Return to the Holy Land: The Fusion of Nature and Trance Music
Located in the desert region of central Washington State, The Gorge Amphitheatre is a breathtaking natural wonder carved by massive ancient ice age floods and the relentless flow of the Columbia River. With basalt cliffs towering like the pillars of an ancient temple against a vast sky that shifts from amber to deep ultramarine, this outdoor venue holds a meaning far beyond a simple concert site for the global electronic dance music (EDM) community. It serves as a "geographical holy land" where the raw majesty of nature merges with the transcendent acoustic architecture woven by progressive trance and deep house.
From September 11 to 13, 2026, the milestone event "Group Therapy 700 (ABGT700)," hosted by Above & Beyond, took place at this sacred location. Their return to this canyon marked exactly nine years since the legendary "ABGT250" held in 2017. The previous ABGT250 was a groundbreaking event that adopted a multi-day outdoor festival format for the first time in Group Therapy history. It created synchronized lights from LED wristbands, unforgettable midnight singalongs, and a profound human connection beyond words. It is still spoken of today as the most definitive turning point in the history of the "Anjunafamily".
This time, ABGT700 masterfully inherited and further expanded upon that historical legacy. Tens of thousands of passionate fans converged from all over the world to this canyon once again, embarking on a three-day acoustic pilgrimage to celebrate the milestone of the radio show's 700th broadcast and the epic themes embedded in Above & Beyond's fifth studio album, Bigger Than All Of Us.
Friday: The Historic Live Deep Set at The Meadow
The weekend's story opened not on the massive main stage, but in the intimate space of "The Meadow," where a gentle breeze blew through. While the vast "Pivot" campgrounds—open since Thursday—were filled with elation as friends from around the globe rejoiced in reunions, Friday's program offered a groundbreaking endeavor unprecedented in Group Therapy history. Looking back, Above & Beyond's "Deep Set" had traditionally been broadcast from empty scenic locations or pre-recorded from a studio.
However, at ABGT700, the trio of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki made the decision to perform this iconic warm-up set entirely live, right in front of a festival audience for the very first time. The early afternoon presented a sophisticated tone for the audience relaxing on the grass, driven by Amy Wiles' exquisite, uplifting progressive rhythms. Following her, the B2B set by Grum and J Ribbon seamlessly fused retro-futuristic synthesizer aesthetics with driving progressive house, injecting a dark, propulsive energy into the dry desert air.
However, the true magic of Friday arrived at dusk. As the sun slowly began to set beyond the basalt cliffs, casting long, dramatic shadows across the canyon, the atmosphere completely shifted the moment Above & Beyond took to the decks. The intense beats receded, and the space was filled with progressive house incorporating the rich, organic textures and ambient elements that define the depths of the Anjunadeep catalog. As the sky transitioned from vibrant orange to deep velvety purple, hearing tracks like their new song "Stepping In" drift through the canyon was the absolute pinnacle of atmospheric storytelling, where environment and music became one. This live-format Deep Set functioned as a graceful, slow-burning prayer against the clamor of the weekend, proving that the most powerful moments in electronic music are often the quiet ones that prompt us to reflect.
Saturday: ABGT700 and the Resonance of Bigger Than All Of Us
If Friday was an introspective, intimate whisper, Saturday was a world-shaking roar of triumph. As the sun rose high in the sky, the massive main stage at The Gorge became the epicenter of the global EDM community, with millions of viewers sharing the frenzy via the official livestream.
Saturday's programming showcased a perfectly calculated build-up to demonstrate the overwhelming depth and technical evolution of the artists on the Anjunabeats label. The afternoon kicked off with the technical brilliance of Nourey, and the subsequent solo performance by J Ribbon kept the early arrivals swaying. The quality of energy distinctly shifted with Grum's live performance, whose raw sounds, driven by modular synthesizers, pushed his signature cinematic, neo-trance worldview to the absolute limit. Following him, trance legend Darren Tate delivered a rare live set, unleashing a profound sound that bridged classical elements and modern progressive trance. Afterward, the label's backbone, Oliver Smith, took over, overwhelming the venue with punchy, classic progressive sounds that seemed to shake the canyon floor.
As the magic hour approached, Mat Zo took the stage, proving he remains the most innovative and unpredictable talent on the label with an eclectic, genre-defying set. ilan Bluestone then took the reins, unleashing an incredibly emotional and high-energy performance. His signature style, known as "Tronce," is designed to directly touch the audience's heartstrings; the anthems he dropped one after another spread tears and joy across the hills, creating a massive wave of singalongs leading up to the main event.
At 9 PM, as the venue lights completely dropped, the cheers of 25,000 people echoed against the basalt walls. It was time for Above & Beyond. The next two hours were both a retrospective of their brilliant 25-year legacy and a forward-looking showcase boldly presenting their fifth studio album released in 2025, Bigger Than All Of Us. When Paavo's familiar typed message appeared on the giant screens—"Welcome home, Anjunafamily. It has been too long."—the crowd's emotional dam broke instantly.
The setlist was a breathtaking composition that seamlessly interwove classic anthems of the past with the most powerful tracks from their new work. When the new song "Start A Fire," featuring the soaring vocals of Richard Bedford, echoed through the canyon, the crowd's fervor ignited. This was followed by the overwhelmingly beautiful track "Carry Me Home," featuring Zoë Johnston. The theme of this song—acknowledging vulnerability and carrying each other's burdens—resonated deeply with every attendee, sounding as if it were written expressly for this outdoor space.
The climax of the night was the album's title track, "Bigger Than All Of Us," featuring Justine Suissa on vocals. As the LED wristbands worn by tens of thousands of fans pulsed in unison under the night sky to create a sea of light, the song's message of "finding power in solidarity beyond the individual" materialized as a physical reality. It was the clearest answer to why people go to such lengths to make a pilgrimage to this remote location. We gather not just to listen to music, but to remember that by standing together, we can become part of something infinitely larger than ourselves.
Sunday: Anjunadeep Open Air and Ben Böhmer's Finale
After the intense emotional rollercoaster of Saturday night, Sunday provided a time of deep, gentle healing. With the "Anjunadeep Open Air" takeover, the main stage transformed into a lush, botanical oasis seamlessly blending with the natural landscape. The curation for this day was a masterclass in deep, melodic, and progressive house. Starting with Rezident's ambient textures and Because of Art's driving grooves, the afternoon progressed beautifully into a stunning B2B set by Durante and Ezequiel Arias, followed by HANA's hypnotic, vocal-driven live performance.
One of the most emotionally weighty moments of Sunday was the set by Leaving Laurel. Against the backdrop of the shimmering surface of the Columbia River, their organic, bittersweet melodies echoed as a poignant and beautiful tribute to the late Pierce Fulton, moving many in the crowd to wipe away tears. Marsh then took over, bathed in the rich sunlight of the late afternoon, rolling out a soaring progressive house set that turned the entire amphitheater into a dancefloor of pure bliss and euphoria.
The transition from day to night was perfectly guided by the label bosses, James Grant and Jody Wisternoff, whose sophisticated, genre-spanning deep house acoustically translated the shifting light of the canyon. The closing slot for the weekend was entrusted to the label's longtime friend, Ben Böhmer. As the desert night air cooled, Böhmer commanded the stage with his live synthesizer setup. His live performances have earned a legendary reputation for their cinematic depth and driving melodic energy.
As the opening notes of his set dropped, the entire canyon was enveloped in a warm, golden hue. His performance was a perfect exercise in tension and release, with live synth arpeggios echoing off the ancient basalt and soaring into the starry sky. It felt incredibly intimate, yet simultaneously boundless, serving as the perfect acoustic embodiment of The Gorge's natural landscape. By the time the final notes melted into the night sky, the audience stood in a euphoric silence, struck with awe at the overwhelming beauty they had just witnessed.
The Profound Bond of the Anjunafamily: A Community Beyond Music
As the vast campgrounds were packed up on Monday morning and the caravans of the Anjunafamily began their long journeys home, the emotional resonance left by the weekend continued to echo without fading. ABGT700 was not just a music festival; it was a powerful ritual to reaffirm the enduring legacy Above & Beyond has built over the past 25 years and the strength of their community. In a modern world that is increasingly divided and isolated, The Gorge served as a temporary outdoor sanctuary where the values of love, solidarity, and empathy were celebrated without reservation.
From the historic live debut of the Deep Set at The Meadow on Friday, to the overwhelming emotional peaks of Saturday's main event, to the golden healing of Sunday's Anjunadeep Open Air, this weekend was a testament to the immeasurable power of "shared experience". It proved once again that the Anjunafamily is not merely a consumer base, but a global community bound by a common language of melody, emotion, and compassion for one another.
This return to the canyon, realized after nine long years, was a true "homecoming," marking a beautiful new chapter in the ongoing story of Group Therapy that will be told for years to come. The philosophy embedded in their latest album, Bigger Than All Of Us—"When we all work together to make something happen, something bigger happens"—was fully manifested through this three-day experience. As we carry the memories of the canyon sunsets and the lingering echoes of the music back into our daily lives, we engrave in our hearts the truth that the bond of this community is vastly larger and more beautiful than the power of any single individual.