EDC Mexico married the best of Insomniac’s curation and production with local flair from OCESA to create a memorable experience that stood tall.
The past decade has seen true dominance in the festival scene from Insomniac in the US. Thousands flock to experiences from the behemoth brand like EDC Las Vegas, Beyond Wonderland, Nocturnal Wonderland, and more annually to get their fix of electronic music. Yet their reach extends beyond American soil, bringing EDC Mexico to life each year with partners OCESA.
Living close to the border, I’ve always eyed EDC Mexico as an opportunity to explore what an Insomniac festival might be like outside of the US. For years I watched the livestreams, heard how amazing the crowds were, and saw it grow to an immense size with an added third day. In late 2024 I decided it was time to experience it for myself, and after spending a weekend in Mexico City I can confidently say it was one of the best festivals I’ve attended.
My trip to EDC Mexico didn’t begin with the festival.
Much like any other trip beyond the confines of Southern California, I opted to arrive the day before, and I’m glad that I did. Not only did this ensure that I could attend the festival’s first day, but it also allowed me to explore Mexico City and attend one of the pre-parties in town.
Thursday night, Insomniac Records took over the venue at the W Hotel for their pre-party. The burgeoning label brought a Latin house-infused lineup filled with quality sets. Unfortunately, we missed OS and PAUZA, but we arrived just as Wakyin and Luch were on the decks for their b2b set. The crowd was electric the entire time, setting the stage for Maz to take control soon after. It was a solid start to the weekend and helped build the energy for what would come at EDC Mexico itself.
I was excited as I headed to EDC Mexico on Friday, but traffic dulled that just a tad.
Google Maps stated that the distance from our hotel to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was 30 minutes, but it took much longer due to traffic. Mexico City’s layout is more European than American, and our ride raced us through side streets to get there as quickly as possible.
Our full ride from the hotel to the festival grounds took an hour and a half, but we felt lucky compared to others who reported two and a half hours or longer. Even a few artists, like Layton Giordani, struggled with the traffic. He missed his entire set on Friday night because of it.
Once we arrived at the venue and went through security, it was clear how spacious Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was.
We entered through Puerta 15 each day of the festival for a seamless entry experience, and were inside within minutes. From there, I could hear the booming sounds coming from the wasteLAND stage to my left and happy chatter from attendees. Yet it was clear that this was only a slice of the action.
Over the years, I’ve become used to the expansive nature of EDC Las Vegas, but EDC Mexico’s venue felt even more immersive. Beyond the Wasteland stage, down a pathway, was neonGARDEN, and deeper into the venue were the massive structures for bionicJUNGLE, stereoBLOOM, the Dos Equis Stage, the Buho Stage, circuitGROUNDS, and kineticFIELD.
Most of the stages at EDC Mexico felt more than familiar, as they used elements from the Las Vegas and Orlando editions. I appreciated the new look for bionicJUNGLE, which first debuted at the festival in 2022, compared to its smaller cousin at EDCLV. The Dos Equis Stage and Buho Stage were nice touches for something different—these two predominantly featured Latin artists who played everything from house and techno to reggaeton and more.
The rest of the grounds featured countless activations, vendors, and EDC’s signature carnival rides.
You couldn’t walk more than a few minutes without encountering something to do at EDC Mexico. The typical carnival rides – which included multiple Ferris Wheels, a carousel, swings, and more – were easy to stumble upon, but all had lengthy lines late into the night.
Beverage vendors were stationed on Daisy Lane, Power Path, and Rainbow Road, and around stages to ensure everyone could grab anything from beer to water. Mobile drink vendors also moved throughout the crowds, so you didn’t even need to leave your spot!
If you were hungry, food vendors were all over the place as well. Instead of typical American fare that I’m used to, there were plenty of Mexican treats including cups of corn, spicy snacks, and even stands selling Cup of Noodles. The food truck area was also filled with plenty of options from burritos to birria tacos, and more.
Beyond the food’s tastiness, the price made it even better. Most food and beverage options ranged from 50 to 300 pesos, which currently converts to about $2.50 to $15 USD. That is far more cost-efficient than the prices at festivals in the US.
Activations were also plentiful, with vibrant booths from companies like Monster Energy, Takis, Dos Equis, Pepsi, Sico, Flashlight, Oxxo, Smirnoff, and Telcel. None of them felt out of place as each had their flair, whether providing an activity for attendees or giving away product samples or swag.
Something entirely different about the grounds themselves was that most everywhere was covered by an astroturf-like material. I did find it a bit difficult to navigate at times, as obstacles like curbs, random cement or metal boxes, rocks, and more were underneath. I tripped a few days over random objects, but by the third day I had gotten my footing.
As the crowds began to swell each night, I was happy to have decided to opt for VIP passes.
Not only did VIP access get you into the festival quicker, but there were exclusive areas at neonGARDEN, circuitGROUNDS, and kineticFIELD to chill out in. Each area felt huge, offered some seating options, and gave you the best chance to get close to the stage. Additionally, there were a plethora of bars and additional vendors throughout, not to mention the trailer restrooms, which became a godsend as the night went on.
One of the coolest perks of VIP was the pathway between kineticFIELD and circuitGROUNDS. You could wait in line to hop on a golf cart to take you between the stages, but the five-minute walk between the two made it extremely easy to go between them. Unfortunately, I only found out about the latter of those two late in the weekend, but it felt like a blessing to hop between them without leaving the VIP area.
One aspect of EDC Mexico I’d love to see implemented elsewhere was the wristband payment system.
Unlike EDC Las Vegas or EDC Orlando, EDC Mexico featured a cardless and cashless payment system. You could preload your wristband with pesos before the festival or do it on-site at the festival, and the process took mere minutes. When you went to purchase anything from food to drinks to merch, the vendor only had to tap your wristband to collect payment.
Not having to dig into my bag for my wallet or phone each time I wanted to pay for something made the experience even more seamless. I’m sure that there are plenty of hoops to jump through to make this happen in the US, but it would save tons of time.
All the artists I caught at EDC Mexico played their hearts out during their sets.
I immersed myself in everything from house and techno to trance and hard dance throughout the weekend, as, in true EDC fashion, a range of genres were present. I loved catching some tried-and-true acts, but plenty more was also offered by local Mexican acts.
Some of the standouts throughout the weekend included Sara Landry, Chase & Status, TRYM, Mau P, Martin Garrix, Duke Dumont, AFROKI, KREAM, Nico Moreno, and Oliver Heldens. Although these were artists I could see North of the border, they all brought plenty of heat and the crowds were totally in tune with what they were playing. I was also impressed by artists like Rebolledo, DEAFNY, EMJAY, Bautista, Moisees, and more representing their home country.
One of the biggest surprises was Deorro’s set. He leaned into his Mexican roots during his “El Reventon” performance and shook things up entirely. He played out some of his biggest hits and brought a flurry of surprise guests, including Jasiel Nunez, Neton, and Gabito Ballesteros, among others.
The crowd was something that I heard about constantly online, and everyone I encountered was fantastic.
Discussions about EDC Mexico, and Mexico in general, typically brought up points about how the crowd would be totally into sets and there for the music. That was the case throughout the weekend, as I only saw many phones in the air during a few sets from major artists. Everyone else was dancing, drinking, or having a good time with friends.
That said, I did see reports on social media and from chatting with others at the festival who had their phones stolen or bags slashed. Those situations are unfortunate and can happen at any festival, so it’s always important to be aware of your surroundings and to keep your valuables safe.
Interactions between myself and others were generally pleasant. I’ll be the first to admit that while I was taught Spanish and have heard it most of my life, the language barrier was a bit difficult at times. This was mostly an issue when trying to have more technical conversations, but I could still do practically everything I wanted to with the limited Spanish I know.
I would also love to give a massive shoutout to our Head of Socials, Destinee, who was a tremendous help to me all weekend. She ensured that the language barrier was non-existent when I was with her, and I am grateful she was there. Make sure to check out all of the fantastic content she created on our Instagram.
I will look back fondly on my first experience at EDC Mexico.
After years of attending the same festivals and feeling a bit burnt out, EDC Mexico renewed my passion. Being far from home in a foreign country, yet being able to catch incredible sets, eat delicious food, and be immersed in crowds who all loved the same thing I do was such a surreal feeling.
If you’re looking for a festival experience like that, I cannot recommend EDC Mexico enough. You get the best of Insomniac mixed with the best of Mexican culture, and it’s some true magic I think everyone should check out at least once.
