Panorama Just Took Over NYC - Here's What You Missed

So, after what was originally forecast to be a rainy weekend (of course, we all know how great rainy concerts on Randalls Island are) the festival Gods smiled on NYC and gave us wild, 3 day trip that included some truly incredible installations and even better performances. So, lets get to what you missed, shall we?

The Music

Lets be perfectly clear, as great as Nine Inch Nails is (and they are) the real draw this weekend was Frank Ocean on Friday night. With this being his second show in the US in about 5 years, the expectations were understandably high and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. Performing an emotional, no frills set, Mr. Ocean did what he does best - connect with his audience on a visceral level, bringing many in the audience to tears. Of course, hes also a fashion icon in his own right so everyone was quite excited to see what he would don to his first NY show in years - and given the current political and cultural turmoil the world finds itself in, he opted for a simple t-shirt with an eloquent statement: Why be racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic when you could just be quiet? And he paired it with shorts and soon to be released Off-White Nike Prestos. With that said, Nine Inch Nails absolutely blew everyone away come Sunday night and when Trent Reznor began the opening to Closer the crowd had what can only be described as a religious revival.

Earlier in the day social media lit up when it was rumored that Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner , and Hailey Baldwin had been spotted on the grounds, wondering who they were there to see. Unsurprisingly, they were there to support their friend Tyler The Creator who delivered an upbeat and energetic set earlier in the evening, while returning to close out the show with Frank Ocean.

Additional standouts include Vince Staples who performed on Saturday evening on the Panorama Main Stage, 6Black, who performed early Sunday and Solange set the stage for Frank Ocean later Friday evening. And MGMT had their first performance in NYC since 2013, without skipping a beat - satiating their fans ahead of their highly anticipated album release in late 2017.

#DoingItForTheInsta

Lets be honest, festivals are as much about music as they are about the scene and the Instagram content and if youre not giving your attendees a good spot to get that fit pic off or create some content showcasing what theyre doing (cause it didnt happen if you dont post about it), youre only giving them half the experience. Well, this season while there were lots of Insta opportunities - Macys had a ball pit (... with wet bananas?!), Toyota had some sort of weird car parked on a lawn where you could take a picture (cool...), - there were 2 places that really stood out: #AmexAccess and the HP Dome.

American Express delivered a luxury experience from top to bottom. The main floor was open to the public and featured shareable content stations such as a (very, very clean) subway, translucent swings, charging stations (FINALLY), and various walls that were music themed -- think hanging microphones, speakers, etc. The second floor was a lounge solely reserved for card holders (platinum status), where guests had access to VIP bars, an elevated viewing area for the main stage and a beauty bar sponsored by Milk Studios. If you needed a good spot to watch Frank Ocean while sipping on some cocktails, this was absolutely the place to do it.

The second #Instabait that people flocked to was the HP Dome. This was more of an immersive experience lasting around half an hour (not counting the insanely long lines to get in) and had everything from stand alone installations that featured a room of mirrors and culminated in a giant domed movie theatre where guests laid down on bean bag chairs and viewed a very immersive and trippy video. While it absolutely was a must view during the festival the lines would absolutely dissuade some of the people to stop in and get the full experience. However those who did manage to get in were treated to endless content opportunities that youre sure to see all over your feed in the next few days. Even A Tribe Called Quest returned to their hometown for their first appearance since 2013, and what may have well been their last in NYC.

Overall, Panorama is absolutely growing in the right direction. Given how new it is to New York (after all, it started last year) the festival caters a slightly older and more aspirational crowd, which is evident from the crowd size and brands that they engaged. Itll be interesting to keep an eye out on them to see who they choose for their lineup next year and how they bring it to life, but definitely put it on your list of festivals to attend in New York next summer.