of Cities: How Techno Became The Soundtrack Of A Unified Berlin

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Cover Credit: Stephen Bondio/Movement

Writer | DB Damage

DB Damage is a freelance content writer passionate about creative subjects like music, film, and video games. He studied IT and music technology at college and has a background in managing and promoting local bands.