NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to headline Columbia's first EDM festival

Get ready to see a 7-foot-tall basketball legend towering behind the DJ booth, Columbia.

Shaquille O'Neal, the four-time NBA champion, Papa Johns' replacement and all-around beloved celebrity, will headline the Hidden City Music Festival on March 30. The festival is the first — and thus far only — electronic dance music festival in the area, the website boasts.

Shaq tops the bill for Hidden City, which will be at the Historic Columbia Speedway in Cayce, as his alter ego, "DJ Diesel."

"The Hall of Famer had his introduction to electronic dance music at TomorrowWorld in 2014, a pivotal moment that forever changed his life as he was exposed to renowned DJs like Steve Aoki and Skrillex," the festival's website says.

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Other headliners include Acraze, Pickup Lines, Name Unknown and Vice Bloom.

The one-day festival will feature a VIP section, centerstage pit, food and alcohol vendors, a silent disco and fireworks. Tickets start at $60 for general admission and $130 for VIP, according to Hidden City's website.

2023 Lollapalooza Music Festival - Day Two — Shaquille O'Neal, aka DJ Diesel, performs on day two of the Lollapalooza Music Festival on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at Grant Park in Chicago. File/Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP
Rob Grabowski

EDM is a subgenre of music that's entirely electronic, featuring DJs and heavy light shows to dramatic effect. The EDM community — similar to other subgenres like goth and heavy metal — is an often close-knit circle where music lovers wear bright, rave-style clothes and hairstyles and trade bracelets with each other during sets.

And while crowds at EDM festivals are often packed to the barricades, at least with Shaq, you'll be able to spot him no matter your place in the crowd.