EDC 2019

Written By Brad McDowell

The hype was real and as always and I was madly counting down the days. EDC tickets were purchased the day they went on sale, flights secured, and accommodation booked. I had very little knowledge of EDC, other than what I had seen on YouTube videos, I did very little research and refused to read any insider blogs or reviews, as I wanted to go into this festival with an open mind and no expectations.

Having loved Tomorrowland 2018 so much, I was prepared to have my mind blown by another incredible 3-day festival experience. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when I soon learnt that it was actually a week-long EDC event with all my favourite artists, performing at multiple big-name venues peppered throughout the Vegas Strip. I was like a kid in a candy store, except I was heading to the adult’s playground, also known as Sin City. (Check out the EDC Clubs Show Reviews for an in-depth review of all the hottest clubs and shows)

Rather than booking an EDC Standard or Premier Shuttle, our group leader had organised a private shuttle to take 30 of us from a central meeting point to EDC. After a few teething issues, we were on board and on our way. The excitement levels were through the roof but this was short-lived once the bus broke down halfway to the festival. After a few inspections, it was decided the problem couldn’t be rectified immediately and we would be required to split up and make our way to the event in Uber’s and Taxis, which proved to be challenging on one of the busiest nights in Vegas. We eventually arrived at 10:15 pm and made our way through the masses towards the entrance and multiple security checks to enter the venue.

We made our way through to the enormous grandstand entrance that looks out over the speedway. Turned the corner and BAM!!!!! There she was. It was one of the most spectacular sights I had ever seen. It was reminiscent of being a young child arriving at a carnival full of lights, rides and pumping music. The sky was glowing with radiating lights and lasers flashing across the night sky. We all stopped and tried to capture the moment but no photo will ever do justice to just how mind-blowing the first impression of EDC was. At that moment, I had a smile like a Cheshire cat and knew I was in for a truly special weekend. The hard work and perseverance to get all the way to America had paid off.

In a mad rush to clamber down to stairs, we got our bearings and made our way to the chapel, for tonight, two very special friends from Australia were tying the knot. In true rave-style fashion, the bride arrived in an exquisite white-bodiced tutu wedding dress, adorned with glitter, pearlescent beads and sequins and of course, the tutu lit up to accentuate the entire outfit and moment - all complete with a 3kg bridal bouquet of Chuppa-Chup lollipops. The groom had never looked so proud, as he stood at the alter witnessing his soon-to-be wife walk down the aisle in the open-air chapel. The ceremony was perfect for the couple and many onlookers gathered round to enjoy the experience of a wedding at a festival. Without further ado, the couple were officially married by the Clark County and we were on our way.

Rather than a bridal waltz, the first dance was at Eric Prydz at the Circuit Grounds Stage (Which has been called the best set of the weekend, Full Video Below). By far, one of my favourite stages for the entire weekend, this vast open space was configured in a U-shaped arrangement with audio and lighting wrapped around to immerse the audience in a spectacular experience like no other.

After Prydz finished, we took the opportunity to explore the festival grounds and get familiar with the various stages and locations of each. Neon Garden - House of Techno; Basspod - all things Drum & Bass; Wasteland - Hardstyle baby; Kinetic Energy - Main Stage; Cosmic Meadow - mostly all things Trap, Quantum Valley equipped for Trance Heaven, Circuit Gardens - mainly BigRoom, Progressive House and Trance, Electric Beach - all things in between (think artificial beach party), Stereo Bloom - Progressive House and multiple elaborate mobile car stages that were repositioned each night in main walkways and thoroughfares.

The Kinetic Energy main stage was quite impressive. Towering above the crowd and expanding the entire width of the area, the lighting and production were spectacular. A static stage, reliant solely on the lighting and LED screens, the programming for each set was different and of high quality. At times the speakers would crackle but hardly noticeable during main sets. The vibe at the main stage was always welcoming, with people from around the globe gathering to share their PLUR culture with their fellow ravers, trading handmade Kandi bracelets and showing off their elaborate totems.... some not so elaborate.

Personally, the highlights for the festival was exploring a new scene in a country I hadn’t been to for 5 years. The culture at this festival was like any I had been to before - full of love and respect and equality amongst all. Regardless of the genre of music you were into, people were respectful and considerate and always willing to help point us in the right direction when I got lost... which was quite often.

We got upgraded to VIP access and it was the best VIP privileges I had seen at a festival. Each stage had its own dedicated VIP Area - whether it be right down the front on the rail, the whole side of a stage, an elevated platform looking over the stage or right down the back in an exclusive area overlooking the crowd on a Skydeck. The restrooms were immaculate and the bar staff were very efficient. The food and drink offerings weren’t overly impressive and typical festival prices, however, we always managed to find something to eat or drink.

Like any festival, I enjoyed discovering artists I had never heard of before and obviously seeing some of my favourite artists perform. Stand out performances over the weekend included Prydz, MaRLo, Ben Nicky, Red Light, Volac, W&W, Armin van Buuren, Darren Styles, Infected Mushroom & Tiesto.

The festival itself, whilst compacted with so many attendees was still relatively easy to navigate around the venue. The stages are in close proximity to one another, which made it easy to get to, whilst not having to depart one set too early to make it to another.

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As the overall festival, I think there are some opportunities for improvement and seemed to be a gripe for even the regular festival goers. There is evidently not enough restroom facilities for the number of attendees in the General Admission areas. If you needed to go to the restroom, be prepared to miss an entire set, as you’ll be waiting an hour to get in.... resulting in a lot of public urination. There is no VIP exit or any “quick” way to get out of the venue. The General Admission bars were painful to attend. Inexperienced staff and very slow-moving, often with limited or no stock left by the time it was your turn to be served.

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Access to the festival grounds leaves a lot to be desired. There is no dedicated roadway or lane that leads to the venue. EDCBShuttles do cut through the air base but the venue can take up to 4 hrs to get there and likewise to get out in the morning, despite the journey back to The Strip being only 15 km, so yes, it’s a snail’s pace getting home. Need to catch an Uber home? Prepare to wait for 3hrs for an Uber to arrive and then you are filtered like cattle through a grid system, to then wait in the hot morning sun for your driver to arrive. Yes, Uber prices surge and at one point, the fare was $330 to travel 15km to get back to the hotel.

Many of the stages are not named or labelled and there is no signage in the venue to point you in the right direction. You are heavily reliant on having your bearings or pulling out a map every hour to figure out where you need to go to next, which proved difficult at night or after a few drinks.

On Day 2, there was an extreme weather warning issued and the Main & Quantum Stage’s were shut down and evacuated unbeknown to the rest of us. Quite alarming having people from Australia texting to see if we were ok and we had no idea what was going on, as we were elsewhere. There was minimal phone reception during the 3 days of the festival and notifications via the Insomniac application were either delayed or not received at all. It freaked me out a bit to think what would actually be the response plan in the event of a full-scale evacuation if there is no reception or any way to communicate with the wider public or audience.

The main downturn of the festival was definitely the cold weather. With most nights averaging 10°C overnight, many festival goers either left early or got sick quickly. It was incredibly uncomfortable and nowhere to seek shelter. By Day 3, we were dressed in pants, jumpers, jackets, beanies and blankets to try and keep warm. I appreciate no one can control the weather but it certainly wasn’t expected and made for an uncomfortable experience.

In terms of the festival itself, I personally won’t attend again. We had a great time and made the most of it as much as we could and despite the cold, however, I would much rather stick to the EDC week events held on the Strip instead in Vegas. We had many tickets for many events which we just physically couldn’t attend due to timing/scheduling. This should have been marketed better. We attended events expecting to see the artist we had paid for. It was never published that the main artist would be performing much later in the day, rendering many events a waste of money as we had to leave to get ready to head to the main event at the speedway. Come Saturday, we stopped attending the day events, wasting $100AUD per day on tickets.

I found a lot of the week I was comparing EDC to Tomorrowland but I have since come to the conclusion that the two cannot be compared. They are two completely different festivals, in two completely different countries, catering to two completely different crowds. One is predominantly a day time festival, with limited nighttime hours, one is predominantly a nighttime festival with limited day time hours and kick-on events in town. You just can’t put them in the same category or event genre as the music is so different, the crowd is different and the atmosphere is completely unique.

EDC Week certainly needs to be experienced in person to form your own opinion. We had a great time and are appreciative of the opportunity to experience it for ourselves. As I am about to head back to Perth, I return grateful for my experiences and lessons learned this week. Another festival completed for the year and many more memories in the kitty.