With the sun settling down behind the mountains ahead, I took a few more steps forward and looked up. “All Are Welcome Here” was plastered above my head across a billboard painted to match the sunset behind it. On my left and right were people from every walk of life. But not a single person looked out of place. Glitter created reflections of rainbow-colored light across the ground as we all took our first steps into the Las Vegas Speedway… our first steps into the Electric Daisy Carnival. 

          Over the grandstand steps, I took my first look at the entire festival and my mouth dropped wide-open. Nothing I had ever seen could possibly look as equally intimidating and entrancing as this place did. As far as I could see in each direction, thousands of people were moving like the ripples of a river between the different stages. For just a second everything seemed to be so big, so bright, and so awesome that I didn’t even know where to begin. I don’t mean awesome like ice cream or puppies are awesome. I mean the real true meaning of the word, every single thing I could see just provoked this sense of awe in my eyes. 

          Snapping me out of my trance, the girl that I had met on the shuttles, Lava, held my hand tight as we all wandered down the pathway into the festival. Our first stop brought us right up front and center at the main stage, known to EDC as KineticFIELD. Two mechanical faces rested their eyes as the hands met almost as if in prayer in front of them. The stage lit from almost every angle looked as though it was alive. The screens placed strategically across the back and foreground of the stage created the illusion of depth needed to give the stage its own organically mechanical feel. But what really drew me in and kept me entranced throughout the entire three days of the festival, was the feeling in my chest that I got the minute that bass hit me for the first time. The deep pulsing feeling tempts you to dance and dares you to even try to stay still, as you find yourself moving along to the beat. Everyone around you is already moving and to even sway side to side along with the melody is addicting. It’s almost as if the minute you join the crowd, you all share one collective heartbeat, moving to the bassline and synching together into one energy. 

          Deciding to dive a little deeper, we all turned around wandering down the center of the festival known as Electric Avenue. To either side of us, rainbow lights were strung along the walkway. I wish I could explain to you the wonder of looking around through this festival. A Ferris Wheel lined with lights synched to the music around it, a tower made of flowers that bursts fire periodically as you pass, entertainers swaying 10s of feet into the sky as if they’re flying around you, these details among many other things create a whimsical and dreamlike atmosphere. And the best part is, not a care in the world can reach you when the world you seem to be in is so amazing. 

          The first night of EDC I spent wandering from stage to stage, just kind of getting a feel for the different atmospheres of each area. I discovered trees made of pixels that changed colors before my eyes. Walls covered in graffiti sat hidden away in the food court to lean against and study as I looked at them lost in each unique theme. And then there were the people…

          It took not even an hour of wandering around for me to be scooped up in my first unexpected hug. I remember walking back towards the main stage with my friends, and a gentleman completely covered in glitter and gems walked up in front of me telling me how beautiful and flawless I am. He reached out and hugged me, picking me up and walking towards his group laughing. Placing me down just a couple feet away we both laughed as he told his friends to look at this amazing angel he had found! I then smiled thanking him for the compliment and returned to my group wearing the biggest smile and it didn’t stop there. 

          Every time you turn around you see someone more and more beautiful. And it’s not this sense of beauty that we see in the media, I mean yes some of these people are just model perfect. But even better than that is the beauty that you see in people just being their 100% genuine selves. And that was something that you see throughout the entire festival. You can’t turn around without wanting to tell someone how amazing they look or how much you vibe with their style, and I know I was personally told more times than I could keep count of. You can’t help but feel confident in yourself and who you are when you are surrounded by such an inclusive, accepting, supportive group of people. 

          This intense inclusivity, love for authenticity, and passion for music was tangible in the air as you move through the festival, and that is why my first impression was just to be in absolute awe of everything around me. 

          For more detail into the reason a few strangers became my first ever rave family and for a crash-course on the different EDC stages, don’t forget to subscribe below for updates on my next post in the EDC Through My Eyes series.

Love always, Me