The Electric Daisy Carnival, once an underground rave in Los Angeles, has grown to become the largest and most decadent electronic dance music festival in the United States since it moved to Las Vegas in 2011. The all-night party takes place from dusk to dawn over three straight nights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, typically drawing 140,000 a night.
This year, EDC returns May 16-18, bringing together hundreds of DJs on nine stages, performing within a sea of neon colors and the occasional roaming art car. It’s acres and acres of judgment-free and exhilarating fun, attracting everyone from die-hard EDC superfans to first timers.
A few ground rules to follow:
- Never rely on cellphone service. It’s beyond spotty. Always have a designated meeting place to circle back with friends at a specific time.
- Don’t consume anything handed to you by a stranger.
- Traffic is insane, especially right after gates open. The later you drive to EDC, the more time you’ll save — and it will still take longer than you think.
Under the Electric Sky at EDC 💫
Here's some of the coolest things to discover at EDC Las Vegas!
Sounds simple enough, but EDC means different things to different attendees, affectionately referred to as the true “headliners” by promoter Insomniac. Here, a planner to help different kinds of EDC-goers make the most of the weekend.
The First Timer
Are you EDC-curious? The festival has been in Vegas for 14 years, but there’s always a newbie here and there. First things first: Get the right outfit. iHeartRaves has a Lux Rave pop-up store at the Luxor for festival wear and hair styling on the spot, as well as artist meet-and-greets. Think of it as a crash course in EDC prep.
Book a night at the Horseshoe, which is home to the mid-Strip bus shuttle pickup and drop off point. Skip the rideshares and don’t even think about driving yourself. The buses are the next-best thing to a helicopter with routes that avoid some of the traffic congestion.
The Old-School Raver
Multimillion-dollar clubs like Hakkasan and XS are impressive, but the classic electronic dance music fiend might feel more in their element at AREA15, which hosts raves in locations like The Portal and the outdoor A-Lot on a regular basis.
The weekly Saturday night Odyssey Noir dance parties have the feel of an underground warehouse rave, unfolding overnight at a "secret location,” which is actually — spoilers ahead — the old Lost Spirits distillery. It’s a fascinating labyrinth of hallways and dance floors with costumed performers and music that takes a hard turn from what other DJs are playing on the Strip.
Anyone who remembers the old Vegas club scene of the late ‘90s and early aughts has fond memories of the original Drai’s, which stayed open in the basement of Barbary Coast long after other clubs closed for the night. The hotel is now the Cromwell and that old club space lives on as Drai’s After Hours. It’s better known for hookah than house these days, but it’s hard not to enjoy the nostalgia fix associated with a visit. The real action today is at the newer version of Drai’s, which dominates the resort’s 11th-floor rooftop with sweeping outdoor views of the Strip. So book a night at the Cromwell and get in the mood early with a pre-festival performance by Armin van Buuren, the original king of trance, on May 15 across the street at Omnia inside Caesars Palace.
The Party Animal
It’s a rare breed who can dance all night at EDC and party all day while immersed in the Las Vegas dayclub scene. The brand new Palm Tree Beach Club at MGM Grand takes over the pool party formerly known as Wet Republic with a heavyweight weekend lineup of Tiësto, Kygo and Alesso performing daytime sets.
Get some friends together and splurge on the three-story bungalow suite at the Cosmopolitan, which overlooks the pool deck at Marquee. Whether or not you plan to get any sleep, you’ll not only hear, but feel the beats of Justin Credible, DJ Pauly D and DJ Spider for a special Drenched After Dark celebration. Your suite has direct access to the pool, so bring a bathing suit.
The Superfan
If you want to eat, breathe, and sleep all things related to the Electric Daisy Carnival, you’ve got two options. The first is Virgin Hotels, which transforms into Hotel EDC with pop-up DJ sets, pool parties and themed decor everywhere, from your hotel room to the casino. There’s even a special EDC channel on your TV.
Otherwise, Camp EDC allows you to live on site at the festival, day or night. Guests can bring their own RV or recuperate in a Shiftpod tent, designed to resist Nevada’s brutal desert heat.
In between the EDC sets, the ultimate superfan will want to see the biggest acts in the game work packed houses on the Strip, whether it’s Zedd at Tao Beach, Kaskade at AYU Dayclub, or David Guetta at LIV Beach.
The Luxist
There’s really no limit to what you can spend in Las Vegas, and that’s especially true for EDC. If money is no object, those VIP passes are already wrapped around your wrist with plenty of credit on standby to purchase bottle service and a seat at Salvage City, an on-site, five-course dining experience.
Recover from the nightly fun with an ultra-luxe suite at Wynn Las Vegas. Either a fairway villa near the golf course with a private plunge pool or a three-bedroom duplex suite with cinematic, two-story views of the Strip.
Don’t bother with the headaches of road travel. Book a shuttle with Maverick Helicopters, which takes off from and lands at the Speedway with the precision of a military operation. Travel time: roughly 15 minutes from the Strip.