EDC Las Vegas 2016 is just a few days away.
Expect this to be the biggest Electric Daisy Carnival ever as it celebrates it’s 20th anniversary under the electric sky.
It sounds crazy, but this will be my 12th EDC. I was first introduced to Insomniac Events back in 1998 when I was a freshman in college. My friends told me about one of their parties, so we drove down from San Francisco to attend Together As One in Los Angeles. Ever since that moment, I have continued to support Insomniac Events, year after year. I’m turing 36 this year at EDC on Sunday, so I’ve been raving now for half of my life…that is nuts! I have a great career and have learned to balance work and play.
My motto: Work Hard, Play Hard.
My first EDC was back in 2000 when it was held in the central valley town of Tulare, which is between Fresno and Bakersfield. I had been raving for 2 years strong and had developed a strong liking for house music. I clearly remember spending most of the night at one stage – the one that had DJ Dan, Bad Boy Bill, Simply Jeff, and Jason Blakemore. DJ Dan and Bad Boy Bill are my house heroes. EDC 2000 featured 5 stages of music, everything from house and trance, to DnB and hardcore. I remember it was quite the drive down from San Francisco, but it was well worth it. EDC quickly became my yearly tradition. I was exposed to so many new experiences, sights, sounds and people… it was amazing. There is nothing like raving until dawn in your massive JNCO pants and Adidas visor surrounding by friends and others whose smiles tell the same story. From this point, EDC began to grow…and grow…and grow to the fierce festival it is today. It is the largest festival in North America, and I would call it the best as well. Back in the day, we didn’t have massive LED panels and lights…although Insomniac did always use the latest in technology at their events. Even when EDC moved to the Orange Show (NOS Events Center) the production and vibes were top notch.
One of my fondest EDC memories was Electric Daisy Carnival Los Angeles 2010. I had taken a couple years off from raving, and this was my big return. I’m glad I chose this event to attend, as it was beyond epic. This was the first time I was exposed to Swedish House Mafia who stole the show on Friday night. The LA Coliseum was PACKED, lasers and lights were streaming across the stadium and the vibe was electric. Also on Friday night, I saw one of my favorite groups, Basement Jaxx. I was in the front row with my friend Carinne and we were blown away by their performance. It still ranks among one of my favorites EVER. Hearing them drop a sick remix of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was INSANE! Moby took over the decks after that and kept us dancing! Saturday night was also one for the books as I took my best friends to their first EDC and party by Insomniac Events. They were hooked and we continue to rave together to this very day. I can’t wait to celebrate our 6th EDC together in Las Vegas in a few weeks. I’ll also never forget coming back to the hotel room after day 2 and getting a message on my cell phone saying that I had one an Emmy award for my work as a TV news producer! It was the best news ever to cap off one of the most amazing weekends of my life.
THEN…. EDC moved to Las Vegas.
Walking into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time back in 2011 was like being a kid walking into a candy store. Some of us screamed in delight, some of us cried, others of us just stood in awe as we saw this expansive electric playground that was to be our new home. I love seeing people’s expressions when they walk into EDC for the 1st or 15th time!
I’ve attended every EDC since it moved to Sin City. The party has continued to grow and expand year after year. The stages are truly spectacular, the lineups always providing the best soundtrack to the weekend, and there are countless surprises.
I can’t put into words how excited I am for the 20th anniversary, especially after listening to Pasquale Rotella’s Night Owl Radio episode where he talked about some of the stages that will be at EDC this year. From the 360 degree CircuitGrounds to San Francisco getting destroyed for the Wasteland stage, you can bet that everything will be bigger and better this year. Insomniac Events will be pulling out ALL of the stops to make sure this is the best EDC ever! I can’t wait to unite with my Rage Family in just a few weeks! Our group comes from all around the U.S. for this event and is truly our yearly retreat! This year will be insane for me personally as DJ Dan and Bad Boy Bill are back playing at the same stage on Sunday. It’s EDC deja vu …and this has been 16 years in the making! Don’t miss either of these legends on Sunday…. TRUST ME.
By now you should already have booked your travel arrangements and hotel accommodations. If not, you’d better hurry before rooms are sold out or keep going up in price. If you already booked your room months ago, be sure to call the hotel to confirm your reservation. Same goes with your travel arrangements – CONFIRM everything ahead of time.
EDC tickets and your shuttle passes are now in the mail. Expect them to arrive in your mailbox around the first week of June at the earliest. As for tickets, well, all GA passes to EDC have sold out. Just a few VIP passes remain. You can get yours HERE.
If you are still hoping to buy a GA pass, Insomniac Events has partnered with PrimeSport. The ticketing company is the official ticket exchange partner for EDC and you can buy and sell your tickets SAFELY and easily. Check out their website HERE.
The 20th anniversary of Electric Daisy Carnival is June 17-19 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
I’ll see you there for what will be an epic weekend under the electric sky!
-Jared
