EDC is peeking its adorable, neon-tinted head around the corner. We’re readying our fuzzy leg warmers and flower-shaped pasties. As you prepare yourself mentally, physically, psychically and every other kind of ly, we want to give you a few tips to make your weekend spectacular. Some you know, others you might know, all are important. Read on and take notes if you need to. We don’t want you making any mistakes in your EDC prep.

This is a plan, as is what she plans to do with Kaskade once they meet.

Make a plan…

When you go to something as big and broad as EDC, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the volume of options. Dance, people watch, art watch, eat, drink, be merry, get merrier – what do we do next? We’ve all be there in that moment with our heads spinning. Our advice? Plan ahead of time so you know what to hit and when, what you know you can’t miss and what you want. You have to see Digweed. We’re not actually giving you a choice in that. You have to. Then you wanna check out Krewella, Alesso, Calvin Harris and your other Vegas faves. You gotta know where to get to and when. That’s where it all comes down to the plan. Of course you could also go the other way.

You can’t plan for giant beach balls. Why would you try?

…Or don’t

The important thing is to not stall out. Nothing’s worse than standing around saying, “Oh god, what should we do next.” If you’re not a planner then just walk free. EDC has rides, art, music and something for every attention span to grab. Whatever hits your eyes, whatever makes you smile, walk toward it and never wonder what’s behind you. Yeah, you might miss something that you didn’t know about because it wasn’t on your list of necessities. But you also might find something spectacular that heavy planner can’t imagine. It all comes down to whether you’re a fate or function type of person. No matter which you pick, what we don’t want to see is anyone struggling to have fun because of indecision. A lot of faults can ruin a night, but being unsure of yourself and your desires is one of the worst. Another one is losing your friends.

This woman’s buddy is a giant snake. She shall not be messed with.

The buddy system

It would make a great name for an EDM duo. Their record could be called “Throwback to Third Grade.” And they could have songs about not losing track of your friends in the crowd. EDC is a totally safe place, for a giant festival filled with people. But the whole thing is kind of dependant on the safety in numbers concept. It doesn’t have to be silly if you don’t let it. Hold hands with your bestie. Wrap your arms around them. Maybe give them a light but sincere peck as the night goes on – whatever feels right between you. Just don’t let them out of your sight. Music is meant to be shared and the experience is better when one person isn’t panicking. Stay together, stay safe and stay in sight of the action.

This is the face of someone who’s exactly where they want to be.

Know the crowd and know yourself

EDC is not the place for someone afraid of crowds. There will be lots of them. They will be everywhere and they will be dancing like ocean waves. You probably won’t end up with a mouth full of salt water when you dive in, but it’s easy to get swept away. If you know you can handle it, push your way to the front and surf like you own the sea. But if you’re not sure, if you haven’t been that deep in the throng before, keep an exit ready. Most people are aware enough to let people push their way out if need be. If you’re desperate you can try to actually surf atop the crowd, but we don’t recommend it. Fingers are a lot more intrusive than water. But no matter what you have to do, it’s better to be dancing on the outskirts than have a panic attack in the center. But by all means, if you know you can handle it, there’s nothing hotter than the deep end.

We just really like lasers. *laser noises*

The other obvious stuff

Those are our tips from experience. The more obvious stuff, the advice you’ll hear from every other source including our EDC page, is important too. Stay hydrated with free water throughout the grounds. Remember we’re in the desert so watch the forecast for heat or even rain. Don’t buy tickets from a scalper on Craigslist. And don’t hook up with strangers. We’ve been known to be flexible on that last one. EDC really is the event of a lifetime – until next year’s EDC. We just want you to build enough positive memories to come back year after year, or at least until you can’t justify being the creepy old person there anymore. But that’s like 50 years off. Find a medical station if you even think you might possibly need it. Don’t be a hero. There will also be roaming medical teams you can flag down. Above all, have fun. That’s what EDC is all about.

Comments