Rehan Ally
Online Editor
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is a multi-day electronic music festival that takes place in venues across the nation. This year, EDC Orlando was held at the historic Tinker Field for its 7th year.
After years of waiting, I was finally able to attend the festival. It was everything I dreamed it would be, and more. Walking into the festival, my first thought was how beautiful and colorful everything and everyone was.
There were three different stages; the kineticFIELD, the circuitGROUNDS, and the neonGARDEN.
One of the goals of the festival is to promote “going green” and recycling to help the planet.
The kineticFIELD, also known as the main stage was structured to represent Gaia, the Greek Goddess of Mother Earth.
Among the many art installations, a unique one was The Kracken. It was a serpent like sculpture made from debris collected after Hurricane Irma.
Also, the festival promoted recycling by having a booth called the Earth Emporium where festivalgoers could collect bottles and cans and exchange them for prizes.
Major performances included Diplo, Marshmello, Galantis, Kaskade, Zedd, and many more.
I was able to sit down with one of the major headliners, Alan Walker and hear his thoughts.
Walker is a 20-year-old artist from Norway who began his music career in 2011 by learning through YouTube tutorials.
“Rocketing” is the word he used to describe his music career thus far as it has been progressing rapidly.
So far he has performed at EDC Mexico, EDC Las Vegas, and this years EDC Orlando on the main stage.
“I think it’s really important for me to remember where I came from, what I started with and who I started with. And the most important thing is to remember to keep my feet on the ground,” he says.
His advice to students in college who want to pursue a career in music is that they should go for it.
“There are so many opportunities available now, which makes everything very accessible. And it’s important to keep going even though things might not work out immediately. You never know when success is around the corner, my career and story is a testament to that,” he says.
Since it is the Electric Daisy Carnival, there were many colorfully illuminated rides around the festival including a Ferris wheel and a spinning swing.
Many food and merchandise vendors were scattered across the festival. Food selections ranged from Asian style noodles to gyros and vegan food options. Merchandise vendors sold items ranging from bohemian apparel to light-up candy and glow-in-the-dark clothing and jewelry.
There were also some booths set up for charity organizations.
To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit dedicated to those struggling with depression, suicide, and addiction, had a concept where festivalgoers could write an encouraging note, put it on the wall, and then take a note in exchange.
Love, Hope, Strength allowed festivalgoers to enter themselves into the national bone marrow donation registry. Project #OpenTalk provided counseling and information for substance abuse, sexual health, and mental health.
EDC strives to promote peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR). It is a festival where everyone can be himself or herself without judgment. It is an event for acceptance, fun, and enjoying life. I think everyone can take what EDC has to offer with its festivities and its message of PLUR because it speaks to all walks of life.