Electric Daisy Carnival
Electric Daisy Carnival, commonly known as EDC, is an electronic dance music festival organized by promoter and distributor Insomniac. The annual flagship event, EDC Las Vegas, is held in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and is currently the largest electronic dance music festival in North America.[1]
This article is about the music festival. For the album, see Electric Daisy Carnival (album).Electric Daisy Carnival
The event features electronic dance producers and DJs, and incorporates a variety of electronic music, including house, techno, drum and bass, and dubstep.[2] In addition to the music, event goers experience three-dimensional superstructures, colorful glow-in-the-dark environments, and LED-lit flora and fauna.[3] There are also interactive art installations throughout EDC, free-roaming carnival performers, and carnival rides.[3]
Since its inception, other EDC events have been held in other states and abroad, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, the UK, Brazil, Japan and India. Currently, EDC is held annually in Orlando, China, and Mexico, along with the main Las Vegas event.[4] Sponsors of the most recent EDC events include Corona, Smirnoff, Uber and Tinder.[5]
In 2009, EDC became a two-day event, and in 2011, a three-day event that drew 230,000 people. In 2015, it drew more than 400,000 over three days (134,000 per day).[6][7][8] In 2018, EDC Las Vegas expanded the festival to include an on-site camping experience. Recent iterations of the festival have featured eight stages, each with a unique set and specific genre of EDM.[9] 18 carnival rides, four ferris wheels, and a staff of more than 5,000 people make up the event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.[10] In 2019, access to purchasing tickets to EDC was expanded to mobile phone apps for convenience. In 2017, EDC won the Festival of the Year award at the Electronic Music Awards.
History[edit]
1991–1999[edit]
The first Electric Daisy Carnival was held in 1991, and was first organized by Stephen Hauptfuhr. Philip Blaine—Pasquale's partner—made the deal to grant use of the name Electric Daisy Carnival in 1995 to Pasqualle Rotella CEO of Insomniac Events.
Insomniac debuted their signature event, Electric Daisy Carnival, in 1997 at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California.[11] In the early years, several southern California venues played host to the annual electronic music festival: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Park in Los Angeles, National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, Lake Dolores Waterpark in Barstow, Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace, and the International Agri-Center in Tulare.
In 1999, Electric Daisy Carnival took place at Lake Dolores Waterpark in Newberry Springs, California. The festival first took place at a small venue at Lake Dolores Waterpark, called Insomniac.
For every flagship festival held, Insomniac Care donates a percentage of ticket sales to national charities and community organizations. In the past, EDC Las Vegas has partnered with Surreal, a fundraising platform, to raise money from festival goers who enter in a sweepstake for helicopter rides and other activities with popular DJs.[69] Since 2011, over two million dollars have been donated to groups. Some organizations are named below.[70]
Media[edit]
A documentary film, Under the Electric Sky, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. The film chronicles the community and life of festival-goers during EDC Las Vegas 2013.[37]