EDC Las Vegas vs Tomorrowland Belgium
Background: I’ve been to EDC 2015, 2016 and 2017 [edit: and now 2018 and 2019, this story was written in 2017]; I went to Tomorrowland 2017. I made this guide so you can get a sense of the differences between the two, which make up the three “majors,” the third being Ultra Miami, which I haven’t tried yet. My taste and expectations are likely to be different than yours; I’m not trying to tell you that one of these is clearly better than the other, I’m just here to tell you what my experience was like. To give you a frame of reference for where I’m coming from, I’m a 34 year old gay dude from San Francisco, and I started going to EDC after years of going to circuit parties, which are kind of like gay raves but with a monolithic and somewhat repetitive sound, less production, and a lot more overt sexuality. Though I now do both, I enjoy the rave scene because it’s so accepting, and I like the music more. My taste in EDM skews towards the mainstream/pop/trance end of the spectrum (favorite albums: Dash Berlin-We Are Pt. 1; Galantis-Pharmacy), and I’m weird in that I’d rather be in hot weather than cold.
My pictures from TML 2017: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105274977833964.1073741862.3322603&type=1&l=78fdc47c23
360 Video from TML 2017: https://youtu.be/fbYoZtqNscY
Estimated Total Cost (from SFO)
EDCLV:
$436 ticket
$110 shuttle pass
$200 my share of the hotel (4 nights, 4 to a room)
$330 flight from SFO
$50 drinks (I don’t do alcohol)
$80 food (eat, sleep, rave, repeat: one major meal a day and breakfast)
= $1206 (€1025)
Tomorrowland Belgium:
$2290 Global Journey Silver hotel package (Radisson RED Brussels) incl festival ticket, 6 nights at hotel, breakfast, shuttle pass, “Belgian Journey” tour of Brussels, and detox day activities for two ($1339 each)
$54 Tomorrowland Steakhouse experience (each; 2 required)
$45 food (much of it provided by the hotel, Belgian Journey and Detox Day)
$50 drinks (I don’t do alcohol)
$1300 flight in economy from SFO w/checked bag
= $2788 (€2370)
Ticketing
EDC:
EDCLV 2016 sold out; EDCLV 2017 did not. GA is under $500 (€425) including fees. Theoretically non-transferrable, but it’s possible to apply your non-removable wristband loosely and resell it if you can’t attend all three. Payment plan available.
Ticket comes in a nice box (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHx7dWCjXXw), usually with some included trinkets (meditation bead necklace and keychain in 2016) and a guidebook explaining the festival, including a short primer on PLUR culture.
TML:
Consistently sells out; 2017 sold out of standalone (without travel/camping included) tickets in 5 hours. It’s unknown how many tickets they sell stand-alone vs in packages, or whether the packages completely sold out, but towards the end very few package options remained. The package was generally a good deal, with six nights at the hotel plus tickets and shuttle passes for two for $2290 (€1947). Individual day tickets (and a dizzying array of other options) are also available.
The ticket arrived in an elaborate “treasure case” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uW7_9mtf08) with a music box that plays the Tomorrowland Theme, composed by Hans Zimmer, when opened. A pair of dancers twirl inside, and a drawer contains your removable (faux?) leather wristband.
VIP
EDC:
A $359 (€305) upcharge from GA buys a long list of upgrades: VIP viewing decks, concierge, VIP ferris wheel, private restaurant with burlesque (!), body paint, oxygen bar, kandi making station, ball pit, games, photo booths, VIP water/food/bathroom/chill zone access, fast pass access to rides, free breakfast and others. I’ve never tried this personally.
TML:
An approx €200 ($235) euro premium over GA gets you a “Comfort Access” pass: access to less crowded/weather shielded areas at the stages, shorter bathroom/food/drink lines, and some other perks. I had a regular pass, so I don’t have first hand experience.
Attendance
EDC:
135,000 on opening night (likely same on Sat/Sun)
TML:
“400,000” over two weekends —it’s not clear how this breaks down because of the individual-day ticket option, 200,000 unique visitors per weekend? I’ve seen some argue that the total capacity of the festival grounds is 60,000, which I don’t believe is correct, since I’ve also seen 60K listed as the capacity of the main stage. I’ve heard 185,000/day and I believe it; it feels significantly bigger than EDC.
Date
EDC
Three nights in mid June, 8 PM (20:00)-5:30 AM. Sunset time 8 PM (20:00), sunrise 5:23 AM.
TML
Two weekends-admission is to one weekend. Each weekend is three days in late July, 12 PM-1 AM Fr-Sat, 12 PM-12 AM (0:00) Sun. Sunset time 9:35 PM (21:35)
Weather
EDC
In the daytime, temperatures climb above 100˚F (38˚C), at nighttime, even at the coolest moment before dawn, the temperature never falls below the lower 80s/upper 70s (26–27˚C). A dry, hot wind usually blows early in the evening. For me, much of the magic of EDC is the warm nights that enable wearing as little as possible all night long. If you hate heat, you may be miserable. Wear quick-drying gym clothes.
Hydration in the heat is a serious issue, with at least one death at the event per year, often attributed to a combination of substance use and heat. A camelbak or frequent trips to the free water bottle refill station are a must.
TML
Northern european summer means that it’s mostly cloudy with occasional moments of sun, and occasional rain. Daytime temperatures ranged from mid-60s to mid 70s (18–24˚C), Friday was colder at night (lower 60s and windy) than the other days. When I was there on W2, the rain never got beyond a light and brief patter, though a few drops landed throughout the weekend. The staff distributes free ponchos during rain. It was less miserable than I expected, but to be honest, the persistent gloom put a damper on my mood and necessitated carrying/shuffling in and out of the locker weather-appropriate clothing, which was a pain.
I expected to need a jacket/hoodie at night, but as long as I was in the crowd, I was fine in shorts, a shirt, and a flag-cape (which adds a surprising amount of warmth). Walking between stages in the cold wind on Friday was uncomfortable; it was fine the other nights.
Air Travel
EDC
Not packaged/managed by EDC.
TML
Global Journey packages can include flights on Brussels Airlines Tomorrowland-painted plaines, with DJs at the gate and on the plane (not on all routes). Global Journey packages can also include a tour of Europe.
Camping
EDC
Not offered.
TML
35,000 people camp at Tomorrowland. Wide range of choices in Dreamville (the official campgrounds on the festival site) from BYO-tent “plot of grass” to €40,000 “mansions” with swimming pools. The names for each are bombastic and amusing: you can hang in your “Spectacular DreamLodge” or chill in your “Relax Room” if the grass of “Magnificent Greens” isn’t magnificent enough for you.
Our friends who camped said that the hot water ran out in the showers, leaving you to take a cold shower… in the cold.
Hotels
EDC
EDC just started offering hotel packages in 2017, so I haven’t had a chance to try them. Tons of availability in Las Vegas. My choice: Stratosphere, 10 min walk from a shuttle stop, 3-star rating, averages 150/night and sleeps 4/room. Booking WAY in advance is highly advisable, as prices skyrocket as the city fills up for EDC.
TML
Global Journey packages can include hotel stays and theme hotels; Global Journey hotels have festival staff on-site to orient you, and there were 27 to choose from. Also plenty of availability in Brussels, Antwerp, etc… The theme hotels even had TML branded toiletries. We stayed at Radisson RED, which we liked.
Pre-Party
EDC
Many DJs play sets at the strip hotels, these are listed in the official app (as “EDC Week,” but admission is not included).
TML
Official pre-pre-party at the beautiful historic town square in Brussels for Global Journey guests, and a pre-party at a venue in Brussels. Global Journey guests arriving on Wednesday were surprised with admission and transportation to The Gathering, the Dreamville-only pre-party that has previously featured Tiesto and Afrojack (2017, the headliner was Lost Frequencies). On Thursday, the city of Brussels is full of “People of Tomorrow” wearing flags and arriving for the festival.
Transportation to the Venue
EDC
Official shuttles managed by EDC are about $100 for the weekend, pick up at several locations along the strip, and most run continuously through the night. (6 PM [18:00]-2 AM to the festival; 2 AM-8 AM from the festival) Some routes sell out. Entry bag check/security in 2017 was at the shuttle pickup, not at the venue. Lines at opening and closing can be up to three hours long in blistering heat — and the festival is a 45 minute ride away. EDC stopped allowing third party shuttles to drop off at the event in 2017. Parking and Uber/Lyft ($$$) are also options but must share a narrow road in/out.
New for 2017 were “Premier Shuttles” for a $100 (€85) upcharge over standard that include a daily goody bag with sealed gum and lip balm (because you can’t bring unsealed items through security) smaller busses, a better waiting area and reserved departure times (9, 10, 11, 12; departing the festival at 3, 4, or 5:45)
TML
In 2017, there were 8 hotel shuttle routes, with no more than five stops each. Official shuttles from Global Journey hotels run ONCE at festival opening (all-aboard at 12, or else) and an hour after closing, forcing you to go from open to close, and the post-event pickup zone was a 4-km (2.4 mi), 40-minute walk from the event. On the first and last day, there were some modest art installations and performers along the route. Shuttles wait for a full load before departing the festival, which can take a while. On average, leaving at the end of the last set (1 AM), we got back to our hotel in Brussels at 3 AM.
Venue
EDC
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 45 min outside of Las Vegas, is a flat, paved, open space, except for grass (and grandstands) at Cosmic Meadow. The festival uses the venue buildings at the center as a locker/vendor space. There are no residential areas nearby, so the festival can run all night.
TML
De Schorre Recreation Area is a vast park with large ponds and trees. Many of the walkways are either narrow wooden bridges, floats on water, or are simply bottlenecked paths, which means the crowd slows to a crawl, it can take 20 minutes or more to get between the two biggest stages. The stages take advantage of the varied terrain, using a basin to create a natural stadium layout for the main stage, placing the Rave Cave under a brick bridge, Core among trees, and placing some stages on barges on the water. Decorations are both on the water (dragon tail; fountains) and on land. The location near a residential area means that the festival can’t operate past 1 AM on Fri/Sat, and 12 AM on Sunday.
Security
EDC
In 2017, bag checks and pat downs happened at the shuttle pickups on the strip, but were cursory. In previous years, security has been inconsistent day-to-day, with some days incredibly lax, and others with officers looking inside battery compartments, totems, socks, pat downs including crotch, etc…
There is a visible police presence inside the festival, though they generally seem to be in a good mood — you’ll often see ravers giving them kandi bracelets, which they actually wear!
Almost every year, someone dies at EDC. I would guess that security tightens in response.
Also every year, I know at least one person who gets arrested for drug possession. In Nevada, possession of more than a minuscule amount (more than 4g!) results in being charged with intent to sell, which is very serious, and results in jail time, serious fees, and a record. That’s a fast way to sink your experience…
TML
I was a bit shocked at the low security, especially given recent terror attacks in Brussels. On the first day (attending The Gathering) there was no bag check/pat down/metal detector at all, possibly because it was a last minute decision to allow guests arriving on Wednesday to attend and procedures for screening non-campers at the event hadn’t been established.
Actual festival days (my experience was as a non-camper) bags were actively discouraged, and the line was split by staff into small bags (like runners belts) and medium/large bags. We were also given clear plastic bags to empty our pockets into.
Entry security gave a cursory glance at my pocket contents (didn’t ask me to open any containers) and I walked through a metal detector. No pat down, but on some days there was a police dog. If there was a persistent visible police presence (beyond the entrance) inside the festival, I didn’t see it.
I actually hope that they read this and improve it (in the interest of detecting weapons/bombs) for next year. I heard from other festivalgoers that there were lots of plain clothes and uniformed policemen, I just didn’t see them myself.
Stages
EDC
Generally speaking, EDC stage design benefits from the nighttime nature of the event, where lighting/laser/pyro/fog effects are more effective, and so the designers don’t need to work as hard to build something that looks good in daylight. Indeed, circuit grounds basically ceases to function when the sun comes up because you can suddenly see all the scaffolding and it’s hard to see the screens in daylight.
Kinetic Field (main stage) in 2017 had a beautiful goddess-statue theme, and has pyro, water, laser, etc… features, and occasionally human performers, but nowhere near as large or elaborate as the Tomorrowland main stage. (2016 stats: 440’ wide, 70,000 capacity; I couldn’t find numbers for TML)
The second and third main stages (Circuit Grounds and Cosmic Meadow) rely heavily on LED screens and don’t have much theming/use much set design. On the plus side, Circuit Grounds usually uses artist-specific visuals on the screens, whereas most stages/acts at Tomorrowland use generic visuals.
Basspod (drum & bass/trap/dubstep) and Wasteland (hardstyle) are specific to one genre of music each and the sound coming from them (to my ear) doesn’t change over the course of the festival. That could be great if you’re fans of those genres; if you’re like me and headbanging isn’t your thing (to each their own!), then they’re just the background noise you pass as you traverse Rainbow Road between Kinetic Field and Circuit Grounds. The design of Wasteland changes from year to year, but Basspod generally doesn’t.
TML
Each stage at Tomorrowland is elaborately crafted. The main stage was incredibly wide and tall, featured acrobats, tight rope walkers, and a rotating carousel. Huge panels on either side of the stage rotated to reveal either a surface for acrobats to perform on ropes, lights, or an LED screen. Performers also moved out into the audience. My only critique of this design was that the human performers were so dwarfed by the immensity of the stage that it was often hard to spot the performers at all, and they often weren’t on camera/on screen.
The stage is elaborately lit and rigged with screens/lasers/pyro/CO2/water, but I thought it didn’t really come alive until after dark.
The second large stage, the Freedom Stage (primarily Trance DJs), recreated an indoor two-story nightclub-style venue, with LED screens that wrapped up the wall behind the DJ and onto the ceiling, so that visuals swept above the entire length of the audience.
Other stages like the Organ of Harmony with its water features recycled components of previous mainstages. The Rose Garden featured a moving dragon.
There are WAY more stages at Tomorrowland (16) than EDC (9), and the host (and thus musical theme) of the stage changes every day. This makes the schedule a bit confusing to read.
Sightlines
EDC
Stages are designed so that DJs are elevated above totems, flags, etc…
TML
Europeans warned me not to bring a totem/flagpole because it would block other peoples’ views. I was baffled by this until I arrived at the festival and realized that the DJs are barely above crowd level, so if there’s someone holding a flag over their head in front of you, you can’t see.
Theming/Art/Performers
EDC
Main stage sometimes has a theme that carries through to changeover performances. Performers during the sets often have completely random costumes that have nothing to do with the theme.
Parades/processions are listed on the schedule and include light-up elements.
Many of the art cars are imported from the Burning Man arts festival (and pretty cool). The art throughout the festival grounds provides convenient meeting points.
TML
Elaborate theming begins with the ticket box and trailer and continues through Global Journey arrival goodie bags, on-site decorations, change-over performances, and performances during the sets. Characters established in the ticket box materials and trailer appear on stage between DJ acts. Even temporary festival structures look robust and have well-designed signage.
Performers wander through the non-stage spaces randomly in elaborate costume. I saw several in the daytime, but I don’t recall seeing any at night (possibly just wasn’t where they were)
No art cars (that I’m aware of) but I saw custom built bicycles with performers in the aftermovies.
Music/Lineup
EDC
Excellent lineup; for better or worse, it’s been my experience that DJs tend to play their most popular tracks or mashups thereof — especially late at night or in sunrise sets.
The main stage has changeover performances, or at least prerecorded music/pyro/light shows. Other stages, there might be a very brief blackout between performers, but there are no announcers. (I prefer no announcers)
Sunrise sets are often the best — my favorites were Dash Berlin and Galantis
Many online complained of too much trap in 2017, and the lineup on day 3 seemed weaker than past years to me.
TML
Excellent lineup, but split over two weekends, and the lineup wasn’t announced until after you had to pick a weekend, so the artist you’re dying to see might be performing the weekend you’re not there. (Examples: Tiesto, Marhsmello, and Gareth Emery were all W1 but not W2)
It seemed to me (I’ve only been once, so YMMV) that many of the DJs sets sounded alike — nearly *everyone* did a Chester Bennington tribute, *everyone* played some version of “Reload,” “Seven Nation Army,” and “Something Like This,” and they seemed to focus more on party bangers than their hit tracks. Depending on what you like, this may be awesome or may be awful. The general sound seemed to be harder-edged than EDC, but that’s highly subjective.
The main stage had pre-recorded changeovers that each involved some sort of performance; at the other stages, an announcer brought out the next act. No downtime.
Live Stream
EDC
Broadcast has one channel and switches between stages mid-set; only some sets are available online in entirety at the end of the live stream. EDC makes an elaborate annual trailer that’s similar but shorter than Tomorrowland’s famous aftermovies. There is one feature documentary about EDC, 2014’s 3D Under the Electric Sky.
TML
4-channel broadcast includes Main and Freedom stages from start to finish; many sets are available in their entirety online, posted shortly after the live stream. Also broadcast to “Unite” events around the world. Two months after the event, TML puts out an elaborate aftermovie recap. There is one feature documentary about Tomorrowland, This Was Tomorrow (2015) and a series, People of Tomorrow.
Atmosphere
EDC
Much of the EDC magic stems from its all-night hours. Lighting and video FX work much, much better at night, and so do glow costumes and totems. Lower lighting also makes the people around you look prettier.
There’s extensive lighting and artwork installed throughout the grounds, and it’s impressive, but not as polished as TML. Aweosme aerial view: http://edmmaniac.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/aLIVE-Coverage-for-Insomniac-9.jpg
TML
The decoration, stages, detailed theming and layout of Tomorrowland give it an expansive Disneyland-like feel (http://365.tomorrowland.com/album/view/aid/19#all), but for me, the real magic didn’t begin until night — which unfortunately came around 10 PM. The scale and thoughtfulness of it is impressive, from the Miele-sponsored laundry facility to the MAC makeup counter to the free deodorant (applied by smiling “fresh point” attendants) at the bathrooms. There’s even a secret “Church of Love” where you can have 15 minutes of privacy, condoms provided. (It’s not on the map, but we’re told it was near the main stage in 2017).
Bathrooms
EDC
Hot, terrible smelling, dirty porta-potties (non-flush toilets) and nearly always a wait. Unless you have VIP, which has air conditioned bathrooms.
TML
Flush toilets, surprisingly clean, almost never a wait. Standing open-air urinals available in many places including right in the middle of the main stage against a concession tent (necessary because they sell so much beer!)
Crowd/Vibe
EDC
This is where, in my book, EDC blows away Tomorrowland. The festival refers to its guests as “headliners” to emphasize the fan-centric nature of the festival, (and puts performers in an alphabetical equal-billing listing on the posters). The combination of nighttime hours, costumes and totems, a friendly west-coast crowd that takes PLUR to heart, and a preference for (*cough*) other things besides alcohol combine to create a carnival atmosphere that’s like nothing else.
American ravers have a tradition of trading bead bracelets (“kandi”) with words on them. It might be your favorite artist, your home town, or anything else. There’s a whole secret handshake that starts by walking up to someone and holding out a peace sign, and ends with clasping hands and trading the bracelets while your hands are linked. It’s a great way to remember people you meet.
One of my most memorable EDC experiences is someone coming up to me (with my giant rainbow flag totem) in 2015 to tell me they used to hate gays, but they grew up and learned better. Moments later, someone else came up to me and told me they were a closeted midwesterner afraid to come out. I pulled over the first guy and introduced him to the second as proof that the world is changing. It’s easy to walk up to someone and strike up a conversation about a costume or a totem, and lots of people do.
I’m usually frustrated/intimidated by obnoxious drunk bros at concerts and aggressive/pushy types. The crowd at EDC is nothing like the average concert crowd.
Except at the very front, the crowd generally leaves enough space between people to comfortably dance.
TML
Despite doing as much research as I could about what it would be like, I was in culture shock on my first two days of Tomorrowland (at The Gathering pre-party and day 1). Everyone had a beer in hand, and was spilling it on everyone else. Aggressive bros pushed and bumped their way through the crowd, got into fights, randomly chucked cups of beer into the crowd, and started mosh pits near me. Everyone was in very normal clothes, no raver gear/kandi. It’s hard to tell whether there are just as many obnoxious people at EDC and they’re just easier to ignore because it’s night time and you can’t see them as clearly, or the people at EDC really are more chill, but the net effect was the same: the vibe at TML didn’t feel as positive, and that’s what draws me to raves. If you’re one of those bros, or you care about the music and the production more than the vibe, or if your frame of reference is not EDC (as was the case with many of my group) then you might love it. My first impression was not so great.
I met a first-time raver girl from Kansas who told me that she was expecting the crowd to be more friendly/loving/happy than what she was experiencing. It sounded like the people who had set her expectations were basing them on EDC.
On day 2 of the festival, I tried to reset my expectations and be more open. I promised my friends, who by then were a little annoyed with me, that I would get through the day without making any more EDC comparisons! Typical American abroad complaining that things aren’t like home, right? Perhaps because they weren’t coming to the festival after a day of work, or they’d gotten more into the groove, or because of the DJs I chose to see, the crowd seemed to be in a better mood — and drinking less beer. I had some fun random encounters, including with an Austrian group holding paper-plate-and-sharpie signs saying “You’re beautiful!” and “we love you!” I taught them the PLUR handshake and gave one of them a kandi bracelet that spelled out “SAN FRANCISCO” and their reaction was priceless. His eyes went wide and he was sputtering that he wished he had something to give me back and he couldn’t believe how cool the idea was. Spread the love and #represent! Gotta prove that hate and violence isn’t what Americans stand for!
Lots of people smoked, but then again lots of EDC people smoke too.
One of the cooler elements of TML is that people come from all over the world. The official newspaper published a breakdown of the top countries and the countries with the fewest representatives. While the crowd skews young like EDC’s, there’s more age diversity at TML, with lots of folks in their 40s or even 50s.
Totems
EDC
Totems are an integral part of EDC culture. Groups create elaborate signs, flags or other tall objects to find each other in the crowd, as phones don’t work well. Totems can be funny, silly, fan art for a specific act, etc… and often relate to a group’s costume theme. Some put an insane amount of work into theirs, and can include a glow wire, a camera, video screens, programmed LEDs — one year, someone made a playable LED version of Pac Man! Several every year say “Lost? Come dance with us!” Examples: http://lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com/2017/06/18/get-a-kick-out-of-these-baller-totems-from-edc-las-vegas/
TML
“Sticks” not allowed into the festival, though pool noodles seem to be OK, and we saw some groups successfully get 4’ (about 1.5m) or so poles with signs into the festival. Some seem to have circumvented the 1m limit on selfie sticks and used them to fly flags. Probably depends on how security is feeling that day. One clever group brought helium balloons in and flew their flag off of that.
Costumes
EDC
Rave gear (shorts/booty shorts, bandanas, kandi, bikinis, leggings, shiny or furry fabrics, light up elements, or even pasties etc…) is par for the course. Many groups go in themed costumes. It’s fun to find other groups who are characters from the same show, etc… or just to walk around and compliment clever outfits in general. http://thesceneisdead.com/2015/06/01/edc-protip-what-to-wear-to-edc/
TML
Europeans aren’t so into costumes, I was told that was an “individualistic, look-at-me American thing.” We went relatively conservative at The Gathering and day 1. On day 2, I was part of a large group with bunny ears and pink booty shorts. Suddenly, everyone wanted to stop and take pictures with us! Even walking through the crowd, we got lots of smiles. It was a great icebreaker. A hot dude who barely spoke English approached me towards the end of the night and asked if he could have my ears. It was fun to see him go back to his group of straight bros and wear them for the rest of the night! So I say ignore the advice, go in costume, it’s a fantastic way to meet people.
LGBT Community
EDC
EDC markets directly to the LGBT community, featuring a gay marriage proposal and a gay wedding in their official YouTube channel videos, and does lots of stories about gay ravers on their blog. In 2015, our group was one of a handful carrying rainbow flags. In 2016 (weeks after the Pulse shooting) there were dozens; EDC was even selling their own. There were several moments of silence (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPlOfxmZeJg) including one that blacked out the main stage before an audience of 80,000 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9uwft19F-A), and Above & Beyond filled the Circuit Grounds screens with rainbows and “Love Wins” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9uwft19F-A).
Flash forward to 2017, “Everyone is welcome here” is plastered across the billboards over the entrances, there is a rainbow flag in nearly every livestream shot, and when the sun comes up, there are fans littering the ground everywhere (c’mon guys, pack out your trash!).
The American rave scene emerged from the gay club scene (we invented house music, remember) and so the PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) ethos evolved from the come-be-yourself ethic of gay nightlife.
There is a huge EDC Gays Facebook group with over 3,000 members, and they meet for a group photo in pink on Saturday.
TML
Being very visible in public seems to be a novelty at TML (almost the way it felt back at EDC 2015). I was engaging in some mild PDA with a friend when a British girl stopped us to take a snap and told us she hoped to be as comfortable being ourselves as we were. I was thinking to myself, “back home, this isn’t surprising anymore!”
During the entire festival, I counted five rainbow flags — including our own. One was from California, one from New York, and our group was mostly Canadian. We met one European gay group that was pretty chill. Where are all the Belgian gays hiding?
While there was no point at which I felt unsafe or unwelcome, I think I was a little more on edge because of the number of aggro beer-sloshing bros and lack of LGBT visibility. Others in our group did have a homophobic encounter (sorry I didn’t get the details) in the crowd, but we also met some really awesome straight dudes from the UK, who danced with our group for hours on days 2 and 3, and gave everyone shoulder rides.
At the main stage, I saw one of the cameras headed my way, so I grabbed a friend and started making out. We made it into the live stream and the YouTube video for that set! But otherwise, there seems to be little to no official recognition of LGBT Tomorrowlanders.
Admittedly, I think my generation (I’m 34 as of 2017) seeks out gay-exclusive and explicitly gay-welcoming spaces more than the younger generation that grew up with wider acceptance. On a practical level, more visibility also just enables meeting more people with similar interests, which is something I enjoy doing at festivals—I met the group that I went to Tomorrowland with by spotting their rainbow flag at EDC!
There is a Gay People @ Tomorrowland Facebook group with 280 members as of August 2017.
Rides
EDC
Carnival-style rides include water flume ride, ferris wheels, swing-type and scrambler-type rides, etc… (at least 16 total; details: http://lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com/2017/06/17/rode-every-single-ride-edc-las-vegas-2017-dont/)
TML
Ferris wheel.
Fireworks
EDC
Major 8-min “Main Fireworks” show synchronized to pre-set music every night around 1:20 AM (0:20) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwD0WWRIBZM); fireworks and pyro used at drops in most major DJ sets, at both Kinetic Field (main stage) and second-largest stage (Circuit Grounds); major pyro at BassPod, some pyro used on other stages. Main stage has water FX. The broad consensus in our group was that the scale/duration/sync of EDC fireworks was was much more impressive than TML’s (which is already impressive).
TML
Fireworks and pyro spread out throughout the nighttime headlining DJs at the main stage, about 1 min long finale. Most stages have pyro and water FX. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tC6ZZDVVg0)
Food
EDC
Food trucks and kiosks offer a pretty good variety of food. Sit-down dining not offered.
TML
Vast, crazy array of food options including Lidl grocery stores, kiosks hosted by Belgian restaurants featuring global cuisine, and premium sit-down/reservation-only experiences, one of them located with a view of the main stage. We did the Belgian Steakhouse experience, which was excellent.
Drinks
EDC
Staffed water bottle refill stations offering free filtered water; generally 5–10 min wait. Drink wait 5–15 min.
TML
Only water bottle refill method is using the bathroom hand washing station, sometimes the water pressure was too low to fill a Camelbak in a reasonable amount of time (but this was less of an issue because it wasn’t boiling hot).
Many tomorrowlanders drink beer; local brewer Jupiler and Budweiser are major sponsors. The lines felt slower than EDC; crowd density plus open-top plastic cups resulted in getting splashed often. Water bottles sold without caps.
Logistics
EDC
Somehow, EDC manages to screw up something about the shuttles every year, resulting in long, long lines. There are many horror stories (including my own) of taking three hours to get through the line. It’s the only time the PLUR evaporates!
I witnessed a group bribe the shuttle line security to get to the front. Not cool.
Volunteers roam the festival to help headliners and try to identify medical problems before they get out of hand.
In general, EDC can feel like a bit of a barely-contained free-for-all, but somehow it all works out. Eventually.
Phones generally don’t work. Even text messages can be delayed by hours, if they arrive at all. There’s supposedly wifi somewhere, but we’ve never found it.
Lockers are in the dead center of the grounds and are $65 and up (€55), and include cell phone charging.
TML
The festival has its own currency (Pearls) and RFID wristbands to speed up transactions. Unfortunately, the wristbands fell off easily necessitating a long walk to one of the two troubleshooting points and ID on hand.
Busses ran on time and were comfortable; only one smelled.
The website, ticket and welcome package did a good job of explaining things like prohibited items and shuttle pickup locations. Staff was friendly and ready to help.
Each stage had a digital sign displaying who was playing and who was up next. Large digital signs also displayed way finding information, like exit routes, shuttle stops and emergency exits.
Phones worked well except when the at the main stage when it was full. There is wifi in dining areas.
Lockers are available in two locations, and in various sizes/rates (about $23/€20).
App
EDC
The official app includes a lineup feature that lets you pick your favorites, see your custom schedule, and share your selections with your Facebook friends. The schedule includes the fireworks show and some of the performances like the opening ceremony. There’s also a GPS-enabled map and (theoretically) bluetooth beacons, but the only notifications I got were things like “don’t forget to drink water!”
TML
The app lets you make your own lineup, though it reset once when it updated. Unfortunately there is no easy way to export/share your choices. Theoretically, the app notifies you when an act you’ve marked is starting soon, but it worked sporadically in practice. There’s also a “People of Tomorrow” social networking app that lets you do things like look for people who are staying in the same hotel, but it seems buggy and half-baked.
The festival also distributes a hard-copy newspaper that includes set times, stories about the DJs, facts about the festival etc…
Pros
EDC
-Dusk till Dawn
-Warm weather (if you like warm weather)
-Carnival atmosphere (costumes, totems, kandi trading…)
-Good vibes, LGBT friendly
-Epic fireworks
TML
-Enormous scale
-Elaborate stages/production
-Complete camping/travel packages, managed well
-International
-Great food
-Moderate weather (if you like cool/cloudy/slightly rainy)
Cons
EDC
-Boiling hot (if you hate warm weather)
-Long shuttle ride to venue; shuttle system often SNAFU’d into brutal hours-long delays
-Not as big or as smoothly run as TML
TML
-Occasional bad (or at least not my wavelength) vibes
-Occasional rain
-Lots of alcohol (if you dislike drunks)
-Bottlenecks getting between stages
-Harder sound (if you prefer the top-40 version of EDM; though this is hard to judge from one experience/one schedule)
Conclusion
EDC
Although it’s hard to factor out my bias from the number of times I’ve been to EDC and home-country pride, I think that while both festivals were an amazing experience, I prefer EDC. The vibe and the atmosphere are unlike anywhere else, and for the reasons I go to festivals — the vibe, the summer night magic — it has a slight edge, despite feeling like a traveling carnival next to the Disneyworld that is Tomorrowland. Some in our group who had been to both agreed, some (especially those who hate heat) disagreed. Of course, YMMV.
TML
Many of our group thought TML blew away EDC because of its scale, pure spectacle, and elaborate, thoughtful production. I would definitely go again, and maybe camp next time — and probably enjoy it more now that I know what to expect. I can’t do it every year, though, as it’s pretty far away. I can imagine that some TML folks coming to EDC would think it was way too small/thrown together and think totems are annoying and costumes are self-centered etc…, but if you try to appreciate each festival on its own merits, you’ll have a great time!
Closing Thoughts
If you watch the (now pretty dated) feature length docu-advertisement about EDC 2013 (Under the Electric Sky) the founder talks about wanting to create a space for “the kids who ate lunch alone” to let their freak flags fly without judgement. That’s literally me. The attendees talk about their love of EDM because of its “uplifting,” “inspiring,” and “emotional” qualities. Example: https://youtu.be/qgcnj4kIBKQ; note the “A&B changed my life!” signs! In America, rave culture was an underground thing, and it was the weirdos who claimed it as their own and found common meaning through it. Many people go expecting to have cathartic, emotional, healing moments — tears on the dance floor aren’t unusual — like the girl from Texas with anxiety problems who gets to feel loved at the Above & Beyond set, and the guy in the wheelchair who strangers lift up to crowd surf. This is the kind of experience that Pasquale (founder of EDC) is trying to engineer. Not everyone feels this way — ask the hardstylers — so again, YMMV. Admittedly, it’s hard to know from just one trip, but I’m not sure if Tomorrowland has the same traditions/expectations. Since A&B are a British group and so much of the music comes from the Netherlands/Scandinavia, I’m sure that scene must exist somewhere in Europe, but I’m not sure if its presence is as strong at TML. Example: here’s A&B playing TML 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkAdGQXv-hQ, and there’s even someone in a wheelchair getting a crowdsurfing ride in the video — but look around at the sides of the grass and notice fewer people came to their set.
In Europe, a friend who visits there often comments, house music is just what normal people listen to. Tomorrowland talks a lot about uniting nationalities and erasing politics etc — I wonder if that idea has a bit more resonance in someplace where there are so many disparate and often conflicting countries/languages/cultures crammed into a small geographic place; so multinational unity feels more novel there. America is already a melting pot, though we have no shortage of strife. At EDC, you’re invited not to forget your identity and blend into the crowd, but to come be as weird as you want, and find that everyone around you accepts and celebrates that uniqueness together.
I think that context makes makes the crowds in both festivals make more sense — although I think that EDM on a whole is becoming more mainstream every day, and the ethos of every subculture dilutes as the money and the popularity pour in. If next year’s EDC doesn’t feel as PLUR as last year’s, I’m at least glad I got to experience it while it was special. Let’s hope that as folks who’ve been in the scene welcome newcomers, we pass on the same sense of what makes the it special.
I’ll say one last time — this is based on my personal experience and limited knowledge. If you have more background that would contribute to this understanding, please do share! I don’t mean to say that TML is in any way a worse experience, both have their merits and I’m explaining what my personal preferences are.
