EDC Las Vegas 2023: Relive those magical moments under the Electric Sky [Recap]

With over half a million attendees over the weekend at EDC Las Vegas 2023, this year was truly special for both artists and attendees. A once-in-a-lifetime experience indeed, Insomniac celebrated its thirtieth anniversary during the highly anticipated festival. The official three days from May 19-21 were undeniably memorable as we were blown away by the top-tier audio and visual production, hundreds of artists, nine stages alongside art cars, EDC downtown, surprise pop-ups, and of course the community which brings it all together.

EDC has become globally recognized as one of the world’s largest outdoor events and there is no doubt in my mind that the festival continues to expand and innovate every year. Just finishing EDC Las Vegas 2023 which had over 520,000 attendees throughout the three days from May 19-21, this year was unarguably epic from start to finish. Whether it be catching your favorite artist at one of the nine stages, not including the art cars, or sitting on the bleachers with your best friends looking up as the Electric Sky fills with stargazing fireworks, Insomniac went in full force this year and definitely did not disappoint. Starting off in 1997 as a warehouse party, EDC expanded substantially and has become a highlight attendee across the globe. With CEO and founder Pasquale Rotella always announcing all of the surprises and improvements to the festival every year on his social channels, the festival this year has definitely seen a few changes including the expansion of its VIP sections across all of the stages.

Upon immediately taking one of the premier shuttles from Tropicana, the staff and attendees were all full of smiles as they had loads of water bottles, easily accessible restrooms both on and off the shuttles, a special EDC exclusive Pashmina as a gift for premier shuttle pass holders, and expedited security checks before reaching the festival to save further time. I would highly recommend purchasing a premier shuttle early from any stop to have a secure transportation spot both to and from the festival grounds. Upon arriving at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for day one, this year the opening ceremony was held on the first day only from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. With a stellar set from Nostalgix officially opening the Cosmic Meadow stage, the legend James Hype immediately after delivered a set for the books. With the perfect weather, all the right vibes, and a feel-good house set from James Hype, it was clear the “STEREOHYPE” family were out in the crowd in full force to see this legend in action. Making the crowd groove and on their feet right from the start, James Hype intertwined enticing vocal melodies with a wide array of house-infused basslines to satisfy all of his fans. Kicking off his final tracks and announcing the rest of the festival grounds are officially open with fireworks in action, the crowd rushed in to catch the early glimpses of the stages, especially the Kinetic Field.

Running toward the Kinetic Field, thousands and thousands of attendees were absolutely at a loss for words when seeing the stage for the very first time. The theme of “Awakening” was the one for 2023 and has been described as opening your eyes and experiencing a rebirth after a turning point in the community to bring the world into alignment. Amongst the stacked lineup, David Guetta took over the newly designed stage with hits like “Be My Lover” and “Titanium.” Alison Wonderland even blessed the stage while being 9 months pregnant and rinsed off heavy-hitting tunes such as her remix of “Push Up” with Subtronics. 

With the Circuit Grounds stage absolutely firing up the groove from no other than FISHER when he dropped “Take It Off,” the crowd was in awe of the set. An unforgettable and mesmerizing set was delivered at the same stage from MEDUZA which had the crowd singing along to tunes such as “Piece Of Your Heart” and of course launching the set off with no other than their most recent single “Friends.” The energy from attendees was truly insane as MEDUZA initiated the groove in full force and we would not have had it in any other way.

 

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Wax Motif and Malaa surprised attendees during their b2b set with an appearance by Ty Dolla $ign. The award-winning rapper spit hits like “Paranoid,” “Midnight Hour, and more. Day one officially wrapped up with a grand finale firework spectacle that overtook the entire Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The second day of EDC Las Vegas continued to leave us in awe for more as several highlights included Kaytranada making his EDC debut on the Cosmic Meadow stage. In true EDC fashion, the biggest names in EDM took over the festival over the course of the evening, with heavy hitters like Tiësto, Kaskade, Zedd, Afrojack, and Chris Lake taking over the Kinetic Field and Circuit Grounds stages.

Making our way to the Wasteland stage, the master of many styles known as Audiofreq erupted the crowd with energy as he fired his tunes in full force. Delivering a truly electric performance for the masses, Audiofreq brought out that hard bass and annihilating hardstyle which made the crowd in awe for more. His forward-thinking and ever-evolving production style shined bright to his fan base during the festival set as attendees could not stop dancing to his music as he engaged with the crowd and ensured he is a force not many can take lightly. An experience for the books indeed, the Wasteland stage was going off and Audiofreq was a true driver of this.

James Hype also delivered his second set of the festival on the Kinetic Field and blessed his global fan base with tunes such as “Ferrari” and “Let Loose.” As James shares:

“The biggest show of my life. Last year I came to EDC Las Vegas for the first time ever, this year I brought real DJing to the main stage. I’ll never forget this thank you to Insomniac for producing the best festival in the world. Thank you to my team, management, and agents for believing in me. Thank you to Hypefam for turning up in force who does this?”

 

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The night also included a surprise set from house music mastermind, John Summit, who brought Chicago’s house music style to Las Vegas spinning hits like “Where You Are” and “Deep End.” Subtronics also delivered a b2b set with Summit at the Circuit Grounds which ranged from house to heavy dubstep. In between some of the evening’s epic performances, festivalgoers, also known as headliners, enjoyed the many classic carnival rides and unforgettable experiences that Downtown EDC has to offer, such as Tokyo Karaoke, Kandi Casino, and the always incredible Queen’s Bar.

As attendees power through and make their way down for the final day of the festival, you could tell immediately it was much more crowded on the final day as Insomniac sold single-day tickets for this one. With epic sets in store for the masses, Day three highlights included one of my favorite sets from Tchami b2b AC Slater at Cosmic Meadow, SLANDER at Kinetic Field, Marshmello b2b SVDDEN Death at the Circuit Grounds, James Hype for techno set at Stereo Bloom and of-course the OG trap artists Yellow Claw taking over Circuit Grounds.

Yellow Claw absolutely blew our minds away with tunes such as “Bassgod” and of course “Trap Anthem.” You could immediately tell the fans were out there to catch this power duo in action and there was no sleeping during this one. As Yellow Claw brought out all of their trap and hard-hitters to the table to get the crowd to break down their moves. The bandanas were definitely up for this one.

 

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EDC Las Vegas 2023 definitely showcased a wide array of electronic sounds and genres, while inviting a diverse roster of talented artists from various origins, regions, and genders. All of the attendees also known as “Headliners” re-united or experienced their very first festival under the Electric Sky and it is safe to say cannot wait until next year. With a passionate community like no other, Pasquale Rotella states:

“THANK YOU for an unforgettable weekend HOME at EDC Las Vegas. The ENERGY and LOVE we experienced from all of YOU was truly indescribable.

EDCLV23 was more than just a celebration of music, art, and community; it was a testament to the spirit that has bound ravers around the world.

Reflecting on the past 30 years of Insomniac fills me with indescribable gratitude & emotion. What started as a simple dream has blossomed into a global family united by a love for music, community, and the ultimate rave experience. Each step of this incredible journey has been made possible by your unwavering support.

To the artists who graced our stages & moved us to our core, I offer my deepest gratitude. Your music becomes the soundtrack to our lives, woven into our cherished memories. Your artistry touches hearts, ignites our spirits & reminds us of the universal language that unites us all.

To the Insomniac team, your tireless commitment & unwavering dedication leave me in awe. Year after year, you bring our dreams to life, transforming landscapes into awe-inspiring wonderlands. You are our backbone that drives us forward.

And finally, to you, the Headliners— Thank YOU. You are the heartbeat that sustains us, the source of inspiration that fuels our passion. Your smiles, hugs, creativity & infectious energy remind us why we embarked on this journey. The magic that envelops us at every festival is a reflection of the love within each & every one of you.”

Be sure to sign up for the EDC Las Vegas 2024 pre-sale here.

 

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Image Credit: Courtesy of Insomniac / Provided by dkcnews