Watch Damian Lazarus’ Sunrise Set at Day Zero Tulum 2024

Since 2012, Damian Lazarus and the multi-faceted team behind Day Zero Tulum have set out to produce the wildest party in the world. Positioned amongst the ritualistic history of the Mayan people and a future-forward understanding of modern hedonism, the festival sits at the apex of what a rave can be.

Each year Lazarus brings the Day Zero experience to its renowned crescendo, playing straight through the sunrise amongst the world’s most hardcore party people.

Reflecting on his Day Zero performance, Damian Lazarus tells Beatport…

“The energy at Day Zero in January was blissful.

Everywhere you looked people were smiling and feeling the love. You could sense that this gathering of the best party people from all over the world was going to be a very special one. Around 10,000 souls dancing across 3 stages showcasing incredible talent, hundreds of performers, crazy art installations and other worldly immersive areas, this edition of Day Zero in Tulum, our 10th, had been electric since the doors opened at 4pm. By the time I’m preparing myself to start playing at 7am, I had been at the festival for over 10 hours, but somehow, I’m full of energy, the natural energy that you can only receive here in the depths of the Mayan jungle.

I have no plan for what to play or how to play it. I have a loose idea in my mind of where to go and when to go there but it’s not an easy task. I start playing in the dark but I’m aware that within 20 minutes the morning light will slowly start to appear and that some 20 minutes after that the sun will rise, and then it’s into the madness of the morning where everyone can see each others eyes properly and start to move collectively into a higher state of consciousness.

I think I brought my A game for this 3 hour set. I knew I was going to continue playing for an extra 2 hours to close the event back to back with Acid Pauli, so I needed to be aware of holding back certain music that could work better later on.

I feel super comfortable with my friends, family and my amazing team around, there is some Mayan magic in me this morning, I’m focused and fluid.

These 3 hours could be one of the best sets I’ve played for some time. I release recordings of my sets very rarely, and filmed recordings of my DJ sets even less so. It’s a big decision to produce a film like this because I believe it’s very difficult to capture the true essence of the festival on a screen. But we decided to try our best by inviting Director Zach Toupin and his team, including 6 cameras and a drone, plus 7 directional mics set up around the main stage. I believe this 3 hour film brings you to the heart of this beautiful, unforgettable morning, capturing the many special moments that unfold before your eyes.

For me this film perfectly captures a moment in time, and the essence of Day Zero. I’m immensely proud of it. Please enjoy with friends.”