I went to the Shrek Rave so you don't have to (But you should go)

In an era of influencer-driven events like the Formula 1 Grand Prix and music festivals like Coachella, it seems that entertainment companies are curating events to do more than just entertain and sell tickets. Beyond these tenants, it seems major events are pushing to attract celebrities as Timothée Chalamet and Kendall/Kylie Jenner (seemingly a package deal) have been seen at both Coachella and Formula 1 along with Knick's games during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Photo Courtesy of Complex

Enter the "Shrek Rave" run by the creative agency, Cool Is Dead. This is not just a frivolous name of an agency but also one that represents their moniker on their website of being "a one stop service for all things silly and innovative". In their "About" page, they further discuss this mission being one of nostalgia expressing their love of the 90's in which the mood was "loud, wild, and completely unhinged". In essence, Cool Is Dead looks to keep this same energy and achieve virality without status and keeping up with trends.

I decided to check out the Shrek Rave myself and I must say, it was everything I thought it would be and more.

Upon walking into The Ritz event venue at Ybor City, FL, I was greeted with a wealth of greenery in the lights and decor along with a bar that had Shrek-themed cocktails such as "Swamp Juice" and "Fiona's Love Potion". Side note: "Fiona's Love Potion" was gas and I believe it is concocted to put a spell on you to embrace the absurdity of the night while losing your inhibitions in the name of Shrek.

One thing that was notable was that the DJ performing was never announced or advertised before or during the event. According to the FAQ Portion of Cool Is Dead's website, "We don't announce our guests at a lot of our events because we want it to be a surprise for you. Our raves are all about the theme and the experience, not necessarily the DJs themselves."

This was true to the event as the DJ performing never announced what his name was nor did the MC of the show. And truthfully, nobody cared as everybody was there to dress up for the love of Shrek and to hear remixes of popular Shrek songs like "All Star", "I'm a Believer", or "Funkytown".

Onions have layers, Ogres have layers.

Hands down, the most enjoyable element of the event was the costumes adorned by the attendees and the pure buy-in I saw from everybody to embrace their love of Shrek. These were showcased in a costume contest on stage and the fits went beyond Shrek himself to specific characters such as Pinocchio, Fairy Godmother, the Gingerbread Man, or even Robin Hood who only appeared in a 4-minute fight scene with Fiona in the first Shrek Film.

Costume of the night for the commitment to the bit and the dance moves.

Pinocchio trying to keep his nose from growing after lying to his gal about where he was on the night.

The music itself and the DJ set was solid but far from the best I've seen having previously pulled up to some of the best DJ's in the world like DJ Snake, Tiësto, and Martin Garrix. However, the no-name DJ did play Skrillex's "Cinema" which was an out-of-body experience to hear live considering nobody throws old Skrill in their sets anymore. Undeniably, the best song from the set was the inevitable remix of "All-Star" which had the whole crowd belting out the lyrics as you'll see in the video below.

Press play, the thumbnail doesn't justify the magic of the moment.

So the question is should you go? The answer is yes. I'd still say yes even if you prefer swanky events with your socialite friends at the most exclusive club in town. Because you won't experience anything as unique as the positive, carefree vibes inside a Shrek Rave anywhere else.

My advice is next time the Shrek Rave comes to town in your area, do the following: drop anything else you are doing, forget any prior commitments including weddings, bring your partner, bros, or gal pals, and see why the spirit of Shrek is not ogre yet.