Industry Weekly

[I Was There]

EDC excites again in its seventh Vegas edition

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The sights and sounds of the Electric Daisy Carnival never disappoint.
Photo: Yasmina Chavez

There’s something about standing among a field of glowing mushrooms that just puts a smile on your face.

No doubt, ear-to-ear grins were a common accessory at this year’s EDC, which marked the seventh installment of Insomniac’s giant electronic dance music festival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Neon daisies and sparkling trees, bursting fireworks displays, a cast of scantily clad bees and steampunk mimes, roaming art cars and more—every inch of the festival grounds stimulated the senses until sunrise.

On Friday, Diplo-led dancehall group Major Lazer brought the trap and house realness to the Cosmic Meadows stage, dropping hits like the Lazer’s own “Cold Water,” and Fat Joe’s “All the Way Up.” Giant flags and totems swayed in the air and fists pumped. Hips shook, and heads bounced. “If you’re a real Major Lazer fan, put your arms on the person next to you and get low,” the act instructed as hundreds of bodies crouched to the grassy floor before propelling to the sky in unison.

On Saturday, 19-year-old Norwegian breakout Alan Walker kicked things off early at Circuit Grounds, while fellow Scandinavian Kygo (the guy behind the latest Selena Gomez collab “It Ain’t Me”) brought his eclectic and downtempo tunes to the beautiful Kinetic Field. And on Sunday night, none other than hip-hop titan Drake made a special drop-in performance during Metro Boomin’s set at the BassPod.

And beckoning dancers to the stage, the giant ethereal goddess at Kinetic seemed to drive home this year’s motto: “All are welcome here.” Combine that powerful message with a stacked lineup, and it’s no wonder why EDC remains one of the most successful festivals, year after year.

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