The lights are beaming through the crowd, the bass is vibrating through the ground into the tips of your fingers. Flashbacks from a jumping audience run through your brain and it hits you–Electric Daisy Carnival is on the road back to Orlando’s Tinker Field.
It’s time to bring out your flower headbands and bedazzled bras. On Nov. 7 and 8, Insomniac Events will present the Electric Daisy Carnival as it returns for the fourth time to Orlando. The carnival will bring along rides, including a breathtaking view of the park from their air swings, acrobatic performers who wander around the field, creative art showcases and of course, seven stages of electronic dance music. Young adults in the Orlando area, even those who travel from across the country, will flock to EDC for the two days of music and dance.
Since as early as 1993, Insomniac Events and its creator Pasquale Rotella, have brought over 250 festivals and concerts across the globe from California, New York and Florida to Puerto Rico and even to the United Kingdom. Insomniac’s largest event to date was Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival. In a span of three days, there was a record breaking 400,000 music-loving, dance-crazed, ravers who showed up this past June.
“Compared to Orlando, EDC Vegas is huge. Way more art pieces and there is even three Ferris wheels,” said UCF senior Cristyn King, 21. King’s first EDC was in Orlando in 2013, and she is considering returning to the fairgrounds this November to get a hint of the Vegas atmosphere.
First time attendee and freshman at Rollins College, Esteban Vargas, 18, is anticipating EDC’s arrival.
“It’s my first music festival, and I really don’t know what to expect. I just keep hearing it’s a crazy experience, so hopefully it’s worth it,” Vargas said.
Electronic dance music (EDM) has formed a welcoming community of festival/concert goers who simply go by the acronym P.L.U.R- peace, love, unity and respect. The aspect of “PLUR” is seen amongst the EDM community because these events are for music and dance lovers. They go for the peace, they love one another, they unite with a common interest, and more importantly, they respect one another. No matter what race, gender, orientation, or size, EDM music festivals encourage you to express yourself.
“I live for the love of dance music. It will be my third year in a row going to EDC Orlando,” said junior John Mendez, 20, who goes by “Plur King” on his Twitter account.
With over 17 thousand followers on Twitter, “Plur Mama,” Michelle Casares, 26, who goes by her social media name “Lady Casa,” is highly looked up to in the EDM community, especially amongst young adults ranging from 17-25. Casares was recently featured in LA Weekly and is known for her extravagant festival costumes, spiritual encouraging talks and an overall welcoming demeanor. Casares has been a fan of EDM since the young age of 11, but it was not until the eighth grade that she started attending music festivals and has attended seven EDC’s since then.
“To any first time goers, always take these events with moderation and responsibility. Be aware of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being,” said Casares in regards to these weekend festivals that are not only exhausting, but hyper stimulating.
Between the crowds and the taboo of “raver drugs,” Casares encourages those first time EDC ravers to “express yourself, but also take care of yourself and take what you can from the moment. Realize that when the festival ends, there is a reality you need to come back to.”
Headliners this year will include Dash Berlin, Above & Beyond and a familiar face to UCF, Steve Aoki, who performed at the CFE Arena in 2012. General admission two-day tickets are now on sale with a price of $182, not including online service fees. Single-day tickets are pricing at $114.
