Electric Daisy Carnival Announces Lineup Via Surprise Care Packages

The Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) delivered its 2018 lineup this week — literally.

(Mikey Glazer)

Going “#oldschoolcool,” producer Insomniac and chief “Night Owl” Pasquale Rotella sent surprise Valentine’s Day care packages to select attendees. Inside, fans found custom candy hearts revealing the names of a few of the 250 electronic artists on the bill for the largest music festival in North America.

Encouraged to “Eat It or Tweet It,” fans then collaborated via social media to patch together some of the lineup. This brought new meaning to “trading kandi,” ravers’ tradition of impromptu exchanges of plastic bracelets between old friends, new friends and strangers.

An aerial view of EDC (ALive for Insomniac)

Insomniac also included a tune-in alert to the company’s flagship radio show/podcast “Night Owl Radio” later that day, where Rotella revealed the entire lineup via a series of custom mixes.

Remember (like a month ago?) when dropping a festival lineup on Instagram without warning rang fresh? How about snail mail and radio?

This May’s three-night festival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks a milestone for Insomniac — it is the 25th anniversary of the company’s founding. “Wide Awake Since ’93” is the community’s tagline, and while the 18-and-over festival has a reputation for trending young, Rotella recently told The Party Report that the average age for EDC Las Vegas is 28.

Also Read: EDC Founder Pasquale Rotella on 2018 Festival's Big Changes, From New Date to Camping

The list of 250 artists — spanning all genres of electronic music and a few visitors (see: Khalid) — is too long to include here, so check out the full lineup by clicking on this photo below or clicking here.

Rotella attacked multiple fan pain points, starting with a significant schedule shift. EDC moves from the 100-degree heat of mid-June to the more mild climes of May. For the first time at EDC Las Vegas, there will be on-site camping, RV camping, a custom-built pool and water park, a militaristically-efficient new shuttle service, and afternoon “opening ceremonies” to alleviate traffic on the limited ground routes from the strip.

VIPs, talent and some fans old enough to have been around in ’93 may level up for the executive route in and out — Maverick Helicopters’ six-minute ride from the strip.

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Alison Wonderland, Diplo, and Jauz after their collaborative b2b2b set in 2017. They met for the first time an hour before playing the main stage. (aLIVE for Insomniac)

Also Read: Beyond Wonderland 2018 Lineup: Alesso, Tiësto and KSHMR Lead Pack of 60 Performances

Notables on the bill (beyond the usual Vegas big club superstars) include Rezz and K?d (two artists Insomniac festivals helped break), Illenium, A-Trak, Eric Prydz, KSHMR, Alan Walker… and only four people with “DJ” in their name. Shocker.

The 22nd Electric Daisy Carnival takes place from dusk-’til-dawn May 18-20, 2018.

Three-day passes beginning at $439 are available here.

EDC 2017: Inside Dance Music's Mecca With Drake, Rezz, Diplo, Alison Wonderland and Lil Jon (Photos)

The 21st Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest dance music festival in North America, took place outside Las Vegas this weekend. Costumes, neon and bass drops were expected. Drake (center), who dropped in as huge surprise, was not.
aLive for Insomniac
The Kinetic Field main stage was rebuilt from scratch this year, dubbed "Kinetic Gaia." Illuminating the intersection of nature and technology, the most popular and mainstream artists like Tiesto, Dillon Francis, Hardwell and trance legend Armin Van Buuren played here.
Freedom Film LLC for Insomniac
One totem-toting fan in the crowd at Metro Boomin's midnight set on Sunday must have been tipped off about the rap royalty about to appear.

Also Read: Amanda Bynes on Drake ‘Murder My Vagina’ Tweet: ‘I Was Serious But I Was Also on Drugs’
Jake West for Insomniac
"(Metro Boomin) brought me to space for a night," Drake said of his virgin voyage to EDC. The stage he appeared on, Basspod, is about the fifth largest stage, making his appearance a total shock. Drake sang "Fake Love" and "Jumpman."
The Holy Mountain for Insomniac
At the same time that Drake was turning up, Lil Jon was singing "Turn Down for What" at the Circuit Grounds. Lil Jon required no introduction. He just showed up on stage and started directing the mosh pit before spitting out "Prison Riot," his collaboration with Flosstradamus.
alive for Insomniac
Standout performance No. 1: Porter Robinson. The young ambient producer, who killed with a sunset timeslot on Coachella's mainstage back in April, brought his hour to a crescendo with "Shelter," "Goodbye," and "Language" as fireworks lit up the speedway on Saturday night.
Porter Robinson (Getty Images); Cosmic Meadow (alive for Insomniac)
Standout performance No. 2: Alison Wonderland, Diplo and Jauz performed together as a trio for the first time ever, a world exclusive on Sunday night.

Also Read: 10 Celebrities You Had No Idea Dropped Out of College, From Ryan Seacrest to Oprah (Photos)
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The three artists performed a "b2b2b" set, which stands for "back-to-back-to-back." They traded songs on the same decks.
aLIVE for Insomniac
Standout performances No. 3 and No. 4: K?d (pronounced "kid", left) and Rezz (22, from Niagara Falls, right) are two of the faces of the future. “EDC, this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever played to,” Rezz said. She snapped this selfie with k?d backstage.
Twitter/@OfficialRezz
Insomniac's "Ground Control" team had a roll call meeting on Friday night. This trained team of peer volunteers keeps fans, dubbed "headliners," healthy, happy, and hydrated. The festival preaches about their free, plentiful, no-questions-asked, no-police-involvement, emergency medical services on site. Ground Control are the ambassadors who look out for anyone in need.
Instagram/@GroundControl93
"All are welcome here," was the theme for EDC 2017. Unlike other festivals, EDC goers are a community. This year, they scheduled countless meet-ups, housing-shares, resources for solo-travelers, and brought their own bracelets and merchandise to give out, largely fueled by an active EDC subreddit.
Scott Hutchinson for Insomniac
Don't forget about the "Carnival" part of EDC. Photographer Rebecca Britt caught the Zipper ride in action.

Also Read: Hanson Rips Justin Bieber Music as ‘Chlamydia of the Ear’ (Audio)
Rebecca Britt
From 135,000 attendees on Sunday night, there were only four DUI arrests and three traffic accidents reported. There were no traffic fatalities, per the Las Vegas PD.
Get Tiny for Insomniac
Performers and VIPs flew in to the Speedway on Maverick Helicopters, skipping the traffic. Online, guests complained about 90-120 minute drives in to the festival in what was 100-degree heat. Note: For sanity, this six minute chopper is worth every penny of the $850 round trip ticket.
aLIVE Coverage for Insomniac
Tropical house star Kygo had never played EDC before this weekend. He started at the top: main stage.
aLIVE Coverage for Insomniac
L.A. based producer Valentino Khan ("Deep Down Low") and Austin-based Bro Safari both played the Basspod stage.
Freedom Film LLC for Insomniac
The festival runs from dusk-til-dawn, but there was no avoiding the heatwave. At 8 p.m. on Sunday it was 104 degrees. By midnight, it was only down to 96. Insomniac stressed the need for hydration on their social media channels and through the festival app.
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EDC's totem game was strong. Exhibit A: This snarky tongue-in-cheek question. (Hint: Yes.)
u/Joshypoo13 on Reddit
Exhibit B: This meme comes from the "Adult Swim" show "Rick and Morty".
Instagram/@EDCLV2017
Exhibit C: The fidget spinner.

Also Read: 12 Music Biopics We’d Like to See, From Amy Winehouse to Prince (Photos)
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Swedish duo Galantis rocked the Circuit Grounds until 3 a.m. on Friday night. In addition to their arsenal of sea fox flags, they worked under 2,000 moving lights, 40 flame units and 1,200 pyro units.
Blaise Joseph for Insomniac
Over 200 singles became 100 legally married couples at EDC.
Jake West for Insomniac
One guy proposed on the main stage before Kygo's set.
Adi Adinayev for Insomniac
Lowlight: The enduring popularity of saccharine rave bro Marshmello is concerning. His fans showed up in force and in costume.

Also Read: Jay Z Lists Dozens of Rap Influences on Twitter, Including ‘Greatest Rapper of All Time,’ Barack Obama
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On the other end of the festival from the Marshmell-bros, philosophically and geographically, the Neon Garden pumped out three nights of slower builds with experimental and more underground techno.
Jake West for Insomniac
Widely credited as the "Adam" of hardstyle genre, The Prophet spun the Wasteland stage. Let's call the hard-hitting electronic analog to death metal an "acquired taste."
Kristina Bakrevski for Insomniac
The “#LoveWins” heart installation was a frequent Instagram photo spot. Smirnoff commissioned the artwork and surrounded it with plush seating while promoting their take on the message of inclusivity and love.
Tyler Hill for Insomniac
Every night around 11 p.m., the main stage Kinetic Field would erupt in an "opening ceremony."
aLIVE Coverage for Insomniac
"Thank you for all that you do for dance culture," fan @StefAmoroso (right) posted to Instagram upon running in to EDC founder Pasquale Rotella amongst the crowd around 6 a.m. on Monday morning. "Thank you for creating a place where we can be free and not be judged."

Also Read: 12 Song of the Summer 2017 Contenders, From Bruno Mars to Kendrick Lamar (Videos)
Instagram/@StefAmoroso

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A peek inside the Electric Daisy Carnival with The Party Report

The 21st Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest dance music festival in North America, took place outside Las Vegas this weekend. Costumes, neon and bass drops were expected. Drake (center), who dropped in as huge surprise, was not.

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EDC 2017: Inside Dance Music's Mecca With Drake, Rezz, Diplo, Alison Wonderland and Lil Jon (Photos)

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