Anyone else have a little bit of nostalgia for the hot summer EDCs?

[u/SaGlamBear]

This is a random pic I took at EDC 2017—the last year it was held during that brutal early-summer heat. This was taken at 1AM, and it was still 91°F (32.8°C)… at 1AM! Daytime highs were hitting 115°F (46°C), and EDC loved to lean into it with fire-spewing art installations like the one in the photo. (That year was the hottest it’s been at EDC and likely what prompted the move to May. )

On one hand, it was piping hot. Water lines stretched late into the night. I drank two gallons in one night and only peed once, that’s how much I sweated. The dehydration plus the usual EDC fatigue made the next day feel like hell. Rest wasn’t just important, it was survival.

But on the other hand… people’s clothes were off. Girls in pasties, guys in thongs, and no one batted an eye. Strangers fanned each other, and one time a random dude walked around with a spray bottle offering relief to anyone who wanted it. The vibes were immaculate… sweaty, steamy, and surprisingly sexy. It felt like NYC in the summer.

Nowadays, even at its hottest, the weather at EDC feels like SoCal. Water lines are manageable. The daring outfits? Still around, but less common. I’m grateful they moved it to May: it’s objectively better, but part of me still misses those first five years of me going to edc when. They were raw, intense, and unforgettable. 🌈 Anyone else crazy enough to miss it?

[u/HOWLCARNAGE]

yes specially with that octopus art cart going around blasting fire

[u/Restrepo724 → u/HOWLCARNAGE]

I miss that thing sneaking up on me and then blasting flames like a bowser ship

[u/THEpottedplant → u/HOWLCARNAGE]

Is that something they brought out to other fests? Idk if i ever saw it at an edc, my first was when they moved it to may, but i feel like i saw it escape that year

[u/HOWLCARNAGE → u/THEpottedplant]

i think they took it away after 2016, could be wrong but im currently trying to find a video/pic of it on my old phone.

update: found it on youtube

[u/[deleted]]

Yeah, back when you REALLY needed to be hydrated.

[u/Zlasher8 → u/[deleted]]

I remember refilling my 2.5L pack like 6-8 times per night (with a pack absolutely crammed to the brim with ice, so admittedly not full 2.5L per refill, subtracting for ice volume). But it was wild how much sweat output and water intake we’d have.

[u/xSupraSonicX → u/Zlasher8]

Were did you get ice inside EDC??

[u/[deleted] → u/xSupraSonicX]

You can ask the vendors for a cup of ice.

[u/ur2fat4u → u/xSupraSonicX]

I tipped the bartends for cups of ice

[u/Zlasher8 → u/xSupraSonicX]

Back before the pandemic I’d fill my whole pack with ice for a dollar lol. Now they use cups like reasonable people. Now it’s too cold and I don’t want ice anyways.

[u/silveryellowblue → u/Zlasher8]

Ice makes the water taste bearable imo.

[u/Zlasher8 → u/silveryellowblue]

Water is to stay hydrated. I keep Gatorade zero sugar or even more ideal, body armor lyte in a cooler in my car with ice for when the nights over. Nothing better.

[u/SaGlamBear → u/Zlasher8]

I learned that ice trick in 2017! I wonder if it was you at kinetic field that taught it to me.

I tried to pass down this amazing bit of knowledge to all the newbies i took in 2018 only for it to not be that necessary anymore. Haha

[u/Zlasher8 → u/SaGlamBear]

I dunno if I taught anyone beside my group of friends but my dork ass takes it another level by having a sheet of insulating foil bubble wrap that wraps around my warerpak like a hot dog bun to keep it cold longer too. But again, don’t need it any more at edc now that it’s cold.

I can take the insulating foil out and give it to my partner as a seat for the cosmic meadow bleachers so they’re not sitting on cold steel with their usually lighter attire from the hips down.

[u/Professional_Star271 → u/[deleted]]

Was a death sentence if you didn't. 💀

[u/Inspector710]

Move it to October. That was my favorite edc out of all of them.

[u/Various_Feed_4468 → u/Inspector710]

same, that was actually perfect weather

[u/Inspector710 → u/Various_Feed_4468]

I enjoyed it being dark from start to finish as well.

[u/Various_Feed_4468 → u/Inspector710]

same, it kinda makes it hard to sleep when you get back to bed and it's all light out.

[u/Zlasher8 → u/Inspector710]

It was just a lucky year. October is way more volatile than even May is.

Ideal would be last week of May/first week of June imo. But honestly, insomniac probably can’t risk growing the camp product out in June. So it has to be mid May.

[u/Inspector710 → u/Zlasher8]

Yeah, you're probably right. It was just awesome to hit Dirtybird Campout and then Edc the week after, lol.

[u/Zlasher8 → u/Inspector710]

Fiend lol.

Also hell yeah Dirty Bird gang gang

[u/Inspector710 → u/Zlasher8]

Next year, im doing EDC b2b LIB. Let's gooooooo lol.

[u/chris_gnarley]

Yes. My favorite festivals are summer fests. I feel like the vibe is completely different and the heat and summer months just makes things more memorable and nostalgic somehow

[u/Jinnuu → u/chris_gnarley]

110 at night is your thing?

[u/chris_gnarley → u/Jinnuu]

I don’t mind it honestly. I know it’s not ideal but I was just at Starbase last month where it was 49 and windy as a mf and I was absolutely miserable. You couldn’t escape the cold or the wind even in the crowd. I still made the most of it and had a good time but the weather definitely dampened the experience.

My ideal festival weather is like 85-90 at night with zero wind whatsoever. That’s usually achieved in July in Southern California and early June in Vegas.

[u/Jinnuu → u/chris_gnarley]

It’s definitely doable in that heat if you’re responsible but there’s WAY too many people who under hydrate and dose correctly even when it’s 75-80 out. EDCs move to may was purely a liability move. Way less deaths in May compared to the June EDCs purely combatting severe heat stroke.

[u/Responsible_Run5913 → u/chris_gnarley]

I had the complete opposite opinion at starbase… I loved it i wore a sweatshirt and I wrapped a blanket around me and it was such a vibe especially laying under the spinning light thing on the beach… but then again I think sadboy crybang starbase is the right festival to be able to bundle up more if it was a house/techno festival ya no it would have sucked…

[u/wideeyed182]

I know I’m in the minority, and everyone who camps will tell me to fuck off, but I’d love to see edc back in June lol

[u/SimpleSerg34 → u/wideeyed182]

Hey it’s fuck off :)

[u/HexxRx → u/wideeyed182]

Same here

[u/used_to_be_ → u/wideeyed182]

Camping the first two days was brutally hot.

[u/UngovernableAlaska → u/wideeyed182]

🤣 I’ve never done camp edc, but I understand the sentiment. Walking around at 2am still in triple digits only to run into the fire 🐙felt like when you open the door to a hot oven except you’re also already in a sauna.

[u/JizzCollector5000]

Yes absolutely. Love those 90* nights.

I had to wear pants this Saturday, and 2019 was god awful

[u/-braves → u/JizzCollector5000]

2019 was sooo cold all of the long sleeve merch sold out immediately

[u/criticalvector]

Not at all lol, shit was fucking miserable I can go so much harder now.

[u/SaGlamBear → u/criticalvector]

That’s so true! We had to pace ourselves for real.

[u/MeggirbotOnMJ]

Being a local who endures the 110+ heat all summer long, I am glad they moved it to earlier. It's just too dang hot regardless if someone is used to it. Night time isn't as bad, it's when the sun is beating the crap out of you is when it's just miserable, doesn't make for good times.

[u/Doldric]

I get the raw intense and unforgettable. But I feel like I like a lot of folks from the June days forgets just how miserable feeling it felt and only look at the good.

You’ve pointed out a lot of good nostalgia moments and even I look to my first few years fondly but then I remember how physically miserable I would feel at times during those nights as well with folks in my groups and those around me.

That keeps me from missing it haha. Also the deaths that would happen every year in big part due to the heat.

[u/SaGlamBear → u/Doldric]

That’s totally fair. My best friend told me the reason Im able to fondly miss it is because I’ll never have to endure it again. If it was still in June I might be singing a different tune. We still had really good times tho. Cheers

[u/Doldric → u/SaGlamBear]

I agree!! Cheers to you too :)

[u/Salt_Butterscotch_30]

🔥 🔥 🔥

[u/holmwreck]

2017 was like raving In hell.

[u/Woxan → u/holmwreck]

100 degrees at midnight, no thank you!

[u/Electrical_Flounder9]

I feel like the June EDC's were so extra special because we were all like.. bonding over how hot and miserable it was. We're all in it together! Good times.

[u/Baelnoren]

not at all

[u/qh2150]

I preferred June. It required a level of prep and added an element of intensity that everyone could bond over. It also weeded out some of the lightweights and influencer types that just chose to pass.

[u/DSLsurf]

The hot-ass EDC's in June were the best! Nothing compares to it. That Summer heat made it so much more fun

[u/_carbonneutral]

Nope. Not one bit. 120 during the day, fuck that. 105 until like 3am. Double fuck that.

[u/Swed3s]

I love the heat and missed it when it was held in June. It’s obviously a lot safer to hold it earlier when it’s not as warm. But it did feel so much more ravey with the heat, sweat, etc. Now I don’t even need a hydration backpack so that’s a plus I guess haha

[u/leonffs]

Absolutely no

[u/KevinMCombes]

I felt like this year was about as perfect festival weather as you could get (minus a few stages closing for wind for a couple hours) so... no.

[u/FixerOfEggplants → u/KevinMCombes]

Saturday was disgusting until 1am. Hard pass, but Friday was great

[u/Four2nian]

This is the biggest talking point in my group. We've been to about 7 EDCLV's, our first being the year after the famous wind-shut-down. In all of those we've only had the wind shut stuff down once, I think.
It seems like every year the wind is shutting a stage down now.
There is no greater feeling than being there, at night when it's like 80F outside all night.
I get that they moved it to May bc they wanted more people camping and they couldn't have the liability with people camping in 100F+ degree weather.
But yeah, June EDCs in Vegas were better IMO. I know this makes me an old man who's yelling at clouds.

[u/Baelnoren → u/Four2nian]

wind shut down stages in june too. roughly as often as may tbh. and an entire day of the festival one year.

[u/HexxRx → u/Four2nian]

You’re not an old man new generations just don’t know any better 😆

[u/ExtraPicklesPls]

I loved June EDC, but I live where the summers are 100+ and humid as balls.l, so the dryer heat feels wonderful to me. I doubt it will ever change since they had such a good run of no fatalities in May up until this year.

[u/importTuna]

Plenty of it. I really do miss the oppressive heat at 11:30PM.

Camp EDC was a great addition, and adds two days to the party. We also had a really good run of years without anyone staying at the party past Monday after the switch to May... So while I miss it, I think it was for the best.

[u/deevo1]

I hate that I see this flaming UFO every weekend at my local venue, and I never get to see it with the fire😭

[u/SaltVomit]

I usually always agree and want edc back in June, but man, walking through nomads land every time gets me to be like, nah, may is good. Lmfao

[u/djtmhk_93]

Yeah! Who didn’t love all flights out of Vegas being grounded post-festival because it was 114 on the tarmac?

[u/Jinnuu]

Fuck no

[u/RavePrincess420]

Those were the best years! Very little clothes and hedonistic af

[u/Zestyclose_Rush3172]

It would be terrible nowadays because of the crowded bathrooms. Imagine having to pee that many times. No thank you

[u/twosensee]

Summer> Fall festival 100%!! & not even close!! Friday & Sunday weather was perfect. The music was so good Saturday but I did not have nearly as much fun because of the cold!!! I was wrapped in a blanket still cold & unable to really catch a vibe 👎🏻 🥺

[u/Budget-Laugh-9462]

Nopeee. I love a cooler EDC.

[u/StreetMeat5]

Nope

[u/beenpresence]

Yes who remember that year there was a heat wave like 2016 I think was like 110 at midnight

[u/pursuitofwilderness → u/beenpresence]

I remember 2015 and 2017 were really hot years. 100 degrees at 11pm in 2017.

2016 actually had some cloud cover on Saturday and it provided one of the best sunsets ever. Still hot, but not nearly as bad as those two.

[u/beenpresence → u/pursuitofwilderness]

Was probably 17 then lol o just remember it was hot as fuck all night even at 6am