3 Things I Learned at My First EDC

We’re almost two weeks post EDC now and all I want to do is go back to the happiest place on earth. Electric Daisy Carnival reignited my love for festivals and for that, it will always be my favorite massive. It was only over a year ago that I went to my first festival (Phoenix Lights 2017) and if you would have told me then I would be going to EDC LV 2018, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, I feel so blessed to have spent dusk till dawn three nights in a row surrounded by the best people, vibes, and music I’ve ever encountered. My first time at EDC was crazy – here are a few things I learned from it.

Nothing prepares you for the view of the grounds when you first walk in. We arrived when the sun was starting to set, and the sun hit all the carnival lights in a way that made everything sparkle. The music coming from cosmicMEADOW was euphoric and enrapturing and gave me goosebumps. Standing up there and seeing all the beauty and magic, I felt overwhelmed with love. My best friend immediately burst into tears, and we shared a moment just hugging each other and embracing the moment. We climbed down the stairs (the same steps we would curse climbing up the next few mornings) and embarked on our EDC journey.

The people at EDC are unlike any other that you’ll ever meet. This EDC’s theme was love, and love was definitely in the air. I encountered so many beautiful, warm souls under the electric sky. Everyone was so kind and radiated positivity. You can feel that the energy from everyone is nothing but pure – everyone here is family. I made so many new friends in those three nights that reminded me what this life is all about and encouraged me to spread that same love outside of the festival, too. All really are welcome here!

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DJs/producers throw down their hardest at EDC. I went to sets for producers I know and love and for artists I’ve never seen before, and I saw so much energy and love for the music at every single stage. No one held back. Producers dropped unreleased music, delivered their most fire stage production, and brought out surprise guests. I saw Excision and Illenium grace the stage at the same time, heard new music and a new intro from REZZ, was pleasantly surprised when Mustard brought out Nick Jonas, and was in speechless awe for the entirety of NGHTMRE‘s set. Every set I saw had a little something special that you might not find in a normal festival.

The last night of EDC, I was exhausted. My mind, body, and spirit were toast. I danced my feet to blisters (thankfully I wore supportive athletic shoes) broke my neck from headbanging, and lost my voice from saying “I love you!” to so many sweet girls. My friends asked if I would come back next year. My immediate response was negative–I was exhausted! But thinking about how special that weekend was with my family and all of the precious little moments that happened, I can’t imagine not coming back. If you’re considering EDC LV 2019, just send it. There’s a lot to prepare for, but it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Now that I’ve learned a little, I hope I’ll be more prepared for next year – but I’ll definitely be just as blown away as I was this year.