Electric Daisy Carnival is known to be one of the largest music festivals around the world. Taking place in Las Vegas, headliners from around the world have the chance to enjoy three magnificent days of beautiful neon lights, great performances, powerful dance music, carnival rides, and one-of-a-kind firework shows. These are some of the things that make EDC Las Vegas one of the best there is. For this year's event, I had the chance to attend the marvelous festival and experience all that it had to offer.
Also Read: Best Hotels Near EDC Las Vegas
Getting to the Festival
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For those of you who have not gone to this event before, the festival takes place in the desert approximately 45 minutes – an hour from the Las Vegas strip. There are many ways to get to the festival. You can either take a shuttle, drive to the venue, take an Uber or Lyft, or camp at the venue. For this year's event, I took the shuttles. The shuttle lines were very organized and getting on the bus didn't require a large wait time as previous years. Pat-downs were done before getting onto the shuttle, allowing headliners to enter the venue as soon as they got there. Security checks were done thoroughly and carefully, to ensure that all festival attendees would be safe throughout the entire festival experience. Truthfully, I believe that taking the shuttle is one of the best ways to get to the festival if you are not camping. Not only do you get your own exclusive entrance to the music festival, but you don't have to worry about driving through the unbearable traffic that may occur when trying to arrive and leave the venue. If you are worried about the wait time to get onto the shuttle after the festival, don't be! I promise you that you will not be waiting in line for too long.
The Experience
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My experience at this festival was unlike any other. When you first arrive, the excitement of it all instantly hits you. As you walk into the venue, you are exposed to different kinds of extraordinary art as well as the illumination of neon lights that surround you. As you walk deeper into the festival, you can see that there are many different kinds of carnival rides that any headliner can ride. There are also many different kinds of shops that not only sell insomniac merchandise but extraordinary Clothing and items that you can wear and show off at any rave. Honestly, there was so much to do at this festival, even when you weren't watching a performance. The festival itself is filled with multiple things to do, sightseeing included. There were also many Instagram worthy spots to take pictures and selfies at.
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The Stages
They were so many stages at this festival that you can probably lose count. Not only this, but many of them were completely renovated this year. Surely, everyone was in for a surprise, including EDC veterans.
It's no surprise that Kinetic Field was created in such a way that it took everyone's breath away. It surely supported the theme of this year's event, Kinetic Energy. On the stage were the heads and hands of two futuristic woman that were facing the audience. The heads seemed to have been connected with the stage like they were being fueled by a machine. The LED lights were truly unbelievable! There was no way you can be disappointed with its light show and incredible visuals. Performers such as Excision, Jamie Jones, Alison Wonderland, and much more, had the chance to take over the beautiful stage and play some of their most popular music. Surely, headliners were impressed with the powerful view and intense music. Unfortunately, during day 2 of the festival, the stage had to be shut down due to the unexpected winds that took place that night. Headliners hoped that the stage would reopen, but the winds lasted throughout the whole festival. Event organizers closed the stage for the safety of the attendees. There were many pieces of the stage that could have possibly fallen or harmed the audience due to the winds, so that is why the stage was closed. Later, some pieces of the stage were removed in case the winds continued the following day, preventing another stage shutdown.
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Cosmic Meadow was another stage that captured the hearts of many. Completely redesigned, you couldn't even recognize it. Centered on the stage seemed to be a huge flower made out of wood. Surrounding it were curved screens that released intense LED lighting and visuals. How I saw it, it seemed like it was shaped like the top half of an owl. Many popular performers, such as Deadmau5, Ghastly, and NGHTMRE, had the chance to play some of their greatest songs, as well as get the crowd moving at this amazing stage. Headliners also had the chance to watch the stage from the bleachers, relaxing as they watched the sets of some of their favorite artists.
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Circuit Grounds was as incredible as it always is. Known as one of the biggest stages at the event, attendees were able to hear dubstep, trap, and future bass music at this completely renovated stage. Screens covered the whole entire stage, shaped in multiple kinds of squares. The light shows were truly insane, hyping up anyone who is exposed to them. Artists, such as Illenium, Skrillex, Nitti Gritti, Bonnie X Clyde, and Kayzo, had the crowd going absolutely insane at this popular stage. This was definitely a must-see platform that every attendee should have experienced at least once during their time at the event.
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Neon Garden was the stage that all trance, techno, and house music lovers came together. Placed along Electric Avenue, attendees were able to experience the wonderful sounds of these fascinating music genres while viewing the beauty of various neon lights. The stage consisted of multiple screens connected together. Artists, such as Andrew Rayel, Fisher, Eats Everything, and Green Velvet, dominated this stage, having every headliner dancing the night away.
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Quantum Valley was also completely redone, reminding many attendees of one of EDC Las Vegas‘s most memorable stage platforms. Built just like the megastructure, but without any awnings, headliners were able to go inside the stage platform and enjoy the sounds of techno and trance. Centered behind the performers was a circle of LED lights that were shaped just like a human eye. Artists, such as Captain Hook, Paul Oakenfield, and David Gravell, entranced festival attendees deeply with their exquisite sounds. If you absolutely adore the sounds of trance and techno, then this was the stage to be at. Similar to Kinetic Field, this stage also had to close down for day 2 due to the winds. Unfortunately, many anticipated artists were unable to perform due to the shutdown. Fortunately, Sunday's performances made up for the unfortunate circumstance.
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Besides these 5 huge stages, there were also many more stages that headliners were able to visit. Basspod was a completely renovated stage that consisted of dubstep, trap, riddim, and drum and bass. Wasteland was also a renovated stage that played mainly hardstyle music. Stereobloom was a stage meant for up and rising music makers that had their chance to grab their audience's attention with their music. There were also many stage art cars that many local music makers and popular artists were able to perform at, such as the Boombox Art Car, Corona Electric Beach, Forest House, Icarus, Mayan Warrior, the Parliament Art Car, and the Wide Awake Art Car.
Photo Credited to Insomniac
Photo Credited to Insomniac
Photo Credited to Insomniac
Artists and Performances
This year's EDC Las Vegas definitely had a great lineup. There were so many popular artists that performed at this event that it was difficult to pick which one to see over the other. There was a great variety of artists from different genres. This event was definitely the place to open your mind to other kinds of dance music.
There was never a dull performance from any of the performers. Each artist gave it their all and had the crowds moving until the sun came up. Some of the most memorable performances were certainly Illenium's DJ Set, Skrillex's Surprise Guest Set, Deadmau5, and Barely Alive B2B PhaseOne. I can confidentially say that there was not a single set that didn't reach my expectations.
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Food and Drink
Food and drink was definitely not an issue at the festival. There were so many different kinds of foods and drinks that you couldn't even imagine. From loaded mac and cheese to veggie tacos, there was no way you couldn't buy food that met your dietary needs. Truly, it is very considerate of the event organizers to hold food vendors that met every person's dietary restrictions. There was vegan food, veggies, gluten-free foods, and many more. The prices were actually inexpensive compared to your typical music festival. Drinks, on the other hand, were pretty pricey. Fortunately, the taste of each drink was worth every penny. If the drinks were too expensive for you, you were able to go to the free water refill station and get some water for free. There was no need to worry about being unable to afford a drink because water was always available.
Conclusion
Overall, EDC Las Vegas is a music festival that you have to go to at least once in your life! My experience at the festival was truly incredible and I believe everyone should know what it is like to attend this event. If you are looking for an unforgettable time and looking to create memories that last a lifetime, then you have to attend EDC Las Vegas. I promise you, you will not regret it.
If you missed out on this year's event, you can listen to some EDC recorded live sets here. Stay tuned for news on EDC Las Vegas 2020.
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