EDC LAS VEGAS 2025

EDC 2025: Thoughts and Reflections Under the Electric Sky

1) The slight tweaks to the layout of EDC this year showed continued dedication to always improving traffic flow as ticket sales increase. However, there are certain artists that need more careful thought on which stage they are placed on irrespective of the genre. Case in point, Levity. Levity has just blown up with GenZ the last two years since the unofficial Britney Spears Toxic remix. I knew that Basspod cannot accommodate 25,000 people let alone 35K. The audience wrapped around the art installation and was a massive cluster for Circuit Grounds. Forget about trying to get to Wasteland let alone cutting across to Circuit Grounds. I knew better to leave after 30 minutes so I could get to my locker and then Kinetic with plenty of time for a major set I had plans to see.

2) The new grandstand for Circuit Grounds VIP was awesome but the new entrance and exits were game changers for this stage. They got it right, otherwise, it would have been a total disaster. This was very good news and under reported. Something similar will need to be done next year for Cosmic Meadow VIP entrance as it was a cluster.

3) I believe they made the top entrance to Kinetic Field wider this year. This is what my gut tells me from each time I went into Kinetic Field from the top of GA. Creating the art installations in front of it and to the left was super smart for people to use those hopefully as meetup spots rather than either side below the Owls.

4) Friday was solid rave vibes. I told many first timers to really enjoy Day 1 because the single day ticket holders would change the vibes and add at least ⅓ more people which it did. Most of the single day ticket holders I find are either dipping their interest in the water and/or came to see one particular artist. They definitely do not consider themselves ravers and make it very clear that they do not care. This definitely complicates the energy and PLUR vibes.

Nonetheless, the best advice that I follow myself is to go out of your way to simply say “excuse me”; it does get tiresome to say over and over and over thru 80,000 people but it has to be done and its the responsibility of the person leading your group. Putting the biggest asshole at the front is a great way to bring bad karma into a set.

5) The amount of money that I have spent on Insomniac Events the last 7 years is shocking when you include all the free festival tickets from Ravers Naturals Giveaways. I don’t understand how I’m not in Insomniac Passport by now. Happy to show the receipts! Lol.

6) On the food. I loved eating a hot Papa John’s pizza. I am not a fan of the founder but the hot pizza really is easy for me digest for some reason and gives me a boost. As for food in Kinetic Field VIP, I liked the Gyro vendor and the one next to it the Chinese food vendor Laomazing - wow they had some great food including a bobba smoothie.

7) The Sound System. I can attest from several sets in Kinetic Field that it was much louder this year. Last year I was on the rail for Tiesto and Armin. The decibels reached 120. This year there was no way I could do the rail as the subwoofers were making triachia vibrate from 10 feet back. Those were new subwoofers or tuned differently this year because that was unreal. Even at 20 to 30 feet from the rail the Subs were melting your brain. I found that about 35 feet was still insanely loud over 100 decibels but manageable if the vibrations didn’t keep dislodging the seal of your ear plugs like for me. Nonetheless, the sound was incredible across every stage.

8) On facility essentials, I think there needs to be more water stations and they don’t have to be as long as the main ones. I think the time has come to try to create traffic lanes with LED arrows overhead like Tomorrowland does. It won’t fix the chaos per se but it will help some for the walk from Basspod to Kinetic that is called Power Path on the map.

9) Never enough time to explore. That window of 7 to 8pm is never enough time because you are running errands etc. like the locker, bathroom, catching your breath, and dinner. I think gates at 6:30pm would be ideal and only 30 minutes added to the performers weight they have to carry. The Performers are amazing and Pasquale really out does himself with this. The costumes cost is not cheap and it is something he could cut or reduce if he wanted to increase profits but he doesn’t. He has a vision for EDC and where there are increases in costs they are made up for in more merch sold and Sponsorship deals. He is a savvy businessman and incredible entrepreneur - truly a Harvard Business School case study or it should be one and I should be the one to teach it to! Ha!

10) The Music ! I doubt anyone has gotten this far but if you have…you are cool as fuck! Use this discount code at checkout for 20% off on your order: PLUR

Well, who did I love that I saw. Who did I wish I didn’t miss.There is an important element of always seeing someone new at festivals and expanding your horizons. I am getting much closer to a day in the future that I can say that I’ve seen 80% of all the names on the lineup who are established DJ’s and even some of the up-and-comers.

NEWLY SCENE ARTISTS

I was stoked that I saw Girl Math at Cosmic Meadow on Day 3 at 7pm. They really have something cooking here and loved their energy and movement behind the decks. I also was super impressed with a newer name to the American techno scene but yet he’s a Berlin Legend and that is Marlon Hoffstadt. I would highly recommend both.  I was sad I didn’t make it to BELTRAN who I have never seen before.

SAD I MISSED

I was sad I had to miss ARGY - he is going to be one of the all-time greats. Definitely, see him when you can. I would have liked to have seen HEDEX, LIL TEXAS, and SVDDEN DEATH but I had conflicts unfortunately. A few others being OF THE TREES and TAPE B. These guys are really innovators in their space. And goes without saying that I love Sullivan King but I’ve seen Sully 5 times in the last year.

FAVORITES - DAY 1

Day 1 was such a high being back in the speedway that truly is Insomniac’s all the way.

So MAX STYLER has been making music for a long time now and in prior years it was nothing like what he’s doing now. I think not putting limits on your music and allowing yourself to evolve without saying “oh man but now I’m not on brand” is a scary but key to arriving at whatever one deems “success”. I am happy for Max. He’s worked with nearly everyone in the U.S. EDM production. I really enjoyed his opening at Circuit Grounds.

ALOK finished his set with my favorite track ALLEIN ALLEIN with Argy’s remix and I was on a cloud above Kinetic Field floating. That track takes my dopamine to outerspace. This raver next to me out of the hundreds around us was on my wavelength and we went absolutely mad together. I got a special piece of Kandi after that one to that I’ll never forget. ALOK was riding into EDC Las Vegas off the high from his incredible Coachella performances. I could feel that energy from him.

RL GRIME versus SARA LANDRY. Ugh that was so hard but I had recently seen Sara and I haven’t seen RL in a long while so he won this time. Perhaps the wrong choice since I knew it was Sara’s EDC Mainstage debut. I love seeing artists Kinetic Field debut like Subtronic’s 2024 performance. RL Grime was fantastic and he was super stoked up there. A classic bass artist.

Speaking of a stage debut, TIESTO for the first time played Circuit Grounds. I had to see as much of it as I could knowing that it would be totally new style of set from him. It would not be a Mainstage festival set at all and of course I was proven right. It was a super chill and energy build. He played John Summit’s Light Years which I did not see coming and it was super chill.

That said we dashed to see ALESSO’S close with a light jog across the festival to see his last 10 minutes. Wow, that was incredible - you have to respect triple mashups. Those big room triple mashups are what mega festival main stage sets are all about. These triple mashups are the core of what Tomorrowland is all about. And I would also add that I think he chipped in for the insane drone shows that went above and beyond what all the other artists got. I think he paid for those extra designs.

So we arrive now at DOM DOLLA and DJ SNAKE.

DOM DOLLA in the last year as risen to the worldwide mega-star status. You gotta make hits and craft insane sets to get there and he’s done it in spades. Crazy story, on Day 2, my friends from Deflare Fans said he was just sitting alone in VIP with a hoodie over his head and he was like, yep I’m Dom Dolla and gave them a hug by the bathrooms. Hilarious story. Super cool bloke.

DJ SNAKE

You don’t just get the most important rave inhaler name without being one of the Top 5 greatest electronic music producers and DJ’s of all-time. LET ME LOVE EUCALPYTUS will someday be in William’s hands. Hot off of his insane STADEFRANCE CONCERT from the Saturday before in Paris, DJ SNAKE threw down another classic mainstage Kinetic Field banger of a set.

He did seem to leave before the track ended which I’ve never seen him do and I think it was because he had special guest SHORELINE MAFIA  come out just before the end and he wanted to take pics with them or leave with them. No idea but I’ve never seen William ditch out before the last note played.

I did not get to see William’s hip hop set on Day 2 unfortunately but I’m sure it was super fun to watch from the Cosmic Meadow bleachers.

DAY 2

After our cobranded meetup with DeFlare Fans, we went to watch Dimension. He is so damn good. Stayed for Ben Nicky who is so consistent. Love his sets.

I would say favorite set of Day 2 was FISHER for me. Many ID’s and he is just so good and so much fun. Mau P opening was delayed due to winds which was a bummer but Rezz was on time and she dropped 7 ID’s if I recall and one with Deadmau5. Bummer to miss the surprise set by ISOKNOCK but I had to catch my SUB ZERO PROJECT because I love them so much. They are my favorite in Hardstyle.

I will note that while I was eating a super late dinner at Quantum - once the wind delay cleared, COSMIC GATE did an incredible abridged 30 minute set that was like a Masterclass on how to create a mini full set and take the audience on a full journey in like warp speed with their Hits rather than just coming out and freestyling it.

KASKADE threw down a great set but definitely for the biggest fans you have to be patient for the 2nd half when he starts to mix the Hits and the feels get intense. It was definitely out of no where when he brought out AHEE for that ID collaboration. I was like what is happening right now.

I would have loved to see LEVEL UP and also knowing that Jesse SUBTRONICS would for sure come out and play an ID or mix for 5 minutes with here. But I finished out at Kinetic and MEDUZA’s set was good, not my favorite I’ve heard from them but it was cool.

DAY 3

The plan went out the window in order to meet up with some new friends from the Ravers Naturals meetup on Day 2. I was happy to hang but a bit sad I missed NORA EN PURE’s Kinetic Field debut set. Nonetheless, I did say it was time for me to go when it was close to LEVITY’s 9:30pm start and the group agreed. The audience or crowd was as massive as I was expecting it to be. They should have been on Cosmic Meadow but that would have been some politics had Insomniac done that. They are still “paying their dues” but they for sure know that it created massive traffic problems for that entire side of the festival. They will be Cosmic next time or possibly an 8pm Kinetic Field set.

I then went to rest my feet and eat dinner while listening to ARTBAT b2b MORTEN which was a solid choice. Rest my feet because I had two of my favorite artists coming up in a bit and would require 3.5 hours in Kinetic Field GA close to the front for MARTIN GARRIX and into ARMIN VAN BUUREN.

We went in about 25 minutes before Martin came on and I was happily surprised to hear some of a JAMES HYPE set for the first time. I will say I was bummed to miss INZO. I love his music.

MARTIN GARRIX has a Ravers Naturals inhaler named after him - as do Armin Van Buuren and Tiesto. All 3 of these Dutch Producer DJ’s are in my Top 3 and performed on the last day. Wild thing I will never forget.

I named Ravers Naturals Vanilla - "Starlight Vanilla" after the track Starlight from Martin’s 2022 Album Sentio. He played the track last also which he has not been doing lately so that was extra special.

We had an amazing group in the front and I really couldn’t believe how insane the energy was with everyone around us freaking out. Garrix is a global phenomenon - his music is so uplifting and good that he is still at the very top. A true music producer savant and still makes his own music in the studio - no ghost producers, no “finishers” while he’s on the road.

ARMIN VAN BURREN did a very new set with tons of new music. I had just seen him at Dreamstate last November in L.A. and his 3 hour Red Rocks Amphitheatre the week before in Morrison, Colorado. So i had a lot to compare it to. I would say that it was really good but not the typical mega festival set. This was fine with me as I like to see the DJ happy and evolving and not constrained to just play crazy mashups and hits like I think sometimes Alesso feels forced to do. His set was wild with the drone show he had. I caught the last 10 minutes of his set after leaving Tiesto’s on Day 1 from Circuit Grounds.

That said, TIËSTO’S IN SEARCH OF SUNRISE for Day 3 closing out EDC Las Vegas was something of a dream come true. I grew up with listening to Tiesto and I had never heard one of these sets as they are rare. I started the set recouping from Martin and Armin in VIP and then after 30 minutes of some amazing videos on the Grandstand I went into GA at the front. I would say about 40 feet from the rail. Low and behold I saw my friends with TIESTO FAMILY OFFICIAL flag and surprised AJ and friends. In the last 10 minutes, the mix came into silence and I yelled out my celebratory signature TIESTOOOOOO and Tijs heard me, easily LOL.

My friends then joined and then everyone in front of Kinetic cheered for what was the start of the last 10 minus of the set and of course when the crowd would cheer but they were so “in it” and in a state of trance it was crystal quiet. Tiesto a moment later motioned to me as he saw my TIESTO RACING HAT and then to AJ’s and our Flag - this was an incredible moment that I’ll never forget.

The “hello from Tiesto”. The group was elated and a wave of euphoria washed over them. It was exactly how it was supposed to be and go. This was my EDC 2025 hot off of my month long tour of Japan and cherry blossom season. The rest of our group who was on the rail came back and joined for the picture that I had a super nice raver take of us which you see here. What a way to close out EDC and walk away from Kinetic Field and into Monday morning.

Just like the track goes….It’s a fine day, people open windows. :)

Thanks for reading. I have a feeling that if you were at EDC also that we probably walked by each other and smiled. Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat. Check out the pin in the Store and grab some Ravers Naturals for your next concert or festival. Breathe the Rainbow.