LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's rave weekend in Las Vegas. Thousands of festival-goers are ready to dance under "the electric sky" at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Over 170,000 festival-goers will take over the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and dance, but safety is top of mind.
The Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, is known for its dazzling lights and thumping beats, but it's also no stranger to problems and concerns.
"The heat-related concerns, definitely water issues," said Arizona native Ryan Rodriguez.
A longtime EDC festival-goer, Rodriguez said he has raised concerns about past issues with water and shade, but he is seeing improvements every year.
"They got free water. They all the A/C in the camps work, as far as we know, and it's just perfect for us right now," Rodriguez said.
Channel 13's Abel Garica took a look at EDC's website, where he found information about safety measureslike free water stations strategically placed throughout the venue and a map on how to find them.
The event organizers are also providing misting tents and shaded areas along with medical teams on standby, ready to assist anyone in distress.
"They heard all those concerns, they heard all the feedback and they stepped up their game, for sure," Rodriguez said.
Despite these precautions, EDC has had its share of serious problems over the years.
Back in 2017, a34-year-old died, and the Clark County coroner identified heat and drug intoxication as the cause. In 2016, another deathoccurred involving a 20-year-old festival-goer.
"They listen to what our issues are this year, and they make it better next year. It's been better. Eight years ago, it is not what it is today," said one festival-goer.
In the latest F1 debriefing in March, Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick referred to the festival as an example of how another huge event has fit into our community. EDC now draws a crowd upward of 500,000 people. Kirkpatrick said the festival has made significant progress promptly addressing concerns as they arise.
"EDC starts the day after the last event getting their information in because they have a roadmap. they make it cutting edge but the footprint does not change," Kirkpatrick said.
"Is there anything else that you would like to see improved that they aren't getting just yet?" Garcia asked.
"More shaded areas, maybe more trees," Rodriguez suggested.
"We are here to have a good time and that's it," added his friend Diego.
With the thousands of festival-goers in Las Vegas this weekend, traffic is also a concern for locals.Garcia spoke with an NDOT representative on some tips to get around this weekend.
