Before the comfort of on-site camping and streamlined shuttle services, EDC Las Vegas attendees braved brutal transit chaos and triple-digit heat — a saga vividly brought to life in a recent r/electricdaisycarnival Reddit flashback.
Key Takeaways from EDC 2017 Shuttle Issues and Heat Woes:
- The festival banned third-party shuttles that year, funneling all transit through official channels, which led to significant overcrowding and multi-hour waits.
- Fans recounted scorching sun exposure while crawling through industrial roads, enduring 2-3 hour parking lot standstills—and even helping lost shuttle drivers navigate the jam-packed streets.
- The extreme heat of Vegas summer created medical emergencies and a tragic death, underscoring the dangers of waiting hours outside in 90+ degree weather.
- Pasquale Rotella, Insomniac’s CEO, publicly responded promising major improvements and promoted ride-sharing and free Park & Ride services to ease congestion.
- Subsequent years saw changes: EDC introduced on-site camping to cut gridlock, shifted dates to cooler months, and improved shuttle logistics.
This chapter of EDC history highlights just how much festival infrastructure and fan experience have evolved. What was once chaotic transit and relentless heat is now managed with far greater care — thanks to lessons learned from those 2017 trials. For many veterans, those memories still spark calls like “Make EDC June Again” and keep the community close through shared hardship stories.
For a deep dive on the 2017 EDC transportation snafus and aftermath, check out this EDM Sauce coverage and the festival Wikipedia page.
As EDC moves forward, these recollections remain a critical reminder of the stakes in festival logistics — and the resilience of the Electric Daisy community.
Source: r/electricdaisycarnival