YG was the headliner for this year’s Delirium, a concert put on by UC Santa Barbara’s Associated Students Program Board. Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus
On Oct. 25, hundreds of students flocked to the Thunderdome for Delirium, the annual Halloween weekend concert organized by the Associated Students Program Board, to see Indiana-born rapper Freddie Gibbs and West Coast hip-hop icon YG perform.
Students chatted eagerly as lines extended all the way to Student Health by 8 p.m. A steady stream of ticket-buyers snagged last-minute entries at the ticket office, and many students came dressed in Halloween costumes ranging from winged bees to headband-adorned devils.
Before the show began, third-year sociology and anthropology double major Andrea Zapata expressed her excitement for YG’s performance as a long-time listener.
“I’ve been listening to him since like freshman year of high school, so to see him in my third year of college is pretty exciting,” Zapata said.
Zapata also praised the Associated Students Program Board’s (ASPB) track record of artist selections for past events, including Delirium and Extravaganza.
“I like how they pick a lot of rappers, a lot of interesting different kind[s] of artists that usually aren’t seen on college campuses,” Zapata said.
In contrast, fourth-year economics & accounting major Aylin Haskollar was most eager to see opener Freddie Gibbs, stating that she had “just discovered him” but preferred his sound.
“His music is more like the type of music I listen to compared to YG,” Haskollar said. “But I’m also curious about YG.”
As students filed in before the artists took the stage, the Thunderdome pulsed with bass-heavy tracks — A$AP Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” among them — with the crowd waving their hands and singing along.
A little after 9 p.m., ASPB Special Events Coordinator Sariya Dyson took the stage to ask if the crowd was excited for the concert, which was met with a large cheer. The anticipation surged as students chanted, “Freddie! Freddie!” with their hands raised toward the stage.
Fourth-year statistics and data science and Spanish double major Sophie Strozier said it was this collective energy that made Delirium worth attending.
“I love seeing when people are fans and really dedicated to [the artists] — that’s what makes me want to keep listening and learn more about the artist,” Strozier said. “I just think the energy of the crowd will be really good because everyone’s very excited, and these are really good artists.”
The impatient students didn’t have to wait much longer as Gibbs hit the stage around 9:15 p.m., striding out in a bright orange karate-style uniform and shouting, “Santa Barbara, what’s up!” He launched straight into “1985,” a psychedelic-rock infused track produced by The Alchemist, setting the tone with razor-sharp delivery that reverberated through the Thunderdome.
Indiana-born rapper Freddie Gibbs was the opener for the concert. Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus
From there, Gibbs tore through fan favorites like “God Is Perfect” and “Scottie Beam.” Between songs, he cracked jokes with the audience — “I got a lot of songs, but I ain’t got a lot of time” — before referencing his latest studio album “Alfredo 2,” which dropped this summer on July 25.
“If you fuck with that Alfredo 2 shit, make some motherfucking noise,” Gibbs said amidst cheers from the crowd.
Students swayed to “Baby $hit” and “Shangri La,” with some passionately mouthing every lyric while others soaked in the performance from behind the barricade. The rapper’s fiery presence kept the crowd engaged, even though some in the pit seemed subdued. Bathed in fog and flashing lights, Gibbs ended on a high note with “Ensalada (feat. Anderson .Paak)” before exiting the stage around 9:56 p.m. to roaring applause, leaving the venue buzzing with sweat, bass and anticipation for YG’s arrival.
After Gibbs’ set, ASPB staff handed out cups of water to dehydrated concertgoers. The energy noticeably dipped during a lengthy pause of around 35 minutes, with some filtering toward the exits — until the lights suddenly cut out at 10:33 p.m.
A deep red glow illuminated the crowd. After a brief warning for strobe lights and intense visual effects, the sudden beat drop of synth-heavy track “BPT” sent the crowd into a frenzy, screaming, “Westside! Westside! Westside!” as YG commanded the stage.
Dressed head-to-toe in black, the Compton rapper moved effortlessly across the stage, feeding off the audience’s energy as he ran through hits like “I Just Wanna Party,” “Twist My Fingaz” and “Fuck It Up.”
The arena erupted for “FDT,” also known as “Fuck Donald Trump.” Students threw up middle fingers and shouted along to YG’s playful call-and-response — “Fuck who?” — as an American flag visual flashed behind him on screen. Hundreds of voices joined him in the infamous chant, shaking the walls of the Thunderdome.
YG while singing “FDT,” a sing about the current president. Lance Sanchez / Daily Nexus
The energy spiked again for Blueface’s “Thotiana (Remix),” on which YG is featured, with students rapping the TikTok viral verse in unison: “Bust down, Thotiana / I wanna see you bust down / Pick it up, now break that shit down / Speed it up, then slow that shit down.”
From there, YG kept the momentum rolling through “Go Loko,” “Toot It and Boot It” and “BIG BANK,” throwing up the occasional heart sign to the exhilarated crowd.
“Make sure y’all get home safe, get fucked up, enjoy y’all night — happy motherfucking Halloween,” said YG before exiting the stage at 11:25 p.m.
As the crowd slowly spilled out into the crisp Isla Vista night, laughter and lyrics still carried across campus.
First-year pre-biology major Kiara Salcedo said YG’s set stood out most.
“My favorite part was when YG played ‘Fuck Donald Trump,’” she said with a smile.
For Richard Nguyen, a first-year economics and film and media studies double major, Delirium was a spontaneous but rewarding find for the friend group.
“I was looking for something to do this Saturday night, and then I saw this on Instagram,” Nguyen said. “So I was like, ‘Wait yo, let’s all go out to this.’” He added that YG was his favorite part of the night, recognizing several songs, including “Slide,” a track by H.E.R. featuring YG.
Coming off London rapper Fakemink’s rowdy show in the University Center Hub on Oct. 16, Delirium 2025 continues ASPB’s streak of bold, crowd-pulling bookings that draw both loyal fans and curious newcomers. From Freddie Gibbs’ precision bars to YG’s unapologetic charisma, Delirium 2025 proved once again that when the Thunderdome lights go down, UCSB knows how to bring it back to life.
A version of this article appeared on p. 11 of the Oct. 30 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
