The lineup for Electric Forest this year received a lot of divisive opinions, but the most salient of the bunch seemed to focus on Diplo receiving 25% of the headline card. He was booked both for a solo set as well as a set with his dancehall/reggae infused group Major Lazer, something that was seen as an odd move by a lot of Foresters.

Of course, that didn’t end up mattering because, according to Diplo himself, Forest ended up selling out in record time. He tweeted to his 2.6 million followers as such, and included a picture of him with middle fingers up, captioned, “Thought you guys weren’t coming to Electric Forest?”

It’s a particularly sick burn, given the widespread backlash against the lineup and the objective popularity of the festival regardless of it. See you in the forest, Diplo.

If you missed out on tickets, be sure to keep an eye on available resales here.

well @Electric_Forest sold out in 45 minutes pic.twitter.com/BPz4Xuki6B

— Thomas Wesley (@diplo) December 6, 2019

After a divisive lineup drop for its 10th anniversary earlier this week, the proof is in the pudding. Electric Forest 2020 has just sold out in a matter of minutes! This was a magnitude of order quicker than last year’s sell out, which took a comparative eternity at seven hours.

Diplo and Major Lazer be damned, the lineup and experience still attracts tens of thousands of attendees each year. With The String Cheese Incident and Bassnectar, plus Flume, Big Gigantic, Louis the Child and more set to provide the soundtrack for this momentous year, there’s no doubt that it was going to sell out. But seeing just how quickly is astounding.

If you missed out on tickets, be sure to keep an eye on available resales here.

Electric Forest 2020 is officially sold out! Looking forward to an unbelievable #ForestFamily reunion. ⚡🌲 #ElectricForest #EFDecadeOne #EF2020

See you in The Forest! pic.twitter.com/BSUzBLSnIg

— Electric Forest ⚡🌲 (@Electric_Forest) December 6, 2019

Photo courtesy (c) Electric Forest

Art Basel may be famous for its art exhibitions and shows, but the Miami event has also become iconic for its satellite concerts. Every year has new concepts to offer, but one flagship festival at Virginia Key remains a favorite: Rakastella.

Rakastella launched in 2017 as a joint project between record labels Life And Death and Innervisions. DJ Tennis runs Life And Death, while Dixon and Âme run Innervisions, so it’s no surprise Rakastella’s lineups wow fans every year. But then add in Miami promoters and parties Secret Garden, PL0T and WHERE ARE MY KEYS. Now, you’ve got a masterfully run festival worth your time, energy and money.

This year, Rakastella has curated its best lineup yet. Returning are DJ Tennis, Dixon and the live iteration of Âme. Debuts include Aurora Halal, KiNK, Ben UFO, Call Super, Palms Trax and more. It’s a lineup with quality you’d rarely find outside of Europe; it’s wonderful to see the festival return for Art Basel this year.

Below, we’ve got recommendations for seven must-see artists to check out. From the soulful mixing of Jayda G to the mind-bending techno of Marie Davidson, there’s a ton to see here. Enjoy!

Aurora Halal

Aurora Halal is truly a jack of all trades. She produces gripping house and techno, DJs psychedelic dance sets and organizes incredible events like Sustain-Release. Aurora’s DJ schedule grows busier by the day, and it’s a nice surprise to see her appear at Rakastella. Will she adapt her darker tracks to fit the beach-side vistas? Or will her usual mix of techno, house and even jungle juxtapose with Virginia Key’s stunning views?

Ben UFO

Not many artists can tour solely as DJs, with no productions to their name. Ben UFO sits in that rare category, playing countless DJ sets across the world every year. Ben’s versatility cannot be understated; his sets traverse among unreleased house bangers, sub-Saharan tribal tunes, bone-crushing techno and literally everything else. He has made more frequent stops at Miami lately, but his open-air sets hold a special place in many hearts.

Jayda G

The modern underground sounds are rooted in classic disco, and artists like Jayda G are bringing those sounds back with modern twists. Coming off her debut album Significant Changes, Jayda G will cater to the old and new souls of dance music alike. Her productions may have softer tones, but her DJ sets evoke the roof-raising dance clubs of the 70s, 80s, 90s and now.

KiNK Live

In 2012, deadmau5 penned the infamous “We All Press Play” post. He argued live electronic music came down to one single act: pressing play. No artist better proves deadmau5 wong than KiNK. Watch a KiNK and come away amazed from the pure artistry on stage. He uses analog gear, samplers and MIDI instruments to recreate his tracks live, harnessing an infectious energy from beginning to end. KiNK is a wonder to behold, unmatched in his live showmanship.

Marie Davidson

Marie Davidson is another modern maestro, a producer, singer and violinist who produces dark, emotional techno. What makes this set a very rare treat is that Davidson retired from live club music earlier this year. A set in her hometown of Montreal was apparently her final live hardware performance. Will this set be a career-defining DJ set, then? The Rakastella setting contrasts strongly to the club scene Davidson has criticized, but we are still intrigued. Either way, Marie’s appearance may go down as an epilogue to her techno career.

Or:La

The modern underground is all about moving between genres. Berlin producer, DJ and label head Or:La epitomizes the genre-free state of dance music in 2019 better than most. Or:La’s bread and butter comes from modern electro and breaks, two genres making massive comebacks this year. Her recent mix for Resident Advisor may provide the perfect sampler to her set here, as well as tracks on her record labels Deep Sea Frequency and Céad.

Palms Trax

In 2013, Palms Trax helped kick off the lo-fi house movement with his iconic track “Equation.” Six years later, the Berlin producer and DJ is now one of the Dekmantel record label’s biggest stars. Beyond his warm, feel-good tracks and remixes, Palms Trax’s DJ sets know no boundaries or genres. This appearance also marks his first-ever performance in Miami, a special occasion he is certainly going to deliver upon with airy tunes and jol beats.

Rakastella takes place at Virginia Key in Miami this Saturday, December 7. Head to Eventbrite to buy your tickets now, and visit the Rakastella website for more info. See you this weekend!

After the Rothbury Village Council approved Electric Forest to offer Tuesday early entry for 2020’s festival, the annual electronic music event has shared On Sale Dates, Loyalty Details, new arrival, Wristband and Lodging options, including a new Tuesday early load-in option.

The festival itself runs Thursday thru Sunday, with plenty of music programming to choose from each day. Forest has routinely offered Wednesday early entry for campers to get situated and set up, and explore without worrying about missing a set. Now, a Tuesday early load-in pass is available, and it’s actually cheaper (just $5) than the Wednesday early arrival pass.

Note: any early arrival pass is an add-on to your camping pass and must be purchased separately.

The “6 in the forest” and “4 in the forest” are available December 4th with loyalty codes; Good Life Loyalty and GA Loyalty are available the following day in similar fashion. General on sale is December 6th at 10am eastern time. Loyalty codes will be sent out soon; information on the EForest loyalty program can be found here.

On Sale Dates, Loyalty Details, new arrival, Wristband and Lodging options, and more are all available at https://t.co/eFoTAT99ZS! pic.twitter.com/sSOPeuz44Y

— Electric Forest ⚡🌲 (@Electric_Forest) November 21, 2019

Photo Electric Forest

Nearly 10 years ago, EDC Orlando started in a small space at Tinker Field in the heat of summer. The lineup was large for the time: Skrillex, Diplo, Calvin Harris and others. The production did the job, but fell short compared to EDC Las Vegas. It came and went, giving Florida a taste for an EDM festival outside Ultra in Miami.

It’s safe to say EDC Orlando has grown up a lot since then. Organized by Insomniac, the festival ran three days for the first time on November 8-10, still at Tinker Field but in a bigger space. Familiar faces such as Diplo returned, but along with many new names such as REZZ, Adam Beyer, Nora En Pure and more. Carnival rides, art pieces, activations, art cars (with even more music!) and performers add to the experience. EDC Orlando isn’t just the “other EDC” anymore; it’s a full-blown, flagship event.

EDC Orlando now spans four stages, two art cars and the Corona Electric Beach stage. It’s a big step up from the previous three-stage layout, but the growth is warranted; every stage brought a crowd. From the traditional EDM of kineticFIELD to hardstyle for a bassCON takeover at stereoBLOOM, the stages shaped their own sonic and visual identities. circuitGROUNDS gave artists such as Chris Lake, SVDDEN DEATH and Florida local Blunts & Blondes room to shine with incredible visuals. And the deeper sounds of neonGARDEN also drew big crowds, signaling a shift in musical appetite among EDC Orlando’s attendees.

EDC Orlando largely inherited production from EDC Las Vegas, but this worked out in the festival’s favor. kineticFIELD, circuitGROUNDS, stereoBLOOM and the art cars lifted straight from Vegas, only shrinking in size if at all. This approach brings a streamlined vision to EDC’s production, and gives artists a chance to light the sky with visual spectacle. neonGARDEN remained an enclosed tent, but the stage design worked in favor of the stage’s club-oriented music.

Artists both established and rising shared EDC Orlando’s lineup this year. Deadmau5 made his EDC Orlando debut with an adapted set from his new live show. Other genre titans included Eric Prydz, Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Excision and RL Grime. Stage takeovers came in the form of Drumcode, Mau5trap and Green Velvet‘s La La Land. The actual stage and scheduling curation fell short sometimes (e.g. the odd structuring of DJ Tennis b2b Tiga into Loco Dice into Charlotte de Witte, REZZ into Above & Beyond), but the amount of talent on display was exceptional.

As expected with expansion, some growing pains set in during the weekend. The festival’s expanded venue helped with crowds at the stages, but the festival paths often turned into choke points. The area around kineticFIELD and the iconic ferris wheel proved to be the most challenging, turning planned quick trips into lengthy travels. The expansion into Tinker Field’s parking lots caused concrete concerns, but thankfully artificial turfing gave attendees’ legs and knees a much-needed break. Uneven, rocky terrain threatened stages like neonGARDEN, but the ground gradually softened and stabilized as the weekend progressed.

EDC Orlando brought many of EDC Las Vegas’ best art pieces and installations. The psychedelic Pixel Forest made its EDC Orlando debut, this time with thinner crowds so attendees could enjoy the full experience. The Anima art piece and a crane-operated, spinning light show were also huge hits. EDC Orlando missed out on these experiences in previous years, but their addition this year was very welcome.

Rain dampened spirits and the festival’s attractions on the first day, but Insomniac worked tirelessly to prevent any huge problems. At the end of Friday night, mud littered the Daisy Road bridge. But by Saturday, Daisy Road shined as good as new. It’s not easy running a large-scale festival, but Insomniac has it wired down to a science at this point.

EDC Orlando used to stand in the shadow of EDC Las Vegas. As long as it remained a two-day, three-stage event, it couldn’t hope to be something more. This year, the event took a big jump, a risky move, but one it ultimately landed with grace. The festival can now be considered a great destination event, complete with a lineup, production, and experiences worthy of a flagship festival. It’s poetic for EDC Orlando to reach a new apex on the eve of its decade anniversary; let’s see where Insomniac takes it next.

Cover Photo: Alex Perez for Insomniac Events

For the first time ever, EDC Orlando expanded to three days other than its usual two, and that meant a lot of new records and statistics for the festival. However, even just one additional day doesn’t account for the huge increase in attendance this year.

Compared to last year’s 110,000 ravers, this year held an astonishing 225,000. This was in large part due to the increase in the size of the festival, as well, expanding from around 29.5 acres to approximately 40. Across the four stages, 77 lasers, 74 flame units, and more than 1,600 lighting fixtures and 5,000 video tiles created a mesmerizing visual experience throughout the entire festival.

“It has been thrilling to watch Electric Daisy Carnival not only grow through the years, but to thrive as a dance festival attracting people from all around the country and the globe,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel. “While the event is always colorful, fun and welcoming to everyone, the economic impact continues to benefit our community long after the music stops.”

The city of Orlando will also benefit from the increased attendance, as the festival is projected to have a $50 million positive economic impact on the city, up from $35 million in 2018. Through, their charitable giving arm, Insomniac Cares, Insomniac will also be donating $60,000 to the non-profit group Strengthen Orlando.

However, not all that glitters is gold. Five people were arrested: two on charges of trespass after warning and battery on an officer, one on charges of possession of cocaine and a firearm, and one accused of possessing 34 stolen cell phones. An additional suspect was arrested on a grand theft charge, accused of stealing over $20,000 worth of media passes from an Insomniac production office and attempting to sell them online. All of the stolen property was recovered, police said.

The festival also created a fair bit of noise, garnering 91 noise complaints received by Orlando police during the festival’s three-day run, according to an OPD spokeswoman. One complaint was even allegedly felt over 6 miles from the festival site.

EDC Orlando will return in 2020 for its 10th anniversary, November 13-15.

Photo Calder Wilson for Insomniac Events