We came. We raved. We loved...All under the electric sky.
Leave it up to Insomniac to create a journey and experience that is nothing like other concerts or raves or festivals. Electric Daisy Carnival is its own magical experience.
This year was my first EDC. Before EDC, I told myself that this may be my only one, since my friends and I are all growing up now. We may never get a chance to do this again together. Yet here I am, 2 weeks later with EDC withdrawals and already thinking about next year...
As many others have said about this, you can't really put into words what you experience. You really just have to be there.
Pros:
- All the best DJs in the world come here to play.
- The visuals on and off the stages are top notch. You will not find anything as visually stunning as the stages of EDC, especially at Kinetic Field.
- Many, many different stages, each with its own unique environment.
- Many stages + DJs give you hella options to see whoever you want.
- Fireworks were spectacular. Just saw some fireworks yesterday for July 4th and I was like, "That's cute."
- Rides! From relaxing ferris wheels to crazy spinning rides. EDC has it all.
- Free water stations. Raving is physically taxing on the body. Free water helps you recover!
- Only festival that goes from dusk to dawn.
- Amazingly friendly people! (Note that there will always be some bad people, but the majority are super friendly)
- Random things happen everywhere from people performing in giant lighted hula hoops to Kaskade playing his Redux set on the Boombox art car
Cons:
- Cell signal + wifi. Don't expect to get much if anything. the other 150,000 or so people are also trying to get signal
- Bathrooms are hit or miss (mostly miss) with cleanliness and toilet paper, especially as the night goes on
- Parking lot. I personally took the shuttle this year, but I heard horror stories of people struggling to get out of the parking lot. It took up to 1.5 hours to get out.
- Shuttles (on the first night): Although normally super convenient, it's not cool to have people wait for up to 5 hours in the rising sun to get on the returning bus. On the first night, they had shuttles run every 30 minutes for Circus Circus, even though it was the longest line. They fixed the problem the next two nights though.
Notes and tips for a great time:
- Timestamp your text messages. You don't know when your friends will receive the text.
- Set up meeting spots and times (preferably between sets) with your group if you plan on going to see someone together.
- Shuttles, IMO, are worth it. You don't have to worry about regular traffic because buses go through their own route. You also won't have to worry about being awake to drive.
- Bring a hydration backpack. Those things are life-savers.
- If you get split from your group, don't be afraid to meet new people. Everyone is super friendly! Live the PLUR life.
- Go with the flow of your night. You may discover new things you may like. (I got into hard-style a lot more after hanging out around Basscon.)
- There are charging stations for your phone. There's a charger included in rental lockers as well.
- Be ready to eat.sleep.rave.repeat.
Overall, the pros HEAVILY outweigh the cons. What I would do to go back right now... EDC, you got me hooked.