From the vibrant production elements to unique sets that offered intimate moments – this year’s edition of EDC Las Vegas was magical.
Each year’s edition of EDC Las Vegas has seen Pasquale Rotella and the Insomniac Events team level up the experience for the thousands of headliners who make their way to Sin City. Past iterations have seen the stages become larger than life, while others have brought enhanced areas and more for everyone to explore.
After expanding the grounds to their largest size yet and announcing a brand new stage, Headliners who prepped for EDC Las Vegas were left to wonder what surprises might be in store when they entered the gates to this wonderland. Now that the dust has settled, we’re looking back at some of the most memorable experiences, including performances, installations, and more, that made the 2022 edition the best one yet.
Check out these experiences, catch all the livesets you might’ve missed or want to relive and let us know your thoughts on this year’s edition of EDC Las Vegas in the comments.
Six Experiences That Made EDC Las Vegas 2022 Special
New (and improved) stage designs and the emergence of bionicJUNGLE were a blessing.
While some things remained somewhat similar at EDC Las Vegas this year, there were some new surprises in store. Receiving a makeover were the wasteLAND and neonGARDEN stages, the former stemming from the design found at EDC Mexico earlier this year and the latter returning to its open-air format.
The quantumVALLEY stage also saw its megastructure expand to contain all the lasers that blasted out throughout the weekend. The bassPOD stage was truly sublime – although extremely packed throughout the weekend. And we’d be remiss, not to mention the stunning design for the kineticFIELD this year. It felt as if there was something new to see each time we caught a set there, and it paired perfectly with the shows that took place between performances.
Those looking to get their groove on found a new home this year with the debut of bionicJUNGLE. Nestled near the neonGARDEN, this new stage boasted one of the best lineups with artists who flexed their skills as DJs above all else. Notable sets came from legends in the scene, such as Carl Craig, Felix Da Housecat, Mark Farina, and Derrick Carter – and we hope to see this stage continue to bloom in the future to honor the legacy of house and techno.
The debut of Kx5 was one for the books.
Those who have passionately followed Kaskade and deadmau5 over the past few decades received a special surprise earlier this year when the two behemoths announced that they would be launching a new project called Kx5. Previously working together on classics like “I Remember,” the two dropped “Escape” along with the announcement to give everyone a taste of what was to come and that their debut performance would take place at EDC Las Vegas.
The excitement was bubbling at the circuitGROUNDS on Saturday as thousands flocked to their set. Then, with a flash of the visuals and deadmau5’s “INPUT_OUTPUT” booming through the stage’s speakers, the ride into the realm of Kx5 began. Gracing two separate decks that rotated throughout the set’s duration while playfully bantering, of course, Kaskade and deadmau5 play a number of their biggest tracks like “Eyes” and “Imaginary Friends” while also layering in Kx5 IDs and tunes from others like ARTBAT and Rebuke for a touch of techno.
Hayla joined the two on stage to belt out the lyrics to “Escape” and make the moment even more magical, and soon after, the fireworks show began to the left of the stage when Kaskade’s v3 edit of “Turn It Down” played. This only further made it clear to any fan of deadmau5 and Kaskade that they should be at the LA Coliseum show that’s on the horizon, don’t sleep on your chance to be there.
Intimate Art Car sets added a deeper dimension to the already stacked lineup.
There’s already no shortage of music at EDC Las Vegas, considering that the festival now boasts nine stages, but that wasn’t all that Insomniac had in store for this year’s edition. The Art Cars found throughout the venue provided persistent beats wherever you found yourself heading – and each car featured a stacked lineup of artists in its own right.
These Art Cars were where you could catch artists like Doctor P and FuntCase spinning drum and bass sets or Sultan + Shepard, Pretty Pink, and Qrion moving crowds to their beats. Another standout included the mau5trap takeover at the Rynobus brought some serious magic with No Mana b2b EDDIE, Lupa, and Diamond Dallas Tex. The art cars are also where some of the most exclusive sets took place, such as the Zeds Dead After Hours set that saw the duo spin some house to an intimate crowd during the final hours of the festival on Monday morning.
The prevalence of technology-fueled experiences showed the future of festivals.
EDC Las Vegas is already electric, it’s in the name of the festival, after all, but Insomniac has leaned into using tech over the past few years to make it even more energized. This year’s edition saw the return of the Pixel Forest, where Headliners could play some video games while catching sets, as well as the Coinbase NFT Gallery area and offerings like the Silent Disco in Downtown EDC as well. Longtime partner Snapchat also arrived in style with some cool filters for those who wanted to make their stories pop all weekend long including the Night Owl and Daisy Lenses.
Additionally, the Gopuff installation at EDCLV was a nice peek into what this company has to offer for delivery from snacks and drinks to items to help glam yourself up. The installation had a comfortable space to relax with the lounge chairs on the lawn and the breathtaking view of kineticFIELD and the rest of the festival on the rooftop bar. Luckily, Gopuff is bringing their exceptional service to more festivals hosted by Live Nation – so make sure you check them out to see what all their hype is about.
Rising artists getting their moment to shine brightly.
Although the lineup for EDC Las Vegas is littered with the biggest names in the dance music scene, there was plenty of space for rising artists to make their presence known beyond those aforementioned Art Car sets. Stages like the quantumVALLEY played host to a number of artists climbing the ranks of the trance scene such as Jorza, Xijaro & Pitch, and Taylor Torrence, while others like Blossom and Ann Clue dominated the circuitGROUNDS. Additionally, the opening set at kineticFIELD featuring Wenzday and Nostalgix was one of the best of the weekend without a doubt.
But of all those stages it was the stereoBLOOM that did the most for rising artists in the scene who are hotter than ever right now. Sets from Cloonee, Biscits, Alyx Ander, Lucati, Deeper Purpose, and Capozzi were just a handful that really stuck out throughout the weekend. Further, some fantastic b2bs took place there, including Westend and Black V Neck, LP Giobbi and Born Dirty, and Vintage Culture and James Hype. If you’re looking for the scene’s future, this stage was where it’s at, so make sure to stop by when you attend in 2023.
The Sub Focus and Wilkinson Present: Portals set blew minds and had everyone vibing.
The sound of drum and bass permeated the bassPOD in the best ways all weekend long, but while other sets definitely brought the energy there was no better one to be at than Sub Focus and Wilkinson Present: Portals. These two drum and bass legends put on one of the best performances we’ve seen as they ran through hit tracks and had the crowd bouncing along with them the entire time.
Whether it was moments when tracks like Sub Focus’ “Tidal Wave” and “It’s Time” with Gene Farris boomed through the speakers or others when Wilkinson’s “Keep Dancing” and “Used To This” with Issey Cross took control of souls, there wasn’t a moment the crowd wasn’t captivated. And when Sub Focus’ cut of “Do It To It” dropped everyone lost their minds – this hour of drum and bass was simply just not enough.
