Everyone was so quick to judge Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas – wellllll before it even began. Across Twitter, Facebook, and even across the mainstream press, so many people speculated that this festival was going to be a living nightmare, and result in numerous drug/crowd-related tragedies.
And my goodness gracious me, allllll those Nancy nay-sayer could not have been so very wrong.
Sure, I was exhausted. I was sunburned. Lips chapped. My voice sounded and felt like sandpaper being rubbed on porcelain. (I never knew it was possible for it to be 100 degrees at 10 pm night!?)
However, after this past EDC, I can justly pronounce: Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, was better than EDC LA EVER was. BOLD. I know.
In comparison, last year EDC was a ill-supervised clusterfuck & imminent-danger glitter orgy. AND, contrary to popular speculation, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas actually felt very controlled and very safe.
Here are, in my opinion, the TOP 10 11 Reasons that made EDC Las Vegas so successful:
11. Mentality
Las Vegas is unapologetically known for its over-indulgences, promiscuity, and utterly unrelenting debauchery. Thus both the City and the residents are thoroughly PREPARED to handle universal-party-fail-chaos.
10. Location
Because the Speedway was just far enough away from the Strip and Downtown Vegas, the high traffic volume didn’t overly-burden the existing Vegas residents and highways. The previous EDC location, at the LA Coliseum, was literally dead center of Los Angeles’ Downtown area; the already-congested freeways and highways could not handle the influx of additional traffic, thus resulting in dead-stop freeway traffic and overall congestion in neighboring residential areas. But any LA resident could have predicted that…
9. STRICT age-restrictions
At the gate entry this year, even before you went through search, each and every person had to scan their ID. Why they didn’t do that last year at EDC (at least as far as I could see) I don’t know, but having those tight security conditions ensured that only adults could enter the premises. Maybe in a few years they’ll allow younger-aged partyers into the event, however for this 1st round “VEGAS” experiment I think having age restrictions in place were justly appropriate, and moreover provided a greater sense of universal control throughout.
8. Great Self-Parking
AMPLE and convenient self-parking, I might add. Not having to park in the surrounding neighborhoods meant that the event wasn’t an unfair burden on local residents. Not to mention how super dodgy it was to trek through those dark neighborhoods at night after the event, scouring the area for your car in a neon green tutu (essentially with a big red bulls-eye on your back).
7. Freeway Access
Sure there was only three lanes of general entrance into the festival, but they were located as directly off the freeway as imaginably possible. It always made me nervous how in LA, because of the unrelenting traffic impact and total highway AND freeway congestion, there was no access for police nor ambulances in case of an emergency, in and/or outside the festival. But in Vegas, routes were direct and easily navigated by the public, and a lane was left open for through traffic and emergency vehicles. (Sigh of relief)
6. Venue access
Direct, centralized, and easy linear routes to the inside of the venue ensured crowd-control in terms of entry. And yet those access points were never once congested nor crowded. Everyone came and left through the same doors. No fence-climbing and tent leaping shenanigans this year.
5. All Access to Stage areas.
Given the whole lack of restroom and in-and-out access inside the LA Coliseum, it’s not only a wonder but a FUCKING MIRACLE that only one person has died in the years past inside the LA-based venue. I remember standing in the same spot for SEVEN hours just to hold my position inside the Kinetic Field (EDC’s main stage area). No access to bathrooms, nada. People were forced to pee in bottles and on the fences. It was one of the most foul things I have ever witnessed. Needless to say, having an open capacity areas in front of the stages with in-and-out access, was not only practical but FAR AND AWAY MUCH SAFER. And I’m pretty sure it kept the post-EDC UTI-count low as well.
4. Heavy Police Presence.
Last year at EDC was an absolute FREE-FOR-ALL. This year, the venue was properly policed by the city’s own sanctioned officers – and not at ALL in an intimidating way. Pretty much everyone felt comfortable to approach them and even talk with them. Whether they were asking for directions, set times, or even just striking up conversation, the patrols seemed very happy to help. I even saw a few of them dancing and taking video! Bottomline: They weren’t there to BUST anyone unwarranted: they just simply posed as a friendly reminder for everyone to keep it together and to rave responsibly.
3. Cool Rooms
Central and easy to locate “Cool Rooms” were accessible to EVERYONE. These areas provided ample space for tired ravers to take a break from partying, and as well as the (sometimes) 100 degree nighttime weather. One can also not forget to mention the several secret, über-plush rooftop lounges and designated social areas that had beautiful views of the entire venue, and even pristine bird’s eye views/sound from particular stages! I can’t remember if EDC LA even had ONE designated place for people (NON-VIP) to sit down, other than inside the stadium itself on the existing bleachers. Insomniac really went out of their way to furnish and designate “Cool Rooms” that were both convenient, and not to mention pretty damn chic.
2. Venue Layout
I’m actually laughing as I write this, thinking about HOW UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT it was to navigate from stage-to-stage last year. It was so dark, all areas were poorly-designated, and masses of confused ravers bumbling around in circles made it an absolute nightmare trying to stage-hop last year. This year, the Speedway set-up was, needless to say, circular (imagine that…) which made each and every stage very easy to find. Moreover proper lighting venue-wide made the experience of stage-hopping actually pleasurable and achievable for even wasted ravers.
1. Insomniac-exclusive amenities and special productions
Insomniac really went out of their way this year to provide outstanding visuals, pristine stadium sound, mesmerizing performers, and unique elements one could only find at Electric Daisy Carnival. Lightshows, lazers, trampolines, remote-controlled blimps, scantily-clad dancers, confetti guns, and the most eccentric gold-pasties and gold-stretchy pant-clad dancing-Aussie angel I’ve ever laid eyes on – it’s fair to say Insomniac’s ability to produce next-level aesthetic and sound quality is unmatched by any other production team in the world.
It’s clear that the LA-based venue could never meet the utmost high caliber of Insomniac Events’ expectations. Combining the overwhelming support and the countless human resources from the City of Las Vegas, as well as their existing ideal infrastructures, in association with one of the world’s leading event planning & promotion companies, Insomniac Events was able to create the most brilliant production in its history.
I still haven’t decided yet whether or not I prefer the whole time schedule – maybe in my tweens I could’ve fared better with the nocturnal 8pm-7am arrangement – at any time of the year. Sure, I know the schedule was set to avoid the wretched Vegas heat, and I appreciate that, however, at this quarter-life-crisis-point of my life, I’d really hate to have to admit I’m “too old” to EDC.
However it would be remiss of me to not mention how unbelievably special it was to watch the sunrise during Major Lazer’s set (Diplo and Switch also both being my very favorite producers in EDM) and to see the massive clouds of people still excited and happily swaying to their eclectic sounds.
Maybe the sunrise as the telling end of each majestic night is an essential part of EDC’s magic. Perhaps it’s Insomniac’s way of further demonstrating why Electric Daisy Carnival clearly stands apart from all EDM gatherings across the globe.
By: Taylor Doms (Founder; TheMixster.com)
Photo by Spencer Handly
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