Over 120,000 people per day trekked to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for EDC’s 20th anniversary celebrated in Las Vegas. There were a lot of expectations from everyone. The hype was massive. But from us here at RaverRafting, to all of the amazing friends and Headliners that we spoke to during and after the festival, one word was repeated over and over again: unreal.
At this point you’ve probably seen some amazing photos like this:
aLIVE Coverage for Insomniac
…and watched some amazing sets like this:
Everyone had a different and amazing experience. kinecticFIELD was a mecca for many. An arena with the capacity to fit up to almost 80,000 people at one time to be blown away by such first-time solo female DJs that included Alison Wonderland and Anna Lunoe making history, to the emotionally charged trance, house, electro house, psy-trance, and chillstep set from Seven Lions. Or maybe you were a techno/tech house junkie, dancing under the nine foot tall disco ball in neonGARDEN as the sun came up every morning to J.Phlip, UMEK, and Alan Fitzpatrick. No matter what amazing stage you stayed at, or if you did like us and wanted to explore it all under the electric sky, the sheer size of the entire grounds themselves were overwhelmingly spectacular.
Freedom Film LLC for Insomniac
What connected all of these areas together was the all new decked out Carnival Square. We have experienced many rides before at EDC Las Vegas, but for the 20th anniversary it was stepped up like woah. Shaped by Electric Avenue, Rainbow Road, Daisy Lane, and Memory Lane, it was a jubilee of rides, free WiFi, comfortable bean bags, live performances by costumed characters, classic carnival games, scrumptious bites and beverages, and beyond. The “coolest” ride that was brought in this year was the Big Splash Water Flume, with scorching temperatures to start off the evening each night, it helped keep Headliners cool as they plunged down the water slide.
Marc van der Aa for Insomniac
Our favorite part of Carnival Square was hands down Memory Lane. This huge connecting walkway from neonGARDEN stretching to the stage7 & kineticFIELD area was lined with four massive LED video screens that highlighted the history of Electric Daisy Carnival with footage dating back almost a decade to the classic tunes of Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz, deadmau5, and moar. It was a walkway of reflection, remembrance, and flashbacks for those veterans.
Scott Hutchinson for Insomniac
But aside from the stages, rides, and vendors, there was moving art everywhere. Our favorite piece was again this year El Pulpo Mechanico, The Mechanical Octopus. Duane Flatmo and Jerry Kunkle once again this year brought their crazy fire-spewing steampunk creation to explore the festival along with fellow Headliners. Including in the fact that this beast takes in a steady diet of 200 gallons of propane every three hours, and with temperatures in the low 100s both Saturday and Sunday for most of the night, it was a welcoming site, but maybe next year, can it shoot out water?
Fixation Photography for Insomniac
And last but hell no, not least, we need to give it up to the amazing performers. These stilts-walking, booty-shaking, insane costume wearing (mind you, the heat) people put their smiles on all evening and wow us with their positivity, swag, and appeal to the crowd, because let’s be honest, the amount of costume FOMO that hits you as you look down at your board shorts and that’s it, is a double-edged sword. You want to look as amazing as them, but you also want to be comfortable when it’s 110 degrees outside. So let’s give it up to these magical creatures who brave it all to entertain and amaze us.
Tavit Daniel for Insomniac
Scotch Photos for Insomniac
Tavit Daniel for Insomniac
We would like to give a huge thanks to Insomniac for being such an amazing group of people to work with and for granting us access to cover this monumental event of EDC’s 20th anniversary in Las Vegas. We cover a lot of festivals and work with a lot of amazing people, but Insomniac holds a special place in our hearts. We endlessly hear of EDC Las Vegas changing people’s lives, and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Take care of each other, and we’ll see you next year in Las Vegas under the electric Sky. Much love.
Adi Adinayev for Insomniac
Connect with EDC Las Vegas:
http://lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com
https://www.facebook.com/electricdaisycarnival
https://twitter.com/EDC_LasVegas
https://instagram.com/edc_lasvegas
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