Electric Daisy Carnival (UK)
Electric Daisy Carnival,
11th July: The National Bowl (Milton Keynes)
The Lowdown-
Lets address the elephant in the room here first. Visually, The Electric
Daisy Carnival might well be the most aesthetically interesting
festival taking place over the summer… ‘kinteticFIELD’ Aka: Main
Stage, has two monolithic owls either side of the cathedral-esque
stage and is scattered with multi-coloured, spinning daisies. The
‘circuitGROUNDS’ stage looks like a futurist art installation and the
‘neonGARDEN’ is a laser-drenched sanctuary. The festival will also
feature innovative, large-scale art pieces dotted across the area such
as giant, flamboyant flowers. Basically, it all looks like a grandiose
lysergic acid trip. Groovy.
This transatlantic festival started in America in ’97 and has become
one of the largest EDM festivals in the world. Its first bow on UK soil
in 2013 solidified the popularity of the festival and now 2015 brings
it back to Milton Keynes Bowl for one rave-filled day and night of the
best in drum & bass, electro, techno and house.
Basic tickets start from a measly £60, which is the equivalent of a pair
of trainers nowadays. Think about it, sixty quid to see some of the
best DJs on the planet, including Tiesto and Jamie Jones for the price
of some Nike Roshes. Not bad eh? EDC is also offering some swanky
VIP packages which include alcohol tokens, an exclusive viewing
platform and private toilets (which is a nice alternative to weeing in a
hole in the ground). These VIP packages are £225, which isn’t bad
considering the 10 free drinks included.
Unfortunately the Bowl has no on-site camping facilities so the
organisers have arranged some ticket + hotel packages that include
free coach travel. How good of them? Alternatively, if you really feel
like roughing it and getting the ‘authentic’ festival experience, there
is a 1500 capacity site situated a 5 minute walk away. Tickets for this
can be booked through http://www.citycamping.co.uk/. If you’re not
planning to stay, Milton Keynes Central Station is only a 20 minute
walk away or you could book a coach with the festival’s official
partners ‘Big Green Coach’:
http://www.biggreencoach.co.uk /events/Electric-daisy-carniva l-
tickets-coach-travel.
Who’s On-
EDC have an inclusive and touching tagline this year that states, ‘the
most important headliner is YOU’. Mercifully for all our eardrums,
they’ve also gone and booked some decent acts too. Saturday 11th July
will see the likes of trance legend Tiesto, Route 94, Subfocus and
Steve Aoki grace the whimsical utopia of light beams and music that
is the Electric Daisy Carnival. Also appearing on the day are Friction,
Jamie Jones, Paul Van Dyke, Carnage, Robin Schulz, Pendulum (DJ
Set), Sub Focus and many more purveyors of dance music from deep
house and dubstep to electro. If the line-up is anything to go by, the
National Bowl will be transformed for a day into a wave of people
collectively bouncing to their hearts content. What a sight that’ll be.
Why Should I Go?-
Besides from having some of dance music’s cream of the crop, the
festival is promising some special effects and treats that you won’t
experience anywhere else. This includes the UK’s largest 360 degree
LED light display, pyrotechnics, exhilarating carnival rides and
insomniac’s own crew of performers that include stilters, aerial
tricksters, circus performers and people dressed as giant flowers and
lollipops. Sweet!
The Electric Daisy festival is going to be a breath-taking sensory
experience that is an unprecedented fusion akin to Space Ibiza and
Willy Wonka’s factory. What’re you waiting for?
Tickets: http://uk.electricdaisycarniva l.com/tickets/
By Ford Brown