When a music festival has established itself as a mainstay, that’s when the real challenges start.
With every passing year, there’s an expectation that needs to be met. The artists need to be bigger. The installations need to be better. Every year needs to be greater than the last.
With expectations at an all-time high, EDC Orlando exceeded every last one this year.
Over 225,000 ravers swarmed the 40 acres of festival ground at Tinker Field, more than doubling last year’s headcount of 110,000. The lights and colors of the Electric Sky were visible for miles beyond the city and, for some Orlando residents, the bass was strong enough to be felt in their living rooms.
For 2019, the festival expanded for the very first time from two-days to three in response to the ever-growing edm community in central Florida that just can’t stop dancing. More than 160 artists performed across 4 unique stages with so many top-tier acts that it was often difficult to choose.
The two main stages were Kinetic and Circuit Grounds, where acts like Adventure Club, Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Steve Aoki kicked things off on Friday night. The bassheads and house fans had plenty to choose from all night, while those with less mainstream tastes could find their groove at the Neon Garden or StereoBloom stages where both Loco Dice and Audiofreq also performed.
The decisions only got harder on Saturday. With Deorro, San Holo, Afrojack, Rezz, and Above & Beyond all playing the mainstage, many chose to set up camp on the Kinetic field all day. But for those willing to venture elsewhere, Excision, Dombresky, and Noizu were busy throwing down some unforgettable sets of their own on the other end of the festival grounds.
With so many great artists on the lineup, it often felt like there were no gaps during the day. While it would have been great to see everyone, EDC is also a festival where the walk can be more enjoyable than the performance. From exploring the vendor village to enjoying the carnival rides that lit up the sky, every direction offered some beautiful sight to behold. EDC Orlando is a haven for so many people and when you stop and breath it all in, the happiness is 100% infectious.
On Sunday, it was hard to not feel a little sad that the festival was almost over.
After two-days of celebration and dancing it felt like EDC Orlando was just getting started. But before it was all said and done, the community came together for one more day of positive energy. Gorgon City and Fisher kept the Neon Garden shuffling, Seven Lions and RL Grime brought the bass, and as the day finally came to a close EDC Orlando was blessed with two epic sets by Zhu and the birthday boy, Diplo.
It was a fitting end to an unforgettable weekend and Orlando is already counting down the days until next year.
See you back under the Electric Sky in 2020!
