EDM music festivals are like sweaty dance clubs with a bit more Day-Glo, a little less clothing and thousands of newfound friends. Southern California has always maintained a raging rave scene, but with the mainstream rise in dance music, the L.A. area has become a hotbed for big-ticket concerts. From summer music festivals like HARD Summer to New Year's Eve shindigs, here's everything you need to know about EDM music festivals near Los Angeles.
Advertising
Upcoming EDM music festivals
This springtime spin-off in Insomniac's Wonderland series takes its whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere to this trance-heavy festival. The dreamy, multi-stage experience has included the likes of Tiesto, Hardwell and Dillon Francis in the past.
Advertising
You'll need to trek up to the Central Coast for this annual event, but where else can you find a sustainable, vegetarian festival dedicated to equal parts music, food, art, yoga and wellness? Lightning in a Bottle has stepped up its musical lineup in recent years, with Chet Faker, Jamie xx and Grimes topping past bills. Expect to do some serious soul-searching during this six-day retreat, all while immersing yourself in everything from a speaker series at the Lucent Temple of Consciousness to the old timey Grand Artique trading post.
On the outskirts of town at the Motor Speedway, Electric Daisy Carnival is pure, condensed Vegas. There is a VIP Ferris wheel. Helicopters shuttle in high rollers. Every millionaire DJ that plays the laser-riddled nightclubs on the Strip is here. EDC introduced EDM as a Day-Glo spectacle for the masses in America, and its lineups in recent years have certainly lived up to the hype: Tiësto, Calvin Harris, Avicii and Steve Aoki, among hundreds of others. Once you let the neon and bass wash over you, it is the time of your life.
Advertising
Ring in the New Year with confetti, pyro and 30,000 of your closest friends. Nearly 30 dance acts invade San Bernardino's NOS Events Center for this year-end fest, which has now expanded to two nights. This year's lineup is yet to come out, but past years' toasts to the new year included the likes of Kaskade and DJ Snake.
Looking for more music fests?
Whether a day trip or a Metro ride away, there's no shortage of music festivals near Los Angeles. We're not just talking about summer music festivals either—thanks to Southern California's persistently pleasant climate, we can enjoy outdoor fests nearly year-round. So lace up a comfortable pair of shoes for these music festivals within driving distance of L.A., from free concerts to camping excursions.
You may also like
You may also like
Discover Time Out original video
Advertising