1. Getting there. Electric Daisy Carnival Night 2 starts long before I set foot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As we creep along in two-hour traffic, cars in every lane have something going on. Some drive impatiently on the shoulder. Others shuttle frilly festival goers who head-bang to EDM as their buddies crane their necks (and less-clothed body parts) out the windows. The party has started. It’s just a matter of when we'll get to experience it.
After all that, parking is surprisingly easy. Workers guide vehicles into precise spots on the rocky unpaved lot. We’re finally here.
2. Getting in. The festival's COVID policy requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test administered no more than 72 hours before entering. It’s impressive to see not one checkpoint but three. The first requires vaccine verification: Security thoroughly looks at our physical IDs with each card, something I haven’t seen at other Las Vegas-based fests this year. The next spot scans attendees' wristbands, and at the next, security guards check bags and, in some cases, bodies.
3. Behold! There's no preparation for seeing the festival grounds for the first time. First exposure comes from the top of the Speedway bleachers, built for folks to watch NASCAR. The sweeping view introduces a kaleidoscopic wonderland. A subtle thumping can be heard. It’s the heartbeat of the festival itself, enlivened by multiple EDM sets happening at once. Nothing aesthetically compares to EDC. It’s a carnival of color—blues, purples, reds and yellows spritely glowing in the middle of a desert. Except that it’s really hard to believe you're in the middle of a desert.
4. The crowd. My coworker and I are wondering how many of these 100,000-plus attendees are fashion designers, prop masters or stylists. The level of detail they’ve put into their outfits, makeup and totems is worthy of an outlandish carny film set to become a cult classic. There are tutus, eerie clowns in demented makeup, fishnet bodysuits, rainbow braids long and sturdy enough to rescue a kitten from a tree, jewels adorning cheeks and eyes, diamond headdresses, 3D glasses for a 2D DJ set and a fully-electronic totem with the Squid Game robot girl. EDC, man.
5. The grounds. There’s no shortage of things to do here. A large Ferris wheel whirls in the distance. Festivalgoers scream as they linger upside down on a hammerhead-like ride. It's truly carnival. Small activations like Tokyo Karaoke and the Mini Bar offer fun, intimate mini-parties, wedding chapels allow love birds to tie the electric knot and the Pixel Forest assaults the body with a barrage of bass you’d never expect.
6. The music. Kinetic Field is one of the largest stages at the grounds, and it’s easily the most impressive and frightening. A gigantic owl guards the stage, changing from purple to red and blue, turning its head, blinking its eyes. It’s watching you. But we’re watching two explosive sets by iconic DJs Alan Walker and Tiësto. Fire cannons blast off, fireworks shower down and EDM lifts people up. The crush of bodies move in, but they’re so happy we can’t even fault them.
We meander over to the Cosmic Meadow stage, where Diplo and surprise guest Lil Nas X just performed. Chicago duo Louis the Child take the stage, and we proceed to never stop moving. They bounce—literally—from the decks the entire time, never tiring or growing weary as they perform a beautiful set of electronic pop. At one point, there’s a flub in the mixing. The music stops, but that gives a comforting indication that whatever they’re doing up there is live, and that’s awesome. I’d never heard the DJ duo before, but they’ve earned a fan.
That’s the beauty of this festival. There’s so much to see, so much to hear. If you came with no music recommendations at all, you’re not leaving without some.
