Above & Beyond's Tony McGuinness Chimes in on Lights All Night's Biggest Party Yet

The Lights All Night festival is not letting a single inch of the Dallas Market Hall go to waste, inside or out. The two-day multi-sensory experience, starting on Dec. 30, is their largest to date.

“It’s the biggest and most expensive party we’ve ever produced," says Scott Osburn, co-founder of Lights All Night. "We’ve made a strong effort to completely transform the space and bring the hall to life. And we’ve walked the event space time and time again to ensure everything from entrance to exit is perfect."

Day one main stage performer Tony McGuinness, one third of Above & Beyond, was cruising around London listening to their upcoming release of Anjunabeats Volume 13 when we tracked him down.

“I’ve just pulled into a petrol station; I believe you call them gas stations in Texas,” McGuinness told us. “I’m out for a drive listening to our upcoming Anjunabeats Volume 13 album which I’m really enjoying, but I must say it makes me drive a bit faster than I should.”

McGuinness apologized to Texans for not stopping in the Lone Star State with their acoustic show because of an extremely strict timetable. We asked him for insight about the Lights All Night show, but he wouldn’t reveal much — he did say said Anjuna fans should expect plenty of tracks they can sing along to. Perhaps “Counting Down The Days,” “We’re All We Need,” “Black Room Boy” and “Satellite” will make the playlist.

Above & Beyond performances started in 2000 in nightclubs and dark warehouses, but now include some of the world’s most legendary concert halls such as The Royal Albert Hall in London, Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House and Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.

“I lost my father a few years back. He lived in Dublin and I wish he could have been around to see us play in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre — it was incredible," McGuinness says. "I know he would have been proud of me."

The energy crescendo on Lights All Night's day one main stage — called the "Mothership" —  isn’t a coincidence. Tchami’s shuffle sounds will be followed by Above & Beyond’s special moments and Zedd will bookend the night with a “Beautiful Now” vibe.

The walls will sweat next door with Crizzly, 12th Planet and the event’s first hip-hop artist, A$AP Ferg, as they handle the trap/dub/rap/drum 'n' bass stage controls. Stage No. 3, aka Silent Pyramid, is a silent disco stage, and there’s also a cozy outdoor area where attendees can relax. The weather forecast predicts a low chance of rain and a nighttime temperature around 50 degrees.

On day two, Deadmau5 goes on at 9:15 p.m. before jumping on a jet to close sister festival, Lights All Night El Paso. RL Grime will start in El Paso and jet to Dallas to close the main stage from 1 to 2:15 a.m. The New Year’s Eve edition of All Night Dallas also includes artists such as A-Trak, Kill the Noise, Nero, Feed Me, Cazzette and Wolfgang Gartner.

Set times for Lights all Night are as follows:

Friday, December 30

Mothership
6 – 7 p.m. Luca Lush
7:15 – 8:15 p.m. San Holo
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Tonally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
9:45 – 10:45 p.m. Tchami
10:45 – 12:15 a.m. Above & Beyond
12:30 – 2 a.m. Zedd

Satellite
6 – 7 p.m. Bishu
7 – 8 p.m. DJ Dodger Stadium
8:15 – 9:15 p.m. Felix Cartel
9:30 – 10:30 p.m. Kayzo
10:30 – 11:30 p.m. 12th Planet
11:30 – 12:45 a.m. Crizzly
1 – 2 a.m. A$AP Ferg

Silent Pyramid
6 – 7 p.m. Dropshop
7 – 8 p.m. Dough Boy
8 – 9 p.m. Mad Hatter
9 – 10 p.m. Jameston Thieves
10 – 11 p.m. Atliens
11 – 12 a.m. Fawks
12 – 1 a.m. JSTJR
1 – 2 a.m. Vaccid

Saturday, December 31

Mothership
6 – 7 p.m. Kittens
7 – 8 p.m. Whethan
8 – 9 p.m. Rezz
9:15 – 10:30 p.m. Deadmau5
10:45 – 11:45 p.m. Kill The Noise
11:45 – 12:45 p.m. A-Trak
1 – 2:15 a.m. RL Grime

Satellite
6 – 7 p.m. Pusher
7 – 8 p.m. G-Buck
8:15 - 9:15 p.m. Cazzette
9:30 – 10:30 p.m. Wolfgang Gartner
10:30 – 11:30 p.m. LOUDPVCK b2b Gladiator
11:30 – 12:45 a.m. Feed Me
1 – 2 a.m. Nero

Silent Pyramid
6 – 7 p.m. Ashtag
7 – 8 p.m. Shree
8 – 9 p.m. Gamma
9 – 10 p.m. NPNR
10 – 11 p.m. PLS & TY
11 – 12 a.m. Dreamchild
12 – 1 a.m. X&G
1 – 2 a.m. Champagne Drip

Lights All Night; Friday, Dec. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 31; at Dallas Market Hall; 2200 Stemmons Freeway; eventbrite.com; tickets $69.99 to $269.99.