About NEON
In 2018, NEON Retrofest charted new event terrain as a hybrid festival-convention hyper-focused on a specific cultural wavelength that was prominent during the 1980s and adjacent decades. Part sci fi/cyberpunk, part campy cult horror, part Miami Vice, part liminal Deco aesthetic (glass block, softly swaying palm trees, pastel stucco, a shimmering pool at dusk), and part Ferrari Testarossa night drive, the NEON wavelength can be difficult to articulate but, as our supporters say, “You know it when you see it.” They also often say, “I thought I was the only one into this stuff.”
Don't get us wrong; if you come to NEON because you love the 80s and want to have a killer time dancing to Synthwave music, watching so-bad-they're-good movies, shopping with specialty vendors, and playing retro games you loved on vintage cabinets and consoles with friends, NEON will fully live up to your expectations and probably surpass them. But if you want to go further by delving into the culture of what made this particular decade so special in order to recreate a similar (or better) experience with like-minded souls, NEON provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to do so in real life.
A Long-Awaited Return
NEON 2018 took place in Rhode Island, and NEON 2020 was scheduled to repeat it. Due to reasons of which everyone reading this is already aware, we were forced to cancel NEON 2020, which devastated the business for an extended length of time. The silver lining of this dark period in our evolution was that it prompted us to relocate to Florida—a state much better-suited to event-planning, and a location that is already an international destination for millions around the globe each year. Beyond the logistical benefits, Florida's lush tropical nature, vibrant sunsets, foliage, pristine endless beaches, and deco architecture, as well as the art and design movements taking place there in the mid-to-late 20th century, were what defined the look and feel of the 1980s via popular media like Miami Vice. We actually believe that NEON itself wanted to be here.
A NEON Dawn Rises Once Again
We hope you will be able to join us in Tampa this April for the much-anticipated rebirth of NEON Retrofest.
