It is such a bittersweet feeling now that FORM is now over. As a first timer going to the festival, I didn’t really know what to expect. Looking at the superb headliners beforehand, I knew it could only go up from there, but I never could have imagined that a festival could be such an intimate eye-opening experience.

Watching a few of my favorite artists such as Fleet Foxes, Mount Kimbie, Blood Orange, Ho99o9 and Beach House while being surrounded by beautiful architecture and landscapes was a dream. Not to mention the INSANE 3D visual set from Flying Lotus. Although I came to the festival with knowledge of only a few artists on the lineup, I left with a vast amount of love for artists I wish I had discovered much sooner than I did.

In between sets, attendees could venture around the architectural eco-city to stumble upon many activities, artistic performances, panels, and installations. FORM’s cultural programming this year was the most diverse it’s ever been with speakers from Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, Social Works, Ecosa, Phoenix Art Museum and many more.

For the third year in a row, IHEARTCOMIX had the pleasure of managing the brand sponsorships at FORM. Sponsors were carefully chosen and activations served only to enrich the fest. For example, sponsor WeTransfer once again produced podcasts for the fest and gave us the opportunity to listen in on FORM artists like Kelsey Lu, Ho99o9, Dirty Projectors, Sophie and Charli XCX answer questions about their creative process, collabs, and wellness. Overall, it was great listening to them spill tea. Other sponsors like oVertone had both a hair dying station and presented a panel with the Human Rights Campaign titled “Tell Your Story: Voices from the LGBTQ Experience.”

Thank you so much to the incredible festival goers, photographers, sponsors, talented artists and staff that helped us make FORM 2018 such a huge success. We cannot wait til next year.

Photos by Carina Gutierrez and Andrew Boyle.