Thousands pack a Bay Area mall for an after-hours rave. 'We made history,’ organizers said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Thousands took over a Bay Area mall after hours over the weekend for an epic electronic dance music concert.

The Eastridge Center in San Jose hosted its first-ever rave, as the mall was transformed into a massive party scene. Crowds packed both levels of the shopping hub, with stores like Macy's and H&M closed and dark, sitting as the backdrop.  

People danced and jumped around to DJ-spun sounds as laser lights pulsed to the rhythm.

What we know:

The rave was held on Saturday at 10 p.m. and went into the early morning hours, shutting down at 2 a.m. on Sunday. 

Alcohol was served for the 21-and-over event. Called Mallorama, it featured popular DJs in the electronic music scene: TroyBoi, WINK, nikko, and rad cat.

Eastridge Center partnered with promoters San Jose Foos, Something New Club, and Brownies and Lemonade in organizing the rave, which was believed to be the first ever at any Bay Area mall.

An impressive 3,000 people were in attendance, according to Brownies and Lemonade. 

Ticket prices were listed as costing $65 to $70.66 on the event management platform Eventbrite.

Security a top priority

Organizers said that security was tight and a top priority, with emergency response teams on hand if needed.

"Fully sanctioned by the mall and regulated by security, the fire department, local law enforcement, and EMTs," Brownies & Lemonade co-founder Kushan Fernando told KTVU in an email correspondence. 

Organizers noted the work and safety preparation put into the event paid off.

"Zero incidents were reported," Fernando said. 

Throwback forward 

Dig deeper:

The concept brought together two culturally popular trends that saw their heyday during the 1980s and 90s — malls and raves — and created a dynamic, entertainment-forward, community-centered gathering. 

"We sought to inject new energy to this classic mall in San Jose by bringing the community together to this longstanding cultural hub," Fernando explained.

Reimagining the struggling mall space

Big picture view:

Organizers also sought to reinvent and repurpose the mall space, which has been struggling for years at many locations, with big declines in visitor volume.

"We’re always looking to create unique music experiences," Fernando explained, "and Mallorama was a concept we’re happy to finally bring to life after malls everywhere are losing their foot traffic."

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Eastridge said it welcomed this opportunity to advance its ongoing efforts to use the mall as a gathering hub for patrons and residents, through different types of events. 

"As part of our commitment to providing San Jose with a premier space to gather and celebrate, we continuously partner with innovative organizations to bring unique experiences to our community," Eastridge Center Marketing & Local Leasing Coordinator Eric Perez told KTVU last month. 

Perez pointed to the successful watch party Eastridge hosted in June during the World Cup, when Mexico faced South Africa. The community came together around a massive LED screen set up in the mall's center court area to watch the match.  

‘We made history’

San Jose Foos celebrated the hard work that was put into the rave, saying it was three years in the making. 

The promotors said the community showed up to make Mallorama a big success and proved naysayers wrong. 

"SO much went into making this one happen… we just made history," San Jose Foos wrote on social media. "Some said it couldn’t be done… but, we always believed in you San Jose." 

And organizers suggested there may be more such events in the future, saying, "Till the next one."

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