Ever since the Electric Daisy Carnival made its first appearance at the Las Vegas Speedway in 2011, hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to Sin City to take part in a three-day extravaganza that seems to be getting bigger every year. Check out some tips to survive EDC 2017 in Las Vegas.
How to Survive EDC 2017 in Vegas
For EDC-goers, the Las Vegas Speedway becomes a magical wonderland of lights, music, fashion, and fun. If you’ve never been to EDC, no matter how many stories you’ve heard or pictures you’ve seen, nothing can prepare you for the immensity of this festival when you come face-to-face with it for the first time.
This year, with recreational marijuana legalized in Nevada and medical marijuana cards easier to get than ever, there are a few things visitors to the Silver State need to know. Come prepared for the sun, the dancing, and legal developments regarding recreational marijuana with this EDC 2017 survival guide.
Buy tickets and accommodations early from a trusted source
Although tickets haven’t sold out yet, early bird tickets are already gone. We recommend using the official EDC website or a reseller with a money back guarantee. Purchasing in advance is not only cheaper, but it also gives you a larger window to prepare for the event and solve any issues that might come up with your tickets.
Although EDC is taking over much of Vegas, especially this year with the official kick-off of EDC Week 2017 starting June 12th, keep in mind that Vegas weekends are ALWAYS busy. EDC is one of the busiest weekends in town all year. Vegas is full of hotels, but those with the best rates will be booked ASAP by the hundreds of thousands of people planning to go to EDC this year. If you want to make sure you’re getting a good room for a good price, the earlier, the better.
For the first time this year, EDC Fan Experience has joined forces with Insomniac and their casino partners to provide shuttle and accommodation packages to ensure that you have convenient accommodations and transportation to and from all of your EDC adventures. Keep in mind that you must be 21 or older to book a room.
Hydration is key
Las Vegas is in the desert, and this year’s weather forecast is in the triple digits during the week of EDC. The extreme heat is just one of the reasons why the festival highlights hydration, and all festival-goers have access to free water via hydration stations or water for purchase with any of the festival’s hundreds of vendors.
EDC just released it’s 2017 map, and we recommend you keep a digital or physical copy on you at all times. Keep drinking water throughout the day—even if you’re not thirsty. Dehydration can happen quickly, and it’s one of the surest ways to cut your weekend of fun short.
Pace yourself when it comes to letting loose
If you’ve been planning to use EDC as a weekend to binge drink and take a cocktail of different drugs, this may not be the festival or the venue for you. EDC has a strict no tolerance stance when it comes to illegal drugs and over consumption, which you can read more about here. The festival will also be working in conjunction with law enforcement throughout the weekend to ensure that no laws are violated, and no lives are lost.
Tread carefully during EDC week
This week, there are more than a dozen different events during the day and evening that will tempt you out of the hotel and into some of the town’s most well-known day clubs, bars, and pool parties. Although this is your week to hang loose and have fun, keep in mind that these affairs are all merely leading up to the main event. In short, pace yourself.
If you insist on hitting the Strip for a good time, make sure to keep your drinking and partying under control; hydrate as you drink and try to take a nap before starting your EDC evening activities.
Designated drivers, rideshares, and shuttle passes
EDC can be an expensive weekend, but the investment of a shuttle pass is worth it. Although you may think that having your car would be convenient, unless you are planning to stay sober or have a designated driver, it’s not worth the risk of a DUI.
If you’re not sure about how shuttle services work, check out this useful shuttle guide provided by the festival. Uber will also be offering rides on EDC weekend. The rideshare service will even have an Uber Rider Lounge so festival-goers can wait in comfort. Many of these are close to the entrance for easy drop-off and pick-up.
The early bird beats traffic…mostly
You’ve invested hundreds of dollars, time, and energy making it to EDC, so make sure you have the time to enjoy it. By getting to the Las Vegas Speedway early, you’ll get a chance to explore EDC without the crush of people while cutting down your travel time significantly. If you plan on leaving at 10 or 11 PM, be prepared to wait in tons of traffic. Similarly, if you can’t pull yourself away from the festival 30-60 minutes before it’s over, you’d find yourself caught in a two-hour trek to the hotel.
Opt for comfort in all things
Unless you’ve purchased a VIP experience, you’re going to be spending most of your time at EDC on your feet and in the heat. That means going with comfortable—and safe—sneakers and light layers that can be easily added or taken off.
Keep your phone alive
If you don’t have a portable charger, one of the easiest options you have is to keep your phone on airplane mode when you’re not using it. Because service is notoriously bad at EDC, you won’t be missing much, and this should help your battery last all night long. Another option made available to festival goers are charging locker stations at a couple of different locations onsite.
Keep tabs on your group by scheduling regular meet-ups
EDC is huge, and there’s a lot to explore. It’s always a good idea to establish a “home base” location and different times for your group to meet in case anyone loses the group or wants a chance to explore a different area of the festival.
We suggest planning to meet up every three or four hours so you aren’t wasting tons of time traveling back to your group’s meet up site. It’s also a good idea to make sure that everyone has their essentials like IDs and wristbands each time you meet and before you leave to and from the festival.
Leave room in your budget and bring cash
There’s no getting around high costs on the Strip during any weekend, and EDC 2017 in Vegas is no different. If you’re new to Vegas, make sure you’re aware of hidden fees and cover charges.
While you’re at the festival, although many vendors can accept credit cards, there will be cash-only vendors as well.
- Try to take out your cash before landing or arrival in Vegas or, if possible, at a Vegas branch of your bank to save yourself from high ATM fees at EDC or in the casinos.
- If you’re coming in from out of state, you may also want to advise your bank or credit card company that you’ll be traveling to Vegas and to expect to see a bunch of charges reflecting that.
Get Same-Day ReLeaf with an Out-of-State ID and Prestodoc
Las Vegas Releaf recognizes and accepts all state-issued medical marijuana cards and participates in a medical marijuana reciprocity program in conjunction with other states that have legalized cannabis. Currently, Nevada is the only state to allow patients from other medical marijuana states to access their ReLeaf legally while visiting.
We see millions of visitors every year, and we are committed to offering medical marijuana patients from around the country access to their medical marijuana as easily as they could in their home state.
Get your card in one day if there are appointments available
If your state has medical marijuana program, check out Prestodoc today to start the simple and convenient process to getting your medical marijuana card in three days or less. Our shop is right near the Strip and open 24 hours a day, so there’s no need to wait for your ReLeaf!
