Electric Daisy Carnival…. If you listen to EDM, you have most likely heard about this festival. And yes, I said Carnival (they have actual carnival rides throughout the venue). Otherwise known as EDC, it is the largest EDM festival in North America and is put on by the huge electronic music event promotor, Insomniac. Although the main event takes place in Las Vegas every year, it has a sister-festival in Orlando (EDCO).
There had been talk among my friends about going to EDCO for several years, but we finally decided to actually make the trip this past November. It’s a three-day festival that takes place in the outdoor baseball stadium, Tinker Field.
Lineup
The lineup release for 2019 is what solidified my ticket purchase. Because EDC is such a huge and well-known festival, it is always jam-packed with various legendary artists. I have noticed that this festival normally has a lot of “housy” artists (which is not my favorite sub-genre of EDM). What drew me to the lineup was that they also managed to include many “riddim” artists. I liked that the two main stages kind of split up the two sub-genres perfectly so you could move from one stage to the other, depending on your mood. Some of my favorites from the weekend include Blunts & Blondes, Excision (of course), Mystic Grizzly, and ATLiens. As one would imagine from EDC, the stages and decorations were AMAZING and nothing I had experienced before. They really know how to produce spectacular shows.
Vendors
EDCO is very similar to other large festivals where they have different vendor tents set up throughout the festival. It’s almost like a mini marketplace for guests to browse through when they need a break from dancing. There are also plenty of places to purchase food and drinks, no matter your craving. I’ve seen this vendor at various festivals in different states, but you can never go wrong with the famous Island Noodles. My friends and I tried to mostly eat big meals before and after the festival each day to save money, but I was glad I splurged a little on eating inside the venue. My favorite thing I ate was called carne asada fries. Unfortunately, I have no idea the actual name of the vendor, but they were SO GOOD.
Logistics
The one thing that could’ve made this festival better was the option to camp. Having to find a place to stay that is close enough to drive back and forth but within a reasonable price range was tricky. If you’re coming from out of town, I would advise you to start looking for places to stay months ahead of time so that you have plenty of options to choose from. My friends and I ended up renting from the Airbnb website because it was cheaper than finding a hotel closer to the venue. Our Airbnb was about a 30 minute drive to Tinker Field, which wasn’t ideal, but it was our best option since we waited until the last minute to book. We bought day parking passes for the weekend which ended up being cheaper than having to buy an Uber or Lyft there and back each day. I was also disappointed that there was no reentry into the venue. The weather was back and forth throughout the day, so it would’ve been nice to go back to the car when needed to add a layer of clothing for the cool fall nights.
Crowd
The vibe of EDCO was all-around positive. I never felt overwhelmed in the crowds and never encountered rude people. Whether I was at a stage, at a cool-off area, or just walking around the venue, I always felt very comfortable. I also loved the fact that they have ground-workers who walk around making sure that everyone is safe and hydrated. At several points in the weekend, I would sit down just to give my legs a break and every single time, an employee walked over to me and asked if I was okay. I think safety is a huge concern at music festivals, and EDCO goes above and beyond to create a happy and healthy environment for their guests. I hope to attend this festival again in the future, and maybe even take the next step and go to EDC Las Vegas.
SITE OVER SOUND 