The Electric Daisy Carnival celebrates “20 Years Under the Electric Sky” during this year’s three-day event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Founder and Holly Madison husband Pasquale Rotella was so proud of the latest lineup of DJs and electronic music talent that he created a mix for SiriusXM’s Night Owl Radio featuring each of the more than 250 acts curated for EDC 2016, from A-Trak and Afrojack to Tiësto and Zedd. Legendary DJs such as Armand Van Helden, Bad Boy Bill and Doc Martin take care of the 20-years-ago-today demographic, while newbies await the promise of checking out Seven Lions, Snails, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Wasted Penguinz between excursions into EDC’s sensory-overloading art installations.
There’s much more, of course. Aerialists, dancers, stilt walkers and theatrical performers mingle with the crowd as pyro specialists fan flames without singeing the many pairs of fairy wings attached to outfits, and fireworks add explosive aesthetics to the electric sky. And EDC’s Carnival Square offers the convenience of free WiFi, the fun of carnival games and the ability to watch the DJ of your choice on giant live-stream video screens.
Shuttle passes and premier parking passes for all three days are available for purchase through edclasvegas.frontgatetickets.com, but a proactive early bird commuting plan is a must for any method of getting to the 1,000-acre Speedway north of Las Vegas. VIP passes assure access through dedicated entrances rather than the main entry gates and, as of this writing, are the only way to access the festival, although it’s not unheard of for GA tickets to be released the day before or day of an event of EDC’s scale.
With Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Wasted Penguinz about, it’s good to keep safety tips in mind. No. 1 is hydration, of course. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Stay with your group or a buddy, but pick a location to meet at within 30 minutes to an hour of inadvertent separation. Eat food. And, most of all, respect your fellow Daisies.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7 p.m. June 17-19, ticket prices vary, 18+. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
