A music festival is more than just a stack roster of performing talent. It is the overall experience from the presentation to the organization that defines a music festival and no one does a better job of that than EDC Las Vegas. When going to EDC Las Vegas, you expect to enter an alternative reality-like fantasy. This year’s EDC did not disappoint just as they continue to impress every year.
Last year’s EDC was the first time the festival moved their dates up from June to May and this may have been one of the best decisions the festival has ever made. In previous years, people always complained about how excruciatingly hot but this year was quite the opposite. For the most part the event was smooth sailing but the festival did encounter strong winds on Day 2 that shut down some of the stages but overall the winds could have easily have been overlooked with a hoodie.
To ensure that attendees stayed hydrated, the festival had countless water stations for everyone to fill up their camelbacks in timely fashion. Similarly, there were also ample amounts of bathroom locations which allowed fans to run in and out minus the long lines. In addition, for those who wanted to consume alcohol, there were many bars scattered around festival grounds so that drinks can be at your disposal in a matter of minutes. The only criticism in regards to alcohol was the lack of 21+ bracelets. The absence of these bracelets forced attendees to constantly have their IDs checked each and every time they approached the bar which could be quite the hassle.
In terms of presentation, every EDM fan in the world knows that EDC Las Vegas is pretty much unrivaled in their creativity with the exception of maybe Tomorrowland. The stage designs were all equally as creative so that any first time attendee may find it hard to depict which stage was the mainstage. Kinetic Field, Cosmic Meadows and the Neon Garden stages were all incredibly massive. But of all the stages at this year’s festival, Circuit Grounds was my personal favorite. Designed to reflect electrical currents, the stage had LED screens that basically went all around you to make everyone feel absolutely immersed into the experience.
With so many stages and talents present at this year’s festival, there’s bound to be some sort of clashing of your favorite acts. But of course, nothing could have been more upsetting than sacrificing who ever was scheduled on our list at 10:30 Saturday night for Skrillex‘s surprise performance. With less than a day to spare, the dubstep king announced that he will be performing the Circuit Grounds stage as the surprise guest. This shocking announcement definitely stirred up a lot of buzz and enhanced suddenly drew what felt like more than half the festival to his stage. Even with all this hype however, his set did not disappoint as he played tracks for everyone and obviously incorporating his countless classics throughout his set.
Just one year ago, Elephante was one of the earlier openers of the festival but this year he closed out the Circuit Grounds stage with one of the biggest closing crowds of the weekend. Playing at 4:20 AM is no easy job as fans tend to tire out from a full day of dancing but there was definitely no shortage of energy as everyone danced until sun up during Elephante’s closing set. Fireworks lit up the sky as he played a combination of melodic tunes and heavy bangers to the crowd’s delight. After throwing down an unforgettable performance, many fans showed up on Saturday to catch Elephante’s second set of the weekend at the Corona Electric Beach stage so there was absolutely no reason to miss out on this spectacular act.
Another artist that had the crowd booming with excitement was Illenium who played the prime time 1:30 AM slot at the Circuit Grounds stage. His mesmerizing melodic tracks sent chills all throughout the crowd. The combination of music and presentation including fire works and pyro made his hour and a half performance feel like a dream. He closed out his set with his new unreleased collaboration with The Chainsmokers but not long after stepping off the stage, Illenium reappeared during Ekali’s set to debut their new collaboration together as well.
To conclude it all, if EDC Las Vegas wasn’t on your bucket list yet, be sure to add it on. From the presentation to the overall ambiance the festival provides, magic just radiates through the grounds. One thing to keep in mind regarding the festival is that time is of the urgency. The earlier you book your flights and rooms, the cheaper the weekend will be. The festival has made the weekend one of the most expensive times of the year for Las Vegas so be sure to minimize on your expenses by acting early. But as always, stay locked in to our site as we bring you all the latest news on next year’s EDC and all other festivals around the world.