In just eight years, Dallas's Lights All Night has become the most anticipated end-of-the-year party in Texas. At the close of each December, more than 15,000 EDM and hip-hop fans gather at Dallas Market Hall to witness epic sets from talented headliners and rising stars, eye-popping lasers and glittering lights, and experience some of the highest vibes they'll feel all year. For anyone who loves to end their year with a bang, this two-night festival is the way to do it.

Here are some of the reasons this year's Lights All Night will be better than it's ever been before.

1. New Stages, New Chill Zones

Changes and improvements are afoot at Lights All Night 2017! First off, organizers lowered the festival's capacity slightly to ensure shorter food and drink lines, more space to dance, and more room to get to know your fellow festies.

"Fan comfort and safety ​has always been our top priority and we have gone to great lengths to ensure this year’s event is ​our best one yet," festival ​cofounder Scott Osburn said.​ "With this in mind, we have decided to reduce our overall capacity from years' past, and focus our efforts on the ​experiential and production elements. Both of these decisions were made in order to produce a​n even more exceptional fan experience throughout the weekend."​​​​ ​

On the production side, here's what's changed. There are now two main stages in the Satellite Stage, which was designed to mirror a European-style club environment; as well as the Supernova Stage, which will feature world-class, larger-than-ever-before LED screen production. In addition to the Supernova Stage's visual wizardry, attendees will also be treated to awe-inspiring visual and immersive art throughout the grounds. That's definitely a departure from your usual EDM fest experience.

The updated grounds also now feature two large outdoor areas as well as some of the best food vendors in the DFW area and multiple free water stations – because fueling up is necessary for ultimate rage potential.

2. Return Of The Alumni

This year's lineup welcomes back many artists who've graced Lights All Nights' stages in the past; luckily for attendees, those artists include many of the most talented names in the EDM game today, such as Bassnectar, Porter Robinson, Illenium, Seven Lions, and Destructo. If you pride yourself (bragging rights!) on having seen those acts at previous editions of Lights All Night on the festival's smaller stages, get ready to enjoy their music booming from the main stage this time around.

3. See Bassnectar's First Performance Since His New EP Came Out

Speaking of Bassnectar, we know you've had his fresh EP, Reflective (Part 2), turned up to 12 since it dropped earlier this month. Lights All Nights knows it too – that's why it secured the EDM world's favorite longhair to perform at this year's fest for his first-ever performance of the new material in full, about which Billboard wrote "Like its predecessor, Reflective (Part 2) drifts through styles and tempos, challenging the monolithic bass king to spread his wings in exciting new directions." Dope.

4. Don't Miss a Rare Live Set from Ookay

So you're the kind of person who loves to collect bragging rights at festivals and shows. We hear you, 'cause we're like that as well. You'll get some at Lights All Night during Ookay's rare live performance including live vocals, keytar, an electronic drum kit and synths, which he only did for the first time – to a ton of fanfare – at this year's Nocturnal Wonderland. That performance was so well-received that we hope it inspires more of our favorite artists to refresh their festival appearances and do the same.

5. Catch Porter Robinson's New Project

Though he's only 25, Porter Robinson's been on the festival circuit for years. We're nowhere near tired of his talent, but we are ready to see him spread his wings. That's why we're hyped to hear his new project, Virtual Self, in a live setting. Wielding a month-old, self-titled EP with a techno sound inspired by late 90s and early 2000s dance music, Virtual Self's frenetic style is an exciting departure from what his legions of devoted fans have come to love.

Also, rumor has it that Porter Robinson is working on the highly anticipated (perhaps an understatement) followup to his debut album, Worlds, which will hopefully drop in early 2018. Cross your fingers that he debuts some of those still-unreleased tracks at this year's Lights All Night!

6. Even More Hip-Hop and Rap

Yes, Lights All Night is known for its incredible caliber of EDM, house, trance, deep house, trap, drum and bass, techno, and even hardstyle offerings – but the fest's hip-hop and rap component gets more and more solid each year. Case in point? It scored an appearance by A$AP Ferg in 2016. This weekend takes it further; you'll be able to catch Texas's own Ugly God, who was recently named to XXL's "2017 Freshman Class” and is a leader in the "Soundcloud rap movement," Smokepurpp (another Soundcloud rap star), and Maxo Kream, another homegrown rap artist rising quickly in the ranks of the genre.

7. Wongo's First-Ever U.S. Performance

Lauded by fellow dance floor maestros like Claude VonStroke and Anna Lunoe (among many others), one of dance music's most buzzed-about names is finally making his way across the globe for an illustrious U.S. debut – and it will undoubtedly make Lights All Night's end-of-year brouhaha that much more special. Wongo has not only produced official remixes of Beyoncé and Azealia Banks (and gotten paid for it), but also churns out his own bona fide bangers, which you can sample above. House music, club jams, sweaty party-poppin' barn burners...there's nothing this Australian can't do.

8. Give Back to the Community Through Partying

Let's face it: This has been a rough year for many of our fellow Americans. In light of that, many festivals have decided to help raise money for those affected by the events of 2017 – and Lights All Night is no exception.

Wells Fargo, an official partner and sponsor, will bring the official Wells Fargo Mobile Food Bank next to the main Box Office to collect non-perishable food donations before the festival opens on Friday December 29th and Saturday December 30th. When you bring your donations to the Wells Fargo Mobile Food Bank, you'll receive a $5.00 off coupon from GloFX and a chance to win VIP upgrades for the 2017 event. So don't forget!

The official charity partner for the 2017 event is Texas Girls’ Choir, which seeks to improve the lives of young women through the excellence of music. Lights All night will donate a portion of proceeds from the 2017 event to support this awesome local nonprofit.

And finally, months ago, the fest raised just over $22,000 to support the Houston Food Bank's Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Then, in conjunction with the initial Phase 1 lineup announcement last month, the fest and several of the artists on its lineup agreed to a unique partnership to provide a specially priced "Houston Relief Pass," of which a portion of proceeds from each ticket sold would be matched (by the festival team, as well as by Bassnectar, Porter Robinson, Illenium, Seven Lions, Ookay, Drezo and TOKiMONSTA) and then go on to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

This article was produced in collaboration between Everfest's editors and Lights All Night.