EDC Firsts

Being the first at anything takes commitment, and EDC Las Vegas is no exception. Headliners lined up at the gates hours before opening and beelined to their favorite spots throughout the Speedway like it was their home away from home (plot twist—it was). From showing their smiling faces at the carnival rides to shelling out some hard-earned cash on EDC merch, our Headliners were up and ready to go before we even pulled out our cameras. Hats off to everybody on this list for being the real MVPs.

First People in Line

For anyone who’s never attended EDC, there’s a strong sense of energy that always fills the air among the Headliners anxiously waiting at the front of the line to enter the festival. For Dustin, who made a long trek from Dallas, TX, to attend his first-ever EDC, that energy was almost bursting out of his lungs. “It’s been five years I’ve been waiting to come here. I finally made it,” he says. That’s a long time to wait to dance Under the Electric Sky, but Dustin is committed to the dancefloor—he’s planning to party from dusk till dawn. As one of the first Headliners in line to enter EDC, his ear-to-ear smile is one we won’t soon forget.

First Person Through the Gates

John, 19, trekked to Las Vegas from his native Grenada Hills, CA, to attend EDC, his very first rave. He also ended up being the very first Headliner to enter the fest. Props. Although John arrived at the show solo, his plan was to meet up with three separate groups of friends and meet some new ones along the way. “I’ve heard a lot about everyone coming together,” he says. “I’ve never been to anything even remotely like this.”

First Purchase at the Merchandise Booth

John is a smart man. Everyone knows you don’t put off your swag purchases until the end. What if they run out of your size or that design you like, or you just completely forget because you’re too busy living in the moment? Plus, he’ll get to rep his new black-and-white EDC hat all weekend.

First People on a Carnival Ride

Floricel and Kelsey are from Riverside, CA, and are convinced they’re going to be able to “knock out all the rides today.” When I explained to them that one of our writers tried to do just that at EDC New York 2014 and didn’t even come close to running the gamut—despite having credentials that allowed her to cut to the front of the lines—they laughed and replied, “We’re gonna do it. Come find us if you don’t believe us.”

First Headliners at KineticFIELD

Jocelyn and Sage, 19-year-olds from Brawley and Imperial, CA, respectively, hustled directly to KineticFIELD upon entering the fest on Friday evening. The couple were both celebrating their first time at EDC (and Sage’s first-ever concert), and knew from watching the EDC documentary, festival recap videos and previous EDC livestreams that EDC’s biggest stage is the place to be. The couple could hardly contain their excitement about securing a spot in the front row, despite the fact that the music hadn’t even started yet. “I’ve been wanting to come to EDC since the seventh grade,” Jocelyn says. “I’m so thrilled to be here.”

First People to Write on the VIP-Area Chalkboard

Linda and Pearl, BFFs from Dallas, Texas, beelined straight the chalkboard in the kineticFIELD VIP area to share their warm and fuzzy feelings about being at the show. It was Linda’s first time attending EDC; she came at the suggestion of Pearl, her festie bestie for the last 20 years. “I wanted her to come because last year, my husband and I renewed our 15-year wedding anniversary vows here,” Pearl says, “and this festival is so special to us.”

First Person to Send an EDC Postcard

After spending her entire EDC weekend last year posting up only at the stages, Angelica made the call to spend the earlier hours in the day exploring the other facets of the festival. She paid a visit to the post office after flying through the gates, to pen a cute little memento to her rave bae back home in San Bernardino. Even though her boyfriend was dancing off to her side, he’s going to catch a smile when he opens up his EDC postcard and reads her endearing words written on a keepsake they can show their friends and family 20 years from now. “Aww” is all we heard after that point.

First People on the Ferris Wheel

George and Eduardo, 23 and 27 years old, hail from the NorCal realm of San Jose. “Better get this in now, before it gets too hectic,” they said. “The Ferris wheel is hot property in these parts, especially with that view.” They weren’t kidding—soon after they hopped into one of the pods, Headliners began showing up like crazy. We didn’t want to hold them up for for more than a minute or two—“Talk to us too long, and we won’t be the first on the ride anymore!”

First Headliners at upside-downHOUSE

Las Vegas residents Arthur, 26, and Mark, 25, posted up at upside-downHOUSE before the music even started, in order to secure the best spots possible to see their friends Blacklab perform. As Discovery Project winners, the Las Vegas drum & bass artists were at EDC performing their first-ever festival show. “They’re my cousins, actually, and a huge part of the drum & bass scene out here,” Arthur said, “so we had to come out and support.”

First Couple to Say Their Vows

Pinning down William and Jessica long enough to get a few choice words was no easy mission, and we don’t blame them. The charming couple from the Bay Area were too ecstatic for words, having just stepped out of the Chapel of Future to take their ravelationship to the next level. Teary-eyed and with a mile-wide smile, we let them go on their way, seeing as they planned an early ceremony on purpose. All they were thinking about at that point was jumping into honeymoon mode by raving their faces off all weekend long.

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