Site Unseen

The Production and Operations team is the beating heart of every Insomniac festival. Before the gates open—amid the rumbling sounds of the machinery used to construct this vast world—we make sure everything is built according to the site plan, all site changes are accounted for, equipment is ordered and arrives on time, and everything is loaded in according to schedule. Once the “All Call” announcement comes across the radios signaling the start of Day One, the flag drops and we tear off the line.

From staff additions, extra credentials and last-minute equipment needs, to managing a catering department that hosts more than 2,000 people at each meal—where painted and costumed performers rub elbows with EMTs and photographers—there is no job too big or too small.

Each show day around midnight, we have an all-department meeting to discuss any necessary updates or issues that have come to light, including health and safety, production, traffic, security, and weather updates. There may be a need for extra tables and chairs or additional stage equipment and supplies; we may address an issue with sanitation; or perhaps something’s going on with the venue fencing.

Site Production alone manages more than 50 vendors for EDC Las Vegas, and any of them may be called upon to handle a pressing matter in the late hours of the night. And then there are the runners. God bless the runners. We rely on them for all types of requests, whether it’s last-minute rentals, transporting staff to the venue, or making a 35-burger run to In-N-Out.

After the first night, as the black begins to wash out of the sky, we start the long journey back to our hotel rooms. Twelve miles feels like 120, and if we’re lucky, we’re in bed before the morning sun gets too bright. After a few hours, the calls and emails start rolling in. Before we know it, we’re back on-site.

By Day Two, we start to feel exhaustion from the last few days of load-in and the first night of show. Legs get heavier. Yawns come more frequently. Energy drinks at odd hours become more and more appealing. The motivation to create an unforgettable experience for our Headliners is what keeps us going. Despite all the craziness around us, we still find those indescribable moments that remind us why we love what we do. Sometimes it’s little things, like driving around the raceway on a Kubota, sporting goggles and a bandana, looking out over a festival that took the better half of a year to plan.

We try to leave before the sun comes up that second morning, so we can get as much rest as possible for the home stretch.

On the last night of the show, we start finalizing a lot of logistics—going through the budget, preparing to close out any vendors we can, and making sure labor is ready to come in for load-out as soon as the venue is cleared. But we also can’t help but reflect, feeling a little nostalgic before the festival’s even over.

To be a part of something so massive, so beautifully chaotic, and so fun—that’s the most rewarding part of this whole process. While the experience is both mentally and physically exhausting, each year gifts us with new challenges and once again shows us that life is more beautiful when we unite Under the Electric Sky. We create magic. We create mystery. And everywhere you look, there is love: love for creativity, love for music, and love for life.

Once the gates close on Monday morning, most staff members head to their hotels to sleep. However, some remain, finding that fifth wind at a pop-up after-party near someone’s trailer.

Vendors pack up their wares. The load-out crew arrives. And the sound of heavy equipment returns.