Notice: Zen Arts will be performing @ EDC Las Vegas 2011 for all 3-days. Click here to learn more.
Slather on that body glitter and grab some glow-sticks because Electric Daisy is almost here! Since 1997 the Electric Daisy Carnival (or EDC for short) has enthralled and exalted young euphoric partygoers with its amazing lineup of world-class electronic music djs. Initially held in arenas throughout California, this year the carnival has moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Additionally this year there will be four other carnivals held in Denver, Dallas, Orlando, and Puerto Rico at different times throughout the summer.
EDC was started in 1997 by electronic music promoting company Insomniac Events. Named by Insomniac partner Philip Blaine, the festival gained popularity by word of mouth as a “legal rave.” The festival has been held at many notable venues including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park, and Queen Mary Events Park. In its beginnings the festival lasted merely one day, but now has grown into a full-blown 3-day weekend event. In 2010, over 185,000 people attended EDC at the Coliseum making it the largest electronic and dance music festival outside of Europe. Controversy erupted at the 2010 show however, when several attendees were hospitalized for injuries caused by crowds rushing the fences to get into the event without a ticket. All in all there were 114 drug and alcohol related hospitalizations, including one death of a young 15 year old teenager of drug-related health problems. Since then, the Coliseum has placed a ban hosting the event again, so this year it has been moved to Las Vegas’ Motor Speedway.
The festival has become known as the place to listen to the latest and greatest house and electronic music from the most popular djs from around the world. This year’s lineup includes such notables as David Guetta, Afrojack, Swedish House Mafia, Steve Aoki, Justice, and Tiesto. Thousands of partygoers attend dressed in colorful costumes and outrageous body art to join together in dance and share their love for the music. Aside from the music, the carnival is an actual “carnival” complete with rides, food, drinks, and even art installations. All in all, the festival is a complete sensory overload experience of lights and sound that continues to draw larger crowds every year.