Electric Daisy Carnival: Last Minute Essentials You Need to Know
Are you ready to experience the most electrifying music event of the year? If the answer is yes, then get ready to immerse yourself in an unforgettable three-day adventure at Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC).
Thousands of music and dance lovers from around the world will join together for a weekend filled with thumping bass lines, blasting firework displays, and nonstop shuffling.
To ensure you’re fully equipped, I’ve compiled this list of all the last-minute essentials you need to know before attending EDC. Get excited – an incredible odyssey awaits!
Summary
First off, what is Electric Daisy Carnival?
If you’re not already familiar, Electric Daisy Carnival, more commonly known as EDC, is the largest electronic dance music festival in North America.
This 3-day festival hosts some of the world’s most iconic electronic dance DJs, including Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Deadmau5, and Alesso, just to name a few.
And not only is it a hub for these incredible DJs, but it’s also the home to esthetically pleasing stages, multidimensional art structures, neon lights & LED displays, fire throwers, and fun carnival rides.
During the 3-day festival, over 400,000 people come to EDC to dance and have fun under the electric sky.
When is Electric Daisy Carnival 2023?
This year, EDC will be held on Friday, May 19, Saturday, May 20 & Sunday, May 21st.
The Opening Ceremony happens between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. The full festival grounds are open between 7:00 pm and 5:30 am.
What Do You Wear to EDC?
Come prepared for all types of weather, and definitely dress for comfort. Wear lightweight, breathable clothes that make you feel good.
Comfortable, close-toed shoes are the best way to go, especially if you plan to tear up the dancefloor. Sandals and flip-flops can make your feet incredibly sore, so I recommend against them.
For more inspiration on fun festival looks, check out my other posts!
- The Trendiest Music Festival Hair Looks + Braids, Buns, & Accessories
- The Cutest Rave Outfit Ideas for Your Next Festival
The evenings in the Las Vegas desert get pretty chilly, so bring a jacket, blanket, or something else to cover up when the winds start to pick up.
The most comfortable weather is between 7 pm and 2 am. After two, the festival grounds will begin to get cold as the desert winds pick up.
I made the mistake of not preparing for the winds the first night of EDC. Let’s just say I was miserably cold while waiting for our Uber at three in the morning!
Stylish Rave Attire:
Electric Daisy Carnival Line Up for 2022 (2023 Lineup Coming Soon)
What Are Some Things to do at the Festival?
Highlights reel of EDC 2021!
Electric Daisy Carnival is more than just a concert. Besides listening to the DJs, there are many other things to do at the festival. These include:
Check out all the epic stage set-ups:
The stages at Electric Daisy Carnival are iconic! Each stage is unique and follows its own theme, so be sure to explore and check them out! The EDC stages are:
- Cosmic Meadow. There are bleachers here at this stage as well! It’s a great place to relax from the chaos and just take it all in with incredible aerial views! Remember, EDC can be highly stimulating!
- Kinetic Field. This is the one with the insane Owl Guardians you see in all the EDC promo pictures and videos!
- Circuit Grounds. This is the second biggest stage setup. It wraps around in a semi-circle to make you feel completely submerged in it all!
- Bass Pod. If you like heavy bass and trap music, this stage is for you!
- Wasteland. If you’re into Burning Man/apocalypse style displays, be sure to check this one out! At this stage, you’ll hear the best hardstyle, hardcore, and hard dance DJs.
- Neon Garden. One of EDC’s smaller stages that features a lot of various house and techno music.
- Quantum Valley. If you’re into psychedelic LED lighting systems and the lore of trance music, this is your stage!
- Stereo Bloom. A great setup for all the shufflers!
Trade KANDI:
Kandi are bracelets made of colorful beads that people trade at music festivals and raves. Some people like to participate in this festival tradition as it’s an excellent way to make new friends!
Ride the carnival rides
Watch the epic firework displays and drone shows
Visit Pixel Forest & Coinbase
Walkthrough Daisy Lane
Check out the Art Cars
How to Get to the EDC Grounds:
There are many different transportation methods to get to and from the festival grounds.
- Rideshare
- Drive Yourself
- Shuttles
- Helicopter
If you are not camping at Electric Daisy Carnival, prepare to shovel out quite a bit of money on transportation. Also, be very strategic on when you decide to head to the grounds and when you decide to leave.
Transportation is the one thing I wish we would have planned better on our first night. On our first day to the grounds, we waited for OVER AN HOUR to get an Uber to come to pick us up.
Las Vegas doesn’t have enough drivers to accommodate all the festival-goers, so prepare to wait if you’re planning on leaving during prime time!
Leaving EDC, the first night was even worse. By the time we decided to go (around 3:30 am), there were massive lines of people waiting for Ubers!
And because there were so many people requesting rides, none of the rideshare apps allowed anyone who didn’t already have a booking to purchase one! It was an utter mess!
After waiting around for over an hour (and remember, I was freezing!), we decided to bribe a driver to cancel his ride on the app for under-the-table cash instead. We paid him $200 cash for a one-way drive back to the Las Vegas Strip. My apologies to whoever’s ride that was!
The subsequent nights we just drove ourselves. Parking is free, and as long as we decided to stop drinking after a certain hour of the night, we were good!
Other options include booking a shuttle pass or even a helicopter ride to and from the grounds!
How far is EDC from the Las Vegas Strip?
16 miles. With all that music festival traffic, you’re looking at a 30-45 minute journey.
What is the Best Time to Get to & From EDC to Avoid the Crowds?
Based on our experience, the best time to get to Electric Daisy Carnival to avoid the large influx of crowds is as early as possible!
Consider getting there early, giving yourself plenty of time to get to the Speedway, so you don’t miss the opening ceremonies. If you’re driving yourself, you’ll want to get there early to ensure a parking spot.
And though you’ll be super tempted to stay until sunrise, I’d recommend leaving before 3 am to beat the crowd leaving the festival grounds.
If you wait longer than that, you’ll end up like us- waiting for hours for a ride back to the Strip. Feel free to leave whenever you want if you drive yourself- just make sure you’re sober to drive.
What to Bring to Electric Daisy Carnival:
You can find the list of what is acceptable to bring to Electric Daisy Carnival in 2022 and what’s prohibited, here.
Some essentials that we thought were a MUST HAVE during the festival are:
- Cell phone & portable charger
- Deodorant
- A fanny pack
- A hydration pack
- Gum
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes (for when the porta-potties inevitably run out of toilet paper)
- Lip balm
- Reusable water bottle (if not bringing a hydration pack)
Electric Daisy Carnival 2022 Essentials:
Festival Map:
EDC Tip: Designate a meetup spot with your party if one of your group members gets separated.
How to Keep Your Belongings Safe During the Festival:
Unfortunately, not everyone at EDC is looking to have a good time. Some have ill intentions, including pickpocketing the attendees.
To keep your belongings safe from theft, consider wearing a fanny pack for your important belongings and keep it in front of you. You’re also able to rent lockers during the event.
Festival Recovery: Fastest Way to Feeling “Normal”
Experiencing EDC is nothing short of extraordinary. You’ll have a 3-day “rush” of positive energy, good vibes, epic music, and intense partying. It’s sensory overload, and post-festival depression is all too real when the neon lights start to fade.
Electric Daisy Carnival consists of abundant physical activity, hardly any nourishing calories, dehydration, and mental overstimulation. That is why after this event, self-care is crucial. Here are a couple of helpful tips for recovery:
- Focus on exercise, yoga stretches, and massage of the muscles.
- Take a few days to rest & recover. Sleep is super important after spending sleepless nights dancing and partying. You’ll need sleep to allow your body to return to its regular pattern, flush out some of the damaged cells, and replenish your serotonin levels.
- Hydrate! Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to reverse the dehydration and flush out all those toxins.
- Eat well. Did you know that most of your body’s serotonin is synthesized in your gut? That’s why it’s so critical to eat healthy before and after a multi-day festival.
- Take supplements. Here are some of the best post-rave recovery supplements on the market. All these contain the necessary vitamins, minerals, adaptations, and amino acids to replenish your body and feel back to your normal self.
Top-Rated Rave & Music Festival Vitamins & Supplements:
And finally,
- Talk about your experience with your EDC-mates. Whatever you’re feeling after this experience, whether it’s excitement, fear, motivation, or even emotionally low, understand you’re not alone. Something my husband and I did after our first EDC adventure was cuddle on the couch, share our experiences, and share how we were feeling post-rave.
For Those Partaking in “Party Favors”
I first want to point out that drug use is strictly prohibited throughout the event. However, this blog exists to help people be healthy and ultimately safe in whatever decisions they decide to make.
Cutting “favors” with other chemicals make the substance cheaper for sellers but can be EXTREMELY unsafe to whoever takes it. And unfortunately, this practice has become extremely popular.
That is why I have partnered with Test Kit Plus+ the leading provider of quality test kits for MDMA, cocaine, LSD, amphetamine, ketamine, DMT, cannabis, and more.
Stay safe & healthy by getting your test kit here.
On top of testing your substances, make sure you’re staying safe by:
- Using the buddy system. Make sure someone is always with you and knows if you might need help.
- Drink plenty of water and avoid drinking alcohol with your substances.
- Avoid mixing different “party favors.”
And of course, if you see anyone at the event that needs help, don’t hesitate to stop and ask if they need assistance or point them out to an EDC employee. There are medical tents with RNs such as myself all throughout the festival grounds ready to help – no questions asked.
I hope you have an amazing time at this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival! If you’re heading there, make sure to tag me on Instagram or use the hashtag #messybuntraveler and I’ll look forward to meeting you under the electric sky!
Reina Conboy
I am a full-time traveling registered nurse, fitness enthusiast, and plant-based nutrition expert. Every morning I wake up intending to bring awareness of the importance of health and spiritual wellness, especially to the traveling community. This blog is designed to bring you travel and health advice while sprinkling in some fun life stories.
