Finding your tribe isn’t always easy at a festival — but if you listen closely, they’re often just a few dance moves away.
At least that’s the way Pasquale Rotella’s crew sets things up at Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, launching tomorrow (May 20) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This marks the first time the event will happen during its traditional May dates since 2019, and follows last October’s iteration of the festival, a pandemic reschedule that drew 475,000 attendees over three days.
Known for delivering roughly 1.3 billion dollars in revenue for Las Vegas over the course of three days, Insomniac’s flagship fest returns this weekend with more than 300 DJs playing across nine stages, four art cars, daily pool parties, a kickoff soirée, and more sonic diversity under the dance music umbrella than many music fans ever think to search for. Whether you’re after the grandiosity and grit of a true hardstyle set, or you want something a little more dreamy and ethereal, like soaring on the wings of trance icons, the stages you vibe with the most will always call you back. And, eventually, one will feel like home.
The key to it all, though, is understanding (and hearing) what makes each stage different from the others. Since the relocation of EDC to Las Vegas in 2011, each area has grown to become the respective genre hubs that “headliners” know so well today. Some of these stages cost several million dollars to produce and have room to host tens of thousands of attendees. Others are more akin to monuments or sculpture than stages. Knowing them early on at any festival will make it easier to choose an adventure that’s right for you. And even if this is your tenth time on the Speedway, it’s never too late to familiarize yourself the pieces that together make EDC such a dazzling array of sounds. Here’s your navigational guide for the weekend.
kineticFIELD
Genre: EDM, big room, trap, trance, open format.
Vibe: You’re finally here. You made it!
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Armin Van Buuren, DJ Snake, Autograf, ARMNHMR, DOM DOLLA, FISHER, LP Giobbi, SEVEN LIONS, TIësto, ZEDD
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Where lovers of the most legendary tend to gather.
What not to miss here this weekend: David Guetta & Morten Present: Future Rave
Essential Track At This Stage: Dom Dolla, “Take It”
cosmicMEADOW presented by HARD
cosmicMEADOW
Genre: Live & electronic
Vibe: Top-shelf production with a wide range of dance music styles.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Dillon Francis, Duck Sauce, Madeon, San Holo, Whipped Cream
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Connoisseurs of the most creative.
What not to miss here this weekend: Grimes’ DJ set
Essential Track At This Stage: Porter Robinson & Madeon, “Shelter”
circuitGROUNDS
circuitGROUNDS
Genre: Trance, big room, house, and trap.
Vibe: An eclectic range of top shelf acts with a high-octane energy that does not quit.
Essential Track: tk
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Alesso, Charlotte De Witte, Chris Lake, Excision, Moore Kismet, REZZ, Testpilot, ZHU
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Hunting for all things experimental.
What not to miss here this weekend: Kaskade and deadmau5 present Kx5
Essential Track At This Stage: Kx5, “Escape”
neonGARDEN presented by Factory93
neonGARDEN
Genre: Techno and deep house.
Vibe: Strap yourself in. It’s about to get bumpy.
Essential Track: tk
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Adam Beyer, a live set from Ben Bohmer, Deborah De Luca, Honey Dijon, I Hate Models, Joseph Capriati, Jayda G, Richie Hawtin, Tale of Us
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Fierce, free spirited, and they always know where the after party will be.
What not to miss here this weekend: Charlotte De Witte Presents KNTXT
Essential Track At This Stage: “The Age Of Love” (Charlotte de Witte & Enrico Sangiuliano Remix)
bassPOD presented by Bassrush
bassPOD
Genre: Drum & bass, trap, and dubstep.
Vibe: We’re so glad you’re here. Now prepare to be punished.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Blunts & Blondes, Borgore, EPROM, G Jones, Ganja White Night, Liquid Stranger, Rusko, Zomboy
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: An endearing mix of dreaded womp-seekers, all white-knuckling the rails.
What not to miss here this weekend: Fury B2B Nightstaker with MC Dino
Essential Track: Blunts & Blondes x Badrapper, “Bring It Back”
wasteLAND presented by Basscon
wasteLAND
Genre: Hardstyle
Vibe: Like Mad Max, but everyone is singing.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Darren Styles, DJ Anime, Kami, Lady Faith, Link, Mad Dog, Radical Redemption, Rob Gee, Soren.
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Those born with an appetite for nostalgia.
What not to miss here this weekend: Audiofreq, Code Black & Toneshifterz present: 3 Blokes
Essential Track At This Stage: KAMI, “Home Moves”
quantumVALLEY presented by Dreamstate
quantumVALLEY
Genre: Trance
Vibe: The fun of flying combined with the peaking intensity of free fall.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Astrix, Craig Connelly, Hana, Mat Zo, Mr. Brooks, Paul Van Dyk, Pretty Pink, Renegade System, Tritonal
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: Open minds with big hearts.
What not to miss here this weekend: Giuseppe Ottaviani Live 3.0
Essential Track At This Stage: Mat Zo, “Colours”
stereoBLOOM presented by Insomniac Records
stereoBLOOM
Genre: Tech house
Vibe: On this dancefloor, your tennis shoes won’t stand a chance.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: A-Trak, Cloonee, Coco & Breezy, Honeyluv, Mary Droppins, Vintage Culture, James Hype
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: They’ll pick you up if you fall. Both on and off the dancefloor.
What not to miss here this weekend: LP Giobbi B2B Born Dirty // Westend B2B Black V Neck
Essential Track At This Stage: Mary Droppinz, “Do It For Yourself”
bionicJUNGLE (New this year after premiering at EDC Mexico 2022)
bionicJUNGLE
Genre: Classic house, Chicago house, deep house, and funk house.
Vibe: HQ for House Music fans. Where it’s all types of house music, all the time – in the jungle.
Artists You’ll See Here This Weekend: Carl Craig, DJ Heather, Harry Romero, Heidi Lawden, Lee Foss, Mark Farina, Things You Say, Thunderpony
Type of Fans You’ll Meet Here: They definitely know the track ID.
What not to miss here this weekend: Corey Sizemore b2b Richie Panic
Essential Track At This Stage: Carl Craig, “The Melody”
