EDC Orlando turns 15 years old this year, and your favorite artists are reminiscing.
The East Coast edition of Insomniac Events’ Electric Daisy Carnival debuted at Tinker Field in 2011, and over 14 editions since, has grown into a behemoth of the festival giant’s annual calendar—expanding from two to three days in 2019 and now drawing close to 300,000 fans annually—second in size only to EDC’s flagship edition in Las Vegas.
From the ravers in the crowd to the DJs on stage, that’s a lot of memories and moments shared beneath the lights and lasers. Ahead of the festival’s return this weekend, November 6-8, we hit up four veteran EDC Orlando performers, who shared their favorite experiences over years of playing the event.
Read what Kaskade, Ray Volpe, and Alan Walker had to say in the exclusive exchange below.
Kaskade
EDM Maniac: When was your first performance at EDC Orlando, and what do you remember of the experience?
Kaskade: My first time was 2013, back when it was a two-day show and it had the vibe of a block party next to the large stadium. EDC Orlando was on year three and the crowd was fresh, excited about the newness of it. Florida had always shown me love and that night was no different. It was November and the air was a little cool (for Florida), and I remember looking out and thinking, “These people aren’t watching, they are part of the show.” That set cemented that Orlando was never going to be a one-night stand. This was the stuff of full-blown relationships.
EDM Maniac: What is your favorite memory from your time spent at EDC Orlando?
Kaskade: Favorites are impossible. EDC Orlando has let me show so many different sides of what I can do. The sunset sets in 2017 and 2019 were just… I’ll put it this way: Mother Nature remains undefeated in visuals.
Also, bringing Redux to the main stage in 2022 meant a lot to me, because Redux isn’t always for everyone, but Orlando embraced it.
EDM Maniac: What are you most looking forward to about this year’s festival?
Kaskade: This is EDC Orlando’s 15th year, and I’ve been lucky to be part of the story. It’s always like coming home. There will be faces I recognize. There will be the ones who are there for the first time. I have some ORIGIN // tracks I can’t wait to test out on that crowd, because Orlando always tells me the truth about what I’m playing.
Ray Volpe
EDM Maniac: When was your first performance at EDC Orlando, and what do you remember of the experience?
Ray Volpe: My first EDC Orlando was in 2022! It was actually my first EDC ever, so I was super nervous. I don’t think I’ve played for that many people before with that large of a scale production. I was also going through a lot, unable to make music with all the (good) pressure from that year, so I was worried about not having new music to showcase. But somehow, in the week leading into the festival, I made three songs I was able to premiere there: “HAPPY SONG,” “EAT SLEEP RAGE,” and “ASCENSION.”
EDM Maniac: What is your favorite memory from your time spent at EDC Orlando?
Ray Volpe: Speaking of, my favorite memory has to be from my first EDC Orlando in 2022. It was a few months after my breakout song “Laserbeam” came out, and I remember I got lasers and pyro for the first time for that moment! It was an incredible memory and feeling that I will never forget. I still bring it up to people to this day!
EDM Maniac: What are you most looking forward to about this year’s festival?
Ray Volpe: The last time I played EDC Orlando was in 2024, and the rail was getting absolutely destroyed. There were so many mosh pits, and the energy was one of the best for me that year. So I’m most looking forward to how rowdy the crowd will get this year and see if we can top the energy! I’m also excited to walk around the festival and check out everything it has to offer. (If you see me, say hey!)
Alan Walker
EDM Maniac: When was your first performance at EDC Orlando, and what do you remember of the experience?
Alan Walker: Oh man, that must be back in 2017! 9 years ago! I think what I remember the most is just the insane vibe the whole festival has. EDC Orlando is for sure one of the special ones for me, and I’m super excited to be back this week.
EDM Maniac: What is your favorite memory from your time spent at EDC Orlando?
Alan Walker: It’s difficult to only choose one. But one that comes to mind is back in 2023, when I had just released my album, Walkerworld, and performed “Better Off (Alone, Pt. III)” together with Vikkstar, who also made the song with me. One of his very first performances, I think, too. Special moment!
EDM Maniac: What are you most looking forward to about this year’s festival?
Alan Walker: This year I’m excited to perform new tracks that I have been working on for a while and to meet all the lovely people at EDC. This will also be my last show in the U.S. before I come back for my new headliner tour “Legend Of Atlantis” that starts in January next year!
Featured image courtesy: Insomniac Events.