Zouk Nightclub Brings After Parties & Accommodations To Electric Daisy Carnival

Since opening in 2021, Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World in Las Vegas has been one of the premier clubs on the Strip. This year, Resorts World is the official Hotel EDC with several parties surrounding Electric Daisy Carnival, including performances by Kaskade, deadmau5 and their collaborative Kx5 project. The club is offering an all-access pass for fans, providing tickets to all Zouk nightclub events as well as shows at Ayu Dayclub including performances by DJ Snake and Illenium. Hotel packages include a three-night stay at the resort, exclusive parties and more throughout the festival weekend on May 17-19.

The broader Las Vegas market is highly competitive. Along the Strip, numerous top-notch nightclubs host big talents. However, Kalika Moquin, Zouk Nightclub’s director of entertainment, isn’t worried about the 2,000-capacity venue making its mark. In addition to Resorts World being the official Hotel EDC, the venue is hosting ODESZA’s first Las Vegas residency and legacy acts such as T-Pain and Ludacris have also made Zouk their home.

While Zouk may be an underplay for its residents, with ODESZA able to headline amphitheaters across the country on their “Last Goodbye Tour” that included a gross of $674,087 for their Sept. 30 date at the Santa Barbara Bowl, the residency remains lucrative. Kaskade, who grossed $690,719 for three shows in Los Angeles at the Orpheum Theater in December, played Zouk and Ayo Dayclub 24 times in 2023. Illenium has sold out stadiums, including a $6.3 million gross for his two nights at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 2-3. Those dates landed between nights at Zouk, and Illenium has played the club seven times already this year.

“We try to layer lots of different events, it’s not just DJ-driven. We are a small venue, we aren’t a hard-ticket play as you would find at a festival,” Moquin says. “We’re 2,000-cap. That’s a mix of GA tickets, VIP tickets at our tables. But we go above and beyond to accommodate every guest to make sure everyone has a fantastic time, and we do pack that place out. It does very well. And we’re only continuing to see our numbers increase as we’ve been open and [booked] some of these new artists.

“We have some other plans in the works with big festivals and events out here, to be their home as well.”

Pollstar caught up with Moquin ahead of EDC to learn more.

Pollstar: How do you stand out from competitors in the market?
Kalika Moquin: Vegas is a whole different beast. It’s a very mainstream market. We have to find talent that really speaks to not only the guy from Europe who’s going to pop off, or the regular from Miami that comes in once a month, but also the bachelorette party from Ohio.
We have to choose talent that speaks to those masses. What we’re looking for is a great mix of acts. We have our legacy acts with T-Pain and Ludacris, they’re obviously worldwide-known.

Then we have some DJs who have been just on top of their game for the past decade, if not more, with Kaskade and deadmau5. We also have some of the up-and-coming people as well, James Hype, Meduza, Elderbrook. These are the new wave of DJs that are climbing the ladder. We try to have this real mix that speaks to everybody, instead of one set genre or one fan type.

We are pretty much the newest casino on the strip. We opened in 2021, so everything’s brand new in the venue. We have brand new lighting, brand new residents, something fresh.

What makes an artist a good fit for Zouk, specifically?
I think they have to be fun. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re selling: a good time. If customers aren’t having the time of their lives in that venue, we’re not doing all that we can, the artist isn’t doing all that they can. Our artists understand that they bring their A game and give 100 percent for each one of these shows. Zouk is fun; it’s a fun club. I think we all work together with our artists making sure that our customers have an unbelievable time and unforgettable night and want to come back again and again, every time they’re in Vegas. We work towards a common goal of making Zouk and ultimately Resorts World the No. 1 destination on the strip. Our artists understand that and want to be a part of it.

This is the first time ODESZA is having a Vegas residency. What will that be like?
It’s really cool, because ODESZA is playing these thousands-of-people festivals worldwide, but here you have the opportunity to see them in an intimate setting. We’re only a 2,000-cap. venue and our production level is second to none. That’s why artists like ODESZA, Illenium are comfortable playing Zouk and choose us as their home as well.