Attending the Electric Daisy Carnival as a Wheelchair User

By alantvuong on August 4, 2016

pre-EDC fun in Vegas, 2015

Electric Daisy Carnival or EDC is one of the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals in the world, with the main one held in Las Vegas every June. It started in 1997, and became a two-day event in 2009 and then a three-day event in 2011. By 2015, there were over 400,00 visitors over the three-day weekend. If you are into EDM and into partying, this festival is definitely for you. Just bring a few friends and be prepared to party. I researched a bit and actually went in 2015 and 2016. My article here will compare how the 2 years went and how someone in a wheelchair can actually go and attend this exciting music festival.

Hakkasan Nightclub, 2015

Even though this is a three-day event from Friday to Sunday, most people arrive a few days earlier to partake in the pre-EDC festivities like daytime pool parties or DJ shows at various different nightclubs. They even call it EDC week and it is just as crazy as EDC itself. In 2015, I booked the Tuesday to the Wednesday after, while in 2016, I booked Tuesday to Monday. It is wise to book hotels early cause this week in June is high occupancy. Especially if you need accessible rooms. So both years I went with a buddy and just met up with friends from Calgary throughout EDC week. It really is a popular festival so a lot of people you know will be going too. Even if you go alone or with one person, everyone is so friendly that it is easy to make friends.

Omnia Nightclub, 2015

Both years, thanks to The Hakkasan Group, I pre-partied and saw DJ’s perform at Hakkasan, Omnia and Wet Republic pool party. All 3 clubs are wheelchair accessible but are so crammed pack with people that it is very hard to move around for anybody and even harder for wheelchairs to move around. Depending on which DJ is performing at these venues, admission can range from $30 USD to $100 USD for men, while prices are lower for women. These tickets can be bought online way in advance at way lower prices. Alcohol prices are really high at these places so be warned. The pool parties are in the daytime from noon to 6pm, while the nightclubs are from 11pm to really late. Both years I had a lot of fun.

Wet Republic pool party, 2015

accessible shuttles buses from the strip to EDC

Once Friday arrives, you have to make sure you have your wristbands that were bought online and delivered to your house prior to the event. Only three-day weekend wristbands are sold and they cost $400 USD and up depending if you bought General Admission or VIP and if you bought early-bird prices. Your transportation also has to be figured out prior to the event. EDC is held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway which is normally a 30 to 45 minute drive from the main strip but during EDC it is more like 90 minutes to 2 hour drive. Taxis will be expensive and driving your own vehicle means you can’t drink or have too much fun. Both years I bought shuttle passes which are about $110 USD roundtrip. The have designated hotel pickups/drop-offs and these sell out fast unless you buy the main shuttle stop across from Luxor hotel.

accessible seating was at the back of the shuttle bus

In 2015, I used it the first day and I didn’t bother using an accessible bus the other 2 days because we weren’t sure how long it would take to request one and my buddy didn’t mind lifting me to a regular Greyhound style bus. We asked and was told it could be a long wait. I used my manual chair both years so in 2015, I just sat at the front of the big bus while the chair was folded up and stowed underneath. In 2016, I only relied on accessible buses to/from the Speedway and it worked out great. Wait times in 2016 were a lot shorter than in 2015, and at most we would wait 30 minutes. They had a big Greyhound style bus with a ramp at the back and even smaller type buses with ramps. I think they learned from 2015 at how much demand there were for accessible buses and made sure 2016 was ready with extra buses.

accessible golf-carts for transport

The bus ride itself was fun as everyone is hyped and pumped for EDC. Doors open at 7pm each day at the festival and ends at 5:30am. In 2015, when the bus dropped us off, it was at an entrance that wheelchairs can not get to. There is only one accessible entrance and we needed an accessible golf-cart to take us to the accessible entrance way on the other side. It took 2 hours for one to come the first day in 2015 as the second and third day was not as bad. For 2016, the bus dropped everyone off at a location that was way closer to the accessible entrance. We could walk about 5 minutes or wait for an accessible golf-cart to take us right to the entrance. On the first day, we waited for the golf-cart because we weren’t sure how far it was to the gates but soon realized it was faster to walk and wheel there than to wait for an accessible golf-cart. There was only 3 accessible golf-carts to help everyone so turnover times can be long.

great times with my Calgary friends, 2016

Once we get to the entrance, staff scans your wristband, checks your bag and pockets for banned items. Then we immediately visit the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) desk to receive a map of accessible points of interest on the grounds. These includes locations of accessible bathrooms, stages and a companion wristband that allows 1 companion to all areas that are only available to guests with disabilities. This must be registered before the event.

main stage Kinetic Field

In 2015, when I first arrived into the grounds I was so shocked at what I saw. It really is a carnival. There are carnival games, rides and food. People dressed in outrageous costumes and some with barely any clothes. Being in mid June, temperatures can be in the 40’s celsius (105 + F). Music, lights all over the place. It truly is a magical place.

representing Canada, 2015

There are pathways to some of the stages or grass/dirt to the rest. I took my manual wheelchair both years I have visited EDC, but I could definitely have managed to bring my powerchair. So we met up with friends and enjoyed every night right until 6am when it is time to take the shuttle bus back to the hotel.

costumes allowed, 2016

The procedure leaving is basically the same as arriving. This first year, we had to wait for an accessible golf-cart to take us to the shuttle stop. I was transferred into a regular greyhound style bus. The second year, we made it to the closer shuttle stop and waited for an accessible bus. Some people continued to party once they got back to the strip. The first year I did but the second year it was straight to bed. Sleep time could start anywhere from 9am to noon. So you could see how tiring this can be since you have to wake up early evening to do this all over again. It is totally worth it cause the music, scene and vibe consumes you.

ADA wheelchair viewing area at one of the stages

Overall, this is an amazing experience that is fun, wild, tiring and crazy. Just have to remember to drink lots of water cause of the heat, be responsible if you drink or do drugs and be prepared to party and dance for 3 days straight. It is possible for any disabled person to attend. With proper planning and the right people to go with, I definitely highly recommend this to be on your bucketlist. Would I go again in 2017? Depends if I can handle another wild crazy party week. Email me if you have questions or need help planning your EDC trip. Totally worth it.