Features
Electric Daisy Grows In Vegas
The Electric Daisy Carnival rave festival that faced controversy in Los Angeles following the death of a teen concertgoer last year is expanding in 2011 after a move to Las Vegas.
Festival organizer Insomniac Events recently added a third day to the lineup, now June 24-26 at the 117,000-capacity Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
While last year’s EDC reportedly drew about 185,000 concergoers over two days to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Insomniac’s Pasquale Rotella said the Speedway is perfect for such a sizable show.
“Given their history of success managing the large crowds and complex programming of NASCAR, there is no organization and venue more perfectly suited for this event than Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” Rotella said in a statement.
LVMS president Chris Powell agreed.
“Today’s announcement is great news for the Las Vegas community, as EDC will create a significant boost to our local economy,” he said, adding that the Speedway looks forward to an “entertaining, safe and successful” event.
But large crowds aren’t the only issues the annual fest has faced in the past.
EDC has reportedly put several safety precautions in place for this year’s event including instituting an 18-and-over policy, securing devices to scan and verify IDs at the gate and offering free water stations. The event also touts a zero tolerance drug policy on its website.
While last year’s concert saw more than 100 concertgoers hospitalized, mostly for drug intoxication, and 34 more arrested on felony drug charges during the event, some Las Vegas officials don’t seem too worried.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has reportedly applauded the upcoming festival and cited the annual New Year’s Eve celebrations that draw hundreds of thousands of people as proof the city’s police can handle anything.
However, a representative for the police department acknowledged that it can be difficult for officers to catch concertgoers consuming popular drugs such as Ecstacy pills.
A recently published report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding a Los Angeles rave last year found that concertgoers suffering from drug-related illnesses were hospitalized for everything from hypothermia to seizures, decreased consciousness and kidney failure.
“City and county managers and elected officials should be aware of the potential health risks and costs associated with making publicly owned facilities available for large commercial events such as raves,” the report said.
Tickets are on sale for this year’s Electric Daisy, with headliners