Thousands of dance music lovers gathered in Las Vegas for the 2018 Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from May 18 through 20. Unlike previous years, there have been no deaths this year and the weekend seemed to run fairly smoothly.
DAY 3
As fans entered the grounds, Insomniac’s famed theatrical performers—from Valentine Hearts and the Flower Brigade to the Ring Masters and Sparklepops—mesmerized the crowds as they transformed into a variety of creative creatures.
Hosted by Insomniac Records, the all-new stereoBLOOM stage showcased a variety of buzzing artists with a design that brought a club atmosphere to the heart of the desert. Reflecting a wide spectrum of talent, the stage features high-tech production elements, truss rimmed with LED lights, and rollercoaster-esque stage towers.
PHOTOS: 2018 Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas
In true Kinetic Love fashion, the Chapel of Nature and Chapel of Technology were home to more than legal 100 weddings, allowing love to flourish in a place filled with camraderie and acceptance. In addition, fans celebrated their love with non-legal weddings, vowel renewals and commitment ceremonies.
Fans wandering the grounds came across Pagoda Pyramid, an art installation located on the grassy area next to cosmicMEADOW. Created by BambooDNA, the installation offered a place of serenity in a sea of neon and served as a spot for friends to gather and recharge in a triangle of tranquility.
Day 3 also featured a star-studded lineup of special guests, including Dua Lipa joining Martin Garrix during his set at circuitGROUNDS. Much to the delight of fans, DJ Mustard brought out Lil Jon, Ty Dolla $ign, YG and Nick Jonas to roaring cheers from the crowd, and Post Malone had the cosmicMEADOW grass and grandstand packed as he performed a selection of songs from both his albums.
EDC offered camping at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time this year. More than 20,000 people stayed at the campground. There were 3,400 tents and 1,100 RV s.
DAY 2
For the first time ever, Dutch legend Tiësto debuted a new single titled “Jackie Chan,” featuring Post Malone,on day 2 of the Electric Daisy Carnival. The evening also featured an array of surprise performances including, a special Avicii tribute by Tiësto with guest Aloe Blacc. In addition, Anna Lunoe joined the Brownies & Lemonade crew at Corona’s Electric Beach, while sax legend Kenny G joined Ookay for a crossover performance EDC fans won’t soon forget.
Upon entering the grounds, fans were greeted by a whole new neonGARDEN stage designed to create an open-air nightclub in the heart of the desert. The 28,000 square-foot dance floor generated an intimate space for fans to dance under the giant disco diamond while they enjoyed hypnotic beats by celebrated house and techno artists. Hosted by Factory 93 all three nights, neonGARDEN featured sets by Green Velvet, Tiga, Gorgon City, The Black Madonna and more.
Located next door, the 360-degree circuitGROUNDS arena entranced Headliners with its sheer size and future-tech look. Artists including Armin van Buuren, Yellow Claw, Cheat Codes and Hardwell dazzled crowds with their incredible production, creating cherished memories that will last forever.
Hosted by Dreamstate and debuting an all-new open-air structure with segmented cubes that formed an industrial vibe, quantumVALLEY was the home of trance music as fans swayed and swooned to sets by Andrew Bayer, Oliver Smith, Jason Ross, and more.
ORIGINAL STORY
More than 100,000 dance music lovers crowded the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday night for the first day of the Electric Daisy Carnival.
Fans or "Headliners" were able to attend the opening ceremonies at cosmicMEADOW, featuring sets by Adin and Chris Lake b2b Chris Lorenzo. Hosted by HARD, cosmicMEADOW is home to some of the most eclectic group of artists at EDC Las Vegas.
Two towering majestic figures showing the true meaning of kinetic love guard the heart of the festival. The 405-foot wide by 98-foot tall structure housed sets by some of the world’s top dance music artists, including Diplo, Kaskade, Joyride, Slushii and more. Spanning 350,000 square feet, the stage features 427 moving lights, 44 flame units, 40 lasers and eight confetti blowers.
As fans wandered the neon-lit world, they were spellbound by Ghost Ride, a soaring plane with a mystic origin that captured the hearts of everyone that crossed its path. As the sun set on the Speedway, Ghost Ride took Headliners on a journey to the past as this Vietnam War jet, revamped with neon lights, shared its story of hardship, and overcoming that hardship to create something beautiful.
Headliners felt the beat at bassPOD with the heavy vibrations pulsing through them as they head banged the night away. Meanwhile, fans enjoyed hardstyle tunes from Adrenalilze, Angerfist, Sub Zero Project and more surrounded by an apocalyptic world with its signature graffiti-covered shipping containers.
Throughout the night, artists brought out a variety of special guests. To roaring crowds across each stage, Mike WiLL Made-It brought out Rae Sremmurd, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike brought out Wiz Khalifa and Diplo brought out Lil Pump. In addition, Firebeatz and DubVision announced their new collaboration, METAFO4R. Adding to the surprise performances was Kaskade’s Strobe Light Seduction upon the iconic Parliament Art Car.
Towering at 80-feet high, artist Kevin Clark brought EDC’s largest installation to life – Flower Tower – as the pillar of flowers soared above crowds, amazing them with its volcanic eruptions from 31 pyro locations hidden within the tower.
Nestled beneath the Electric Sky, Headliners took to Carnival Square where they recharged, made new friends and enjoyed the comfort of the pop-up village with a variety of amenities including bean bag chill out areas, EDC photo ops, free arcade games, laser graffiti, interactive art installations and more.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, there were 137,582 attendees on day one. There were zero traffic accidents or citations. There was one person arrested for DUI and 29 narcotics-related felony arrests. 32 people were ejected from the festival.
EDC Las Vegas will return for Day 2 on May 19.
