The Gaslamp Quarter, mostly quiet on the EDM tip since the pandemic began two years ago, is about to come back in a big way, if the promoters of Insomniac have anything to do with it.
Insomniac plans to pop the cork on downtown's newest nightclub, Nova, later this month in the same footprint formerly occupied by Omnia. Want to go back further? It's the same spot from which Stingaree helped remake the Gaslamp.
Omnia San Diego was run by the Hakkasan Group, the Abu Dhabi-based investment company with Vegas blood running through its veins, and featured such headliners as Krewella and DJ Chuckie and everybody's favorite cake-thrower, Steve Aoki. Omnia San Diego closed down in 2020, right before its five-year anniversary due to the COVID-19, never to reopen.
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Insomniac, created by Pasquale Rotella in 1993, is known for events like the Electric Daisy Carnival, Hard Summer and Audiotistic. The promoters recently hosted Subtronics at SOMA, and brought Liquid Stranger to the Midway all-ages club on Feb. 12 as well. Nova will allow Insomniac to go much, much bigger, starting with RL Grime, who's headlining the grand opening on Feb. 25.
Then they'll be breaking out the glow sticks for Tiesto on March 5, Diplo on March 12 and — he's back! — Aoki on March 19.
If you’re a bigger fan of Dubstep and a little more hardcore EDM, you've got options like Jauz on March 4 and Joyride two weeks later. Or maybe you prefer a mix of both with some lyrics to sing along to? Illenium on March 11.
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With the pandemic ending, the Gaslamp's always kinetic profile is changing again. Nova's opening comes hard on the heels of Bassmnt's closure — ending a nine-year run that featured appearances by marquee names like Post Malone and Skrillex — but you can look for a new club, Bloom, to open in that underground spot as well sometime this spring.
Tickets for Nova's grand opening events are on sale now on its website. Tickets range from $55-$95 and are selling out quickly. All events are 21 and up.
