Head in the Clouds 2022

photographed by Katelin Ayayo

written by Michelle Lê

Head in the Clouds 2022: There’s something about walking into the weekend ahead and immediately feeling like you belong there. 

This weekend marked the fourth time the festival has come together, continuing to celebrate Asian American and Asian creatives and performers.

The festival was experience-filled with Asian-based vendors, NIKI’s photo op, and Joji’s pop-up shop. What sat at the focal point was the intention to center Asian culture and art. I found myself floating from place to place in hopes of experiencing everything the venue had to offer. Every second spent at the festival was one of color as I ran from set to set, to experience to experience, eager to see what the HITC festival had planned for its attendees. 

The Play-by-Play:

Immediately walking past the gates of the Pasadena Rose Bowl into the festival, I came across various photo ops, including ones that sported the cute persona of the Head in the Clouds mascot and others that depicted the vendors available at the festival. 

I spent Saturday hopping from stage to stage to see artists such as boylife, CHUNG HA, thuy, and Kinjaz, only further showing me the diversity that exists within the spaces that Asian American creatives occupy. From indie to K-pop to dance, there was an artist for everyone. Each festival goer had someone they came for - if not just one, then many. Excitement and energy buzzed through the air as I saw groups and individuals traverse from one stage to the next. At times, I had to peel myself away from the stage I was at to catch the next artist set to perform. The first night ended with Joji’s DJ Set with Yebi Labs which was just one big dance party. From DJ’s pick to his well-known tracks to even a hardstyle remix of his latest single, “Glimpse of Us,” Joji ended the night on an explosive note. One day down.

1nonly on Day 1

Hojean on Day 1

MILLI on Day 1

boylife on Day 1

CHUNGHA Day 1

Deb Never and Audrey Nuna on Day 1

Yeek on Day 1

Sunday brought its own experiences as I caught a medley of sets: Rich Brian, surprise guest Manila Killa, and Jackson Wang. Each performance was vibrant and high-speed, with stunning pyrotechnics, visuals, and artists with stage presences full enough to match the crowd of over 20,000 fans. I came in only knowing a handful of songs from some of the acts but found myself jumping alongside the crowd to their entire performance. 

Ylona Garcia on Day 2

Atarashii Gakko! on Day 2

No Rome on Day 2

Stephanie Poetri on Day 2

Warren Hue and Chasu on Day 2

Dumbfoundead on Day 2

BIBI on Day 2

eaJ on Day 2

Lastlings on Day 2

Rich Brian on Day 2

Teriyaki Boyz on Day 2

Jackson Wang on Day 2

The finale, a staple of the Head in the Clouds festival, ends the event each year with a collaborative performance from multiple artists in the lineup. Surprise guest and well-renowned actress, Michelle Yeoh, made an appearance at the very end, striking the crowd like a match and igniting the energy of the festival. This year’s finale had the entire crowd singing along to tracks off of the previous Head in the Clouds albums, with everyone yelling the lyrics to “Midsummer Madness” at the top of their lungs. 

“88.” “Rising!” As the crowd chanted this back and forth and back and forth, I found myself immersed in this life, in my current moment. It was an honor to be a part of this, one individual in something much bigger and brighter.

Jackson Wang and MILLI perform as a duo during the festival finale

Teriyaki Boyz during the festival finale

Teriyaki Boyz with Rich Brian during the festival finale

Warren Hue, Chasu, Rich Brian, Jackson Wang, MILLI, and Atarashii Gakko! during the finale performance

Jackson Wang, Rich Brian, and Warren Hue during the festival finale

Atarashii Gakko! during the festival finale

Rich Brian during the festival finale

Warren Hue during the festival finale

Performers gathered together during the festival finale

Jackson Wang and members from Teriyaki Boyz during the festival finale

Performers gathered together during the festival finale

Jackson Wang, Chasu, and Warren Hue during the festival finale

Michelle Yeoh with Jackson Wang, MILLI, and Rich Brian during the festival finale

Something I’ve found particularly inspiring is that the Head in the Clouds festival will cultivate a lineup that encapsulates the multiple identities and backgrounds that exist in the Asian American community. There’s so much pride in what the festival stands for, and upon seeing this weekend come to life, I recognized that this weekend exemplified how creatives can continue to push beyond the box that has long encroached on the Asian American identity. There’s a community amongst the festival goers, a shared understanding that within this weekend, there is something beautiful to be celebrated. 

There’s a sense of belonging and love felt at the festival. It never gets tiring to see someone that looks like you, someone that came from where you came from, doing what they love and making a life out of it. That’s one of the reasons that the Head in the Clouds festival continues to have such a large turnout each year. People show up because they feel as though they’re being shown up for.

As more Asian creatives continue to rise, through Head in the Clouds and beyond, one thing’s for sure: there’s an entire community of love behind them.