EDC Las Vegas can easily be described as the biggest party ever. EDC takes over 90% of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for three days and doesn’t stop all night long. It’s truly its own world. EDC 2019 brought some surprises – such as low temperatures, fierce winds, and some stage closures – but it was overall one of the best times of my life.
Crowds were surprised with low temperatures and wind that almost swept us off our feet, but in true EDC fashion, we made the best of it and still had a beautiful weekend. The speedway saw around 450,000 Headliners over the course of the weekend, making it the biggest electronic music festival in the United States.
The only hiccup of the weekend was the closing of Kinetic Field and Quantum Valley on Saturday night due to high winds. But, after a couple of hours, headliners were let back into the festival to enjoy the rest of the night.
Acts of the weekend:
(In no particular order)
- Zeds Dead
- Alison Wonderland
- Steve Aoki
- Skrillex
- Above & Beyond
- San Holo
- Ekali
- Adventure Club
- Bonnie x Clyde
- Charlotte de Witte
Alison Wonderland is one of those DJs who you can just tell is getting better and better by the day. Her set started out with her “God is a Woman” remix, dropping into her signature cello intro. Alison Wonderland even surprised her fans with an art car set right after her mainstage performance on Friday. I honestly accidentally stumbled upon this set while I was laying under the Flower Tower trying to keep warm. I looked up, and Alison Wonderland was throwing down a rare all-house set. Check out her set here.
Zeds Dead has to take the crown when it comes to playing the most unreleased songs. Zeds Dead dropped new music with Campaign Drip, Yookie, Dirt Monkey, and more. They even threw down some classics like Collapse and the infamous Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix). On top of that, they played their Billie Eilish remix live for the first time since its release. I may be biased, but this set made the weekend for me.
Photo by Chris Lazzaro
Surprise Guest at Circuit Grounds
There was a lot of speculation, but it was finally revealed the Skrillex was the surprise guest at Circuit Grounds Saturday night. The crowd was packed but worth it in order to see this once-in-a-lifetime set. Skrillex graces the crowd with a variety of his music as well as teasing some new stuff coming in the future.
Now, I'm usually a bass fan but I did push myself to go to a couple of sets I normally wouldn't. I checked out Charlotte de Witte at Neon Garden and San Holo at Kinetic Field. San Holo's set really brought the magic of EDC alive for me and made me really cherish that I was there. The beautiful stage and the good vibes that come with San Holo had me feeling some kind of way. Not to mention, Charlotte de Witte is a techno goddess and was probably the best introduction to Neon Garden that I could have had.
All in all, EDC does an amazing Job of making sure there is something for everyone. From bass to techno to hardstyle, no matter what genre of EDM you love, EDC had a packed weekend for you.
Things To Not Miss At Your Next EDC
Art Cars
The art cars sprinkled throughout EDC are one of the best things you could possibly explore within the festival. To enhance your experience, definitely go on top of one. The bass shakes the car and the intimate setting is like nothing you’ve experienced before. With about five art cars spread throughout the festival, even if you stop at each one for one minute, you'll get the experience I'm talking about.
Rides
Photo by Demian Becerra
I’ve never really been for the rides at festivals, but this time I hopped on one and understood. Most rides at EDC go high up in the air, giving you an aerial point of view you just can’t experience from the millions of aerial photos we see of the festival. Seeing just how much is going on and how many people are really there in real time is like nothing I’ve experienced before.
The Flower Tower
Photo by Doug Van Sant
Now, this may be subjective to this year's festival, but the Flower Tower that spews fire every few minutes was a lifesaver and kept me warm throughout the whole weekend. Nestled right in front of the Parliament Art Car, it's a perfect place to unwind or take a break.
Things to know when going to EDC Las Vegas:
- If you're not going to drive or Uber to the speedway, I 100% suggest getting a premium shuttle pass. No lines, air-conditioned bathrooms outside of the festival and gifts! Definitely worth it.
- Pack for all weather. The cold was something I was not prepared for and thank goodness the Merch booths had some long sleeve t-shirts. This is the desert and that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be hot. Come prepared for everything!
- Pace yourself! Yes, there is something going on at every moment at EDC, but to make the most of the festival, take breaks. There are plenty of places to sit and still catch the sets you want to see. Get some food and water in you and take a break for 15 minutes. It will help you get through not only the night but the whole weekend!
In conclusion, EDC is a place like no other. Every festival truly has its own vibe and magic and Insomniac Events has it down to a science. From the golf carts that were transformed into their own little mobile parties to the art installations, I suggest that everyone experiences EDC at least once in their life. The electric sky is a beautiful place and I can't wait to go back.
