By Peyton Liebler
For the ultimate fans in the galaxy, how does the ultimate fan club kick off Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in the funkiest way possible? D23’s answer was to throw the fiercest and most fashionable party in the whole galaxy. On May 26, D23 invited all intergalactic travelers to the House of Blues Anaheim, where we partied like a Palpatine in platforms!
After checking in for the evening, D23 Members walked through a special holotransmission, displaying our D23 Galactic Disco logo and some of the most epic Star Wars moments! Then they burst into a kaleidoscopic world of rebel revelry and cantina couture.
Who better for your outfit to impress than some visitors from another galaxy? Guests had the chance to mingle with an interplanetary crowd, including the heroic R2-D2, a lively Bith Cantina player, and the ubesian Boushh. And no party is complete without a visit from Lord Vader and a few of his Imperial stormtroopers. We were lucky enough to convince our special guests from the Empire to stay to make sure no rebel activity was spotted, apart from some truly rebellious dance moves.
After mixing with this wretched hive of scum and villainy, guests had the chance to press their luck at the high-stake tables, where special shipments from Loungefly, Funko, and D23 were bounties for the taking—if the odds were in their favor. (We know, never tell you the odds.) Guests guessed how many orbs were in a jar-jar and played sabacc chance cubes, where the right roll of the dice received the most coveted bounties of all.
As the curtains to the music hall opened, guests got the chance to get down like an X-Wing in Dagobah and take to the dance floor. Guests entered with grins, as the music hall was adorned with distant planets, disco balls, and even an onstage X-wing! It was a breathtaking sight to behold as guests were literally dancing in the stars.
Tomake things groovier, D23 hosted some of the greatest musical talent this side of the outer rim. Opening the night was DJ Mamabear, who warmed up the crowd with some familiar funk featuring some cosmic twists. And as the Sith say, there are always two. Hot on Mamabear’s hyperspace trail was headliner DJ Mayer Hawthorne, who threw down a track list unlike any other, dressed in a cape that would have made Lando blush. From cantina hits to ‘70s classics, there was no shortage of music hotter than the surface of Mustafar. Hawthorne took us on a journey through the past 45 years of Star Wars and even kicked off his set with a special lightspeed shout out to Star Tours, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year!
If guests needed to fuel up while dancing the night away, D23 had a tasty taco bar and some extra special “lightspeed libations” for those wanting to hydrate after too much moisture-vaporating on the dance floor. This was also a great chance to catch some glimpses of some of the funkiest outfits we’ve ever seen. We’re proud to say all guests understood the assignment for D23 Galactic Disco Night!
After a night of music, dancing, and more Force than Yoda could shake his stick at, we were so honored to be part of the start to Star Wars Celebration Anaheim! This was a kickoff unlike any other, and it was a very special time for all who attended. On behalf of the D23 Team, we hope the memories made at this event stay in droid databanks and minds across the galaxy forever. We know we’ll be adding some of these pictures to our own Jedi archives, for outfit inspiration alone! But we were beyond stoked to show you all the ways you can hustle like a Hutt, groove like a Gungan, and work it like a Wookie. May the Force be with you. Always.
