The Best of EDC Mexico 2016

There’s always something special in the air at EDC Mexico. Whether it’s the aroma of the street food vendors filling our noses and bellies or the palpable energy of the local Mexican ravers or the number of Mexican flags floating across the crowds, EDC Mexico is a special type of celebration unique in every flavor imaginable.

This year, the third annual EDC Mexico broke its largest attendance record to date with more than 125,000 Headliners celebrating across two days, solidifying the event as the biggest music festival in Mexico.

And with that number of party people, it definitely felt like a celebration of peace, love, unity, and respect throughout the entire festival grounds. EDC Mexico 2016 featured five interactive, state-of-the-art stages, including the massive Crystal Village and the roving Boombox art car, specially made in Mexico City; roaming casts of costumed performers; six full-size carnival rides for thrill-seeking fans; and nightly fireworks shows to stimulate the senses. Still, above all else, the level of unmatched excitement shared among the local and international Headliners of EDC Mexico made this event truly special and memorable. It always does.

From carnival rides to carne asada, these were our favorite moments from EDC Mexico 2016.

THE OPENING BEATS AT CRYSTAL VILLAGE

No matter how many raves we’ve attended in our lifetime, those first sounds signaling the start of any EDC celebration are always special. This year, local house duo Tom & Collins had that pleasure and privilege as they opened the Crystal Village on day one of EDC Mexico. It’s always a challenge serving as the first act on the EDC mainstage, as they’re in charge of kicking off the celebration and really setting the tone of the day’s festivities early on. As the twosome launched into smooth house beats atop the giant Crystal Village, one half of the duo proclaimed, “Ya salio el sol! (The sun is out!)”—as the bright sunrays began to break through what was supposed to be an otherwise cloudy day. It’s almost as if Tom & Collins themselves brought out the shining sun via ceremonial song and dance.

THE KANDI GIRLS OF EDC MEXICO

We met the Kandi Girls behind the scenes of the EDC Mexico 2016 trailer shoot. You could see this sextet of high-heeled models dressed as life-size candy treats across the many stages of EDC Mexico, dancing, prancing, laughing, and providing eye candy views for Headliners everywhere. Making the jump from the screen to IRL, these candy queens once again brought their collective positivity to the EDC universe.

THE MAJESTIC CRYSTAL VILLAGE MAKES ITS INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Since its debut at EDC Las Vegas 2015, the beloved Crystal Village stage has become a fan favorite. Complete with cascading waterfalls, a fog-breathing dragon, a giant, neon-lit owl, and over 200 pounds of confetti raining down on attendees, the Crystal Village was a sight not to be missed. Witnessing its majestic presence is an escapade of its own. Add in a rotating roster of the world’s top DJs and producers, and you’ve got yourself a multisensory experience like no other. Making its inaugural appearance outside the US at this year’s EDC Mexico, the Crystal Village has also traveled to EDC Orlando, with upcoming stops at EDC New York in May and EDC UK in July. Like EDC itself, the Crystal Village has become an international marvel one must experience firsthand to understand.

THE DOS EQUIS STAGE PRESENTS THE SOUNDS OF MEXICO

The impressive Dos Equis stage hosted two days of local Mexican artists and up-and-coming international artists. Bookended by two towering Xs with an elevated DJ booth situated high atop the middle of the structure—looking like some sort of intergalactic disco mission control—the Dos Equis stage spotlighted the current flavors of Mexican electronic music. Day one featured standout live sets from techno duo Seconds, Métrika, and Zombies in Miami, as well as techno badass and Vatos Locos leader Hector. Day two welcomed the party bass beats of Pistlro and Boombox Cartel and the multicultural, genre-crushing sounds of Toy Selectah and El Dusty. For anyone looking for a taste of Mexican electronic music, the Dos Equis stage served the perfect suds for your earbuds.

TWO DAYS OF TRANCE AND HARD DANCE

Dreamstate and Basscon are two of Insomniac’s fastest-growing brands with the most die-hard fans, bringing euphoric trance melodies and the various shades of hard dance, respectively, to international fans. EDC Mexico welcomed curated stages from these powerhouse teams at the behemoth circuitGROUNDS each day, with Basscon obliterating audience ears with the way of hard dance Saturday and Dreamstate offering those unifying, feel-good vibes Sunday. While legends like Technoboy and DJ Isaac pummeled through a barrage of hardstyle kicks and drums day one, trance royalty and the genre’s leaders of the new class, including Ilan Bluestone and Will Atkinson, laid down buzzing sets day two. As each stage attracted impressive crowds across both days of EDC Mexico, it was easy to understand the global appeal of the respective genres. Regardless of cultural differences, hardstyle and trance are universal languages that know no borders.

EATING LOCAL NOMS ON FOOD TRUCK ROW

Mexico is renowned for its delicious menu of spicy salsas, creamy très leches cakes and flan, regional flavors of mole and, of course, the country’s culinary staple, the taco, of which we had our fair share all weekend. (While the backstage artist area had a crowded open bar sponsored by Dos Equis, it was the open taco bar that proved the ultimate crowd-pleaser.) In addition to the standard festival fare of pizza and burgers, EDC Mexico offered a vast array of dining options via various food trucks—a growing global food trend popular in Latin countries and regions with large Latino populations—near neonGARDEN. With gourmet hot dogs, juicy turkey legs, crepes and more, the food choices covered just about everything for those with an adventurous palate. We went with a rib-eye torta, a thick, Mexican-style sandwich stuffed with beans, queso fresco (fresh cheese), beef and veggies. For those seeking foodie heaven, EDC Mexico offered a sliver of the diverse diet Mexico has to offer.

TALKING PURE TRANCE WITH SOLARSTONE BACKSTAGE

We met UK trance pro Solarstone backstage at Dreamstate headquarters for a quick photo portrait session following his set. As he stepped offstage, his close buddy and fellow trance titan—and creative partner in the Pure NRG collaborative duo—Giuseppe Ottaviani took over the decks with a new live setup. As Solarstone stood watching his friend, he began to speak on the impact of the new Dreamstate brand, which launched last November with an inaugural two-day event in SoCal. He noted the all-trance event was an important celebration of the genre for US audiences. Solarstone is a very vocal proponent of keeping true to the roots of trance, a belief echoed via his Pure Trance movement and brand. He applauded the focus on “real trance” artists booked on the various Dreamstate lineups. “Keep it pure,” and the brand will continue to grow, he said, as he signed autographs atop the backstage steps. Even all the way in Mexico City, the potential and power of Dreamstate is clear.

KANDI STATIONS, FACE PAINTING, TOTEMS AND COSTUMES

The energy of a music festival improves tenfold when fans and attendees fully immerse themselves in the experience. Heck, it’s easy to spread smiles to your fellow Headliners when you’re rocking a full unicorn outfit or carrying a massive “Twerk Zone” totem over your head. Seeing fans in full kandi gear, trading the celebratory beads with friends and complete strangers, and witnessing the number of totems and flags flying in the air, one gets a clear picture of the growing influence of global rave culture. The amount of kandi and rave paraphernalia skyrocketed this year compared to last year; its presence was noticeable all around EDC Mexico. And with sponsored kandi, face-painting, and custom totem- and flag-making stations, it’s great to see this culture is growing across different parts of the world.

GOOD GUY MARKUS SCHULZ SAVES THE DAY

The day before he was set to close out the Dreamstate stage on day two, trance legend Paul van Dyk suffered an onstage fall during his set at A State of Trance (ASOT) 750 in Utrecht. As a result, PvD cancelled his performance at EDC Mexico, leaving his fans disappointed—yet concerned for his safety and understanding of the severity of the situation. Nonetheless, good guy Markus Schulz stepped in at the midnight hour to help. Hearing the news about his friend PvD, Schulz answered the last-minute call from the Dreamstate crew to save the day like the unicorn-slaying trance superhero he truly is. It’s impressive to note Schulz performed an extended open-to-close set at Avalon in Los Angeles the night before, so he jetted to EDC Mexico with little sleep and on a mission to deliver a night of trance bliss. Headliners ate it up as the trance kingpin delivered anthem after fan-favorite anthem. In the end, he thanked the crowd, but we owed all the thanking. We’re sending our positive thoughts and energy to PvD for a speedy and healthy recovery.

TECHNO TIME AT NEONGARDEN

As one of the most popular stages all weekend, neonGARDEN hosted the best in house and techno for two days straight, with a who’s-who from each genre repping it hard as the giant, peaceful Buddha spread the Zen all throughout the tented stage. As up-and-comers like Redlight, Jonas Rathsman, Kidnap Kid, and Shiba San held it down for the new school, the old-school heads churned out prime and pure beats, including sets from Nicole Moudaber, Damian Lazarus and Yousef. Fans looking to boogie all night long met extended three-hour sets from Jamie Jones Saturday night and Loco Dice Sunday night. Both artists, known to build their sets to epic proportions and take fans on an audio journey, tackled their extensive timeslots with style and finesse, still somehow leaving Headliners begging for more. When it’s this good, it’s never enough.

MEXICAN HEADLINERS AND THEIR ENERGY

Stepping into EDC Mexico, you instantly notice the energy of the crowd. First off, the festival welcomes Headlines of all ages, from the very young to the aging music lovers still rocking to this day. You’d often see kids attending with their youthful parents, as well as older parents attending with their raving kids. We met 9-year-old Uriel, who attended EDC Mexico for the first time ever, alongside his older brother Lenning and friend Cynthia. On the other end of the spectrum, we met 51-year-old Joel, who was there with his sons Bryan (27) and Ivan (26), all EDC first-timers. Mexico City doesn’t get electronic music festivals all that often, so every time EDC Mexico comes around, it’s always a spectacle. Fans wait all year long for this one magical weekend, so when it finally arrives, the Mexican Headliners go all out to embrace it fully, resulting in a type of eagerness unique to EDC Mexico. It’s powerful enough to remind us exactly why we love our jobs.

THE DAISY PATCH ART INSTALLATION

No EDC is complete without actual daisies. It’s no wonder, then, that the whimsical Daisy Patch became one of the most popular meet-up spots for Headliners. Plus, any selfie becomes even more epic when surrounded by 15 larger-than-life flowers. At nighttime, the Daisy Patch, too, provided a full, wondrous view of the Crystal Village as the fireworks went off Under the Electric Sky.

THIS AWESOME SELFIE STATION

This Movimiento #VivirEsIncreible photo installation provided the perfect backdrop for selfies and group shots with your rave fam. The words “Vivir es increible” were spray-painted across a vintage orange-and-white Volkswagen bus. Translation: “Living is incredible.” Funny how a simple message can say so much.

FOLLOWING THE BOOMBOX ART CAR

Like the legend of Johnny Appleseed, the roaming Boombox art car spread good vibes and knocking beats all across EDC Mexico. You could see Headliners following its every move all throughout the festival as local acts like Mariana Bo, Galatzia & Geru, and more drew the crowds all day and night. This edition of the Boombox was built in Mexico City, making it a true national treasure.

THESE GIANT INFLATABLE BUGS AND MAGIC CREATURES

Not so much frightening as they were fun, these massive, inflatable creepy-crawlies were a playful bunch. We were reminded of A Bug’s Life as the bouncy bugs were surrounded by Headliners looking to catch a glimpse of life through insect eyes. Elsewhere, the Dos Equis Magic Creatures, a herd of cute, life-size bunnies, literally lit up Headliners’ faces as they stood majestically above the crowds.

THE VIEW FROM THE SKYDECK

Raving in luxury is the way to go for prime views of all of EDC, which is why the VIP areas and the ultra-lavish SkyDeck at EDC Mexico offered the best seats in the house. The viewing decks overlooked multiple stages, with a panoramic view of the Crystal Village in all its glory. In addition to full bars and lounge areas, Headliners also received collectible items exclusive to EDC Mexico. Bottoms up!

RIDING AS MANY CARNIVAL RIDES AS YOUR STOMACH CAN HANDLE

For anyone looking to take their experience to thrill-seeking levels, EDC Mexico offered a number of the signature carnival rides, which are just as much a part of the EDC DNA as the music itself. The elevated Swings and the skyscraping Torre gave Headliners a bird’s-eye view of the festival from above, while the twisting-and-turning mania of Orbiter and Twister flipped riders upside-down and inside-out. For lovers and festie besties, the soaring Galactica Ferris wheel provided a serene moment high in the air with one of the best views at EDC Mexico. No matter how many times we’ve ridden them, we always find ourselves coming back to the various EDC Ferris wheels time and time again.

A LIFE-SIZE DRAGON AND A SLIDE FOR GROWNUPS

In addition to the giant dragon atop the Crystal Village, another mythical creature roamed the festival grounds. Over at the Dos Equis Rest Spot, a slithering lizard claimed its throne. Here, the hospitality zone came with a full-size slide for the inner-child, as well as an interactive light installation on the floor. After our 20th time down the slide, we were kindly asked to give other Headliners a chance down the plastic tube of happies.