PHXLights: Among The Stars is an EDM festival that now takes place in Avondale, Arizona at the Phoenix Raceway.  It is the second year in a row at this location as the previous event in 2020 was held at The Park at Wild Horse Pass.

I had planned on going in 2020 and 2021 but they were canceled due to covid and wanted to go in 2022 but had another trip too close to the event.  I made sure I was able to go in 2023 and with a friend, we made a short 6 night stay in Phoenix and in Goodyear to be closer to the event to finally go.

Getting There

Since I only booked my Phoenix trip not as early as I normally do, the closest city that had a hotel with an accessible room was Goodyear.  We stayed at TownePlace Suites by Marriott by Goodyear which is about a 15 minute drive to Phoenix Raceway.

Since the official PHXLights shuttle buses were not wheelchair accessible, our best bet was to take an Uber or a taxi to the event.  With Uber being cheaper, we used it and paid almost $16 to get there.  We left the hotel around 7.30pm and by the time we almost made it there, traffic slowed way down as so many cars were trying to get in the event too.

We decided to get out of the Uber since traffic was not moving and we were not too far from the main entrance and many cars beside us were doing the same thing.  Wheeling and walking down the road to get to the box office was not too dangerous since cars were moving so slow.  Surprisingly, for day 2 of the festival, we took an Uber around the same time and had no issues with traffic or delays and actually got dropped off at the rideshare drop off area.

Phoenix Raceway

Phoenix Raceway opened in 1964 and is a 1 mile tri-oval racetrack located in Avondale, Arizona which is about a 35 minute drive from downtown Phoenix.  It hosts 2 major NASCAR race events every year among other large public events including PHXLights festival every April.

With the event being smaller than other festivals and being held at a raceway, only a section of it is used by the festival.  Getting around from one area to another was never really overcrowded except near the front of the main stage.  The ground was mostly paved or on a racetrack so it was also very easy and smooth to wheel around.

General Information

PHXLights runs from Friday April 7 to Saturday April 8 with the event starting at 7pm and ending at 2am each night.  Ticket prices start at $159.50 plus taxes and fees for a general admission 2 day pass and $89.50 for a single day pass.  There are also options for GA+, VIP, shuttle passes and table service too.

The first thing we did when entering the festival was to get an ADA wristband for myself and my friend at the Guest Services desk right by the entrance.  This allows us to get into the ADA viewing areas and avoid crowded areas.

Like other festivals, there is no re entry to the festival once you leave so we made sure we brought everything we needed for the night like my medications, jacket, and my refillable water bottle.  There is a list of things that are allowed in the festival and a list of things banned on the website.

During breaks from the music, there are food trucks, bars, arcades, merch for sale, and even a few dodgeball games going on during the festival.  My friend did play a few games of dodgeball as it is free and open to anyone and everyone with any skill level.

2 Stages

PHXLights festival only has 2 stages. The main stage was called Mothership stage where all the well known artists performed along with the main headliners like Martin Garrix.  There was an ADA wheelchair section near the middle of the main stage and not too far back.

It does get crowded and busy around that area so it can be challenging to get to.  The ADA section was a bit small and was not a raised viewing platform like other festivals have.  That made it a bit hard to see the stage at times, but at least there isn’t a bunch of people crowding around.

The smaller stage is called Beatbox Invasion stage.  This area was never really packed with people every time we went.  We could easily get really close up to the stage without any issues.  I thought the decor here really fit the alien theme of the festival with a giant spaceship prop in the air shooting down lasers.  We only visited this stage minimally both nights.

Leaving The Festival

We both know that leaving the festival at the end of the night can be quite a hectic experience due to everyone wanting to leave the festival right away trying to get a taxi or an Uber.  The first night, we started heading out of the grounds around 1am and there were already a bunch of people trying to bargain with taxi drivers a price for a ride to leave.

All the drivers were wanting $100 or more but a lady agreed to take us for $80.  Our second night, we left around 1.30am and bargained with a guy to take us for $85.  They all wanted more money because of surge pricing and supply and demand.  Lucky our hotel was not too far away, so he agreed on the lower price.

Final Thoughts

PHXLights was definitely a great time and was worth the wait since I been trying to go since 2020.  Staying at a hotel close to Phoenix Raceway is a great option since the shuttles to the festival were not wheelchair accessible.  The music and the set up of the stage made it easy to get around and even without a raised viewing platform at the main stage, it is worth hanging out in that area to avoid the crowds.  I already can’t wait until next year.