If there’s one drawback to festivals booking bigger and better lineups each year, it's the fallout of scheduling conflicts once the weekend finally arrives.
As we mentioned when the lineup dropped in July, Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando’s 2018 talent pool is stocked to the brim with exciting electronic acts that represent a wide variety genres. The lineup is comprised of big names, strong up-and-comers, and rare B2B sets which fill out the festival's three main stages: kineticFIELD, circuitGROUNDS, and neonGARDEN.
For the most part, EDCO's schedule does a good job of spreading out music so fans of a particular genre can stick to one stage for the majority of the day and catch similar acts, but as it gets later, big name acts and set times begin to clash on the schedule, making it harder to choose between stages regardless of genre preference.
To help you out with those decisions, we’ve picked out the five biggest schedule conflicts for EDC Orlando 2018. Find our list, and picks, below.
EDC Orlando 2019 w/Bassnectar/Tiesto/Kaskade/Martin Garrix/Illenium/Alison Wonderland/Dillon Francis & Friends/4B B2B GTA B2B Valentino Khan/Alesso/Space Jesus/ Tchami/Malaa/Midnight Tyrannosaurus/Ganja White Night/Gryffin/Don Diablo/more. November 9-10. Gates at 1 p.m. Tinker Field, 287 S. Tampa Ave., Orlando. $199 & up. edcorlando.com.
SATURDAY 10:40 p.m.
Kaskade vs. 4B B2B GTA B2B Valentino Khan
The first conflict on our list will be the last one of the weekend as Kaskade closes out kineticFIELD opposite an epic B2B (back-to-back) between Mad Decent affiliates 4B, GTA, and Valentino Khan.
While considered among the old guard of EDM, Kaskade has maintained relevance with regular festival appearances and the occasional new music drop — like last month’s remix of ODESZA’s “Falls.”
While Kaskade’s set will be an irresistible trip down memory lane for some, others will be drawn to the party going down at the festival's “bass stage” at the circuitGROUNDS.
Providing the traditional festival trap on Saturday night will a friendly collab between 4B, GTA, and Valentino Khan — all regular contributors to Diplo’s Mad Decent label. GTA, a Miami-based act, has been a fun regular in the area for years, and while the DJ booth may be crowded Saturday night, this set is sure to be a fun one.
CL Pick: 4B B2B GTA B2B Valentino Khan
SATURDAY 7 p.m.
KAYZO vs. Malaa
Our second conflict of the list is far less controversial since a house versus hardstyle decision seems more straightforward. As a member of Tchami’s Confession label, Malaa is one of leading figures in an underground house scene that explores dark subject matter and themes. Always donning a balaclava while on stage, the mysterious producer’s identity remains unknown, yet his popularity has swelled in recent years with club tours alongside acts like DJ Snake and Rezz.
L.A.-based KAYZO — real name Hayden Capuozzo — is another act that has been on the rise as of late. Behind his growing “Doghouse” brand, KAYZO has become an increasingly popular act around the festival circuit thanks to a flair for hardstyle, dub, and trap. His background in emo and punk has bled into his electronic catalog lately, as evidenced by a collab with Tampa area-based Underoath.
Whether you’re headbanging at kineticFIELD or bumping to dark-house at circuitGROUNDS, either choice gives you a great opportunity to catch a great, young act on the rise.
CL Pick: Malaa.
FRIDAY 10:45 p.m.
Bassnectar vs. Martin Garrix
Unsurprisingly, something involving Bassnectar is providing the most controversy at EDC Orlando 2018. Representing polar opposites in sound and audience makeup for Friday night’s main stage slots are bass-cult leader Bassnectar and DJ Mag’s pick for Top DJ in 2016, 2017, and 2018, Martin Garrix. The former — real name Lorin Ashton — represents one of the more iconic and popular electronic acts of all time, and he returns to Tinker Field for the first time since 2016. CL has had an opportunity to cover five of his sets in 2018, and his unique, curated-for-festivals shows are always can’t-miss events.
Despite being 22 years old, Garrix represents the biggest "big room" star on the EDC lineup (the genre somewhat antiquated compared to the current electronic music climate). If you’re looking to get your “one-two-three-jump” on, Garrix's set is probably more appealing than joining the crowd of headbangers that will be hunkered down at the circuitGROUNDS stage all day long before Bassnectar.
Aside from an Ultra appearance here or there, Garrix's set makes for a rare sight in Florida, but with Okeechobee Music Festival (a festival hosted by Bassnectar in its first three years) reportedly cancelled for 2019, this might be the last ‘nectar appearance in Florida anytime soon.
CL Pick: Bassnectar.
FRIDAY 9:30 p.m.
Alesso vs. Ganja White Night
After finishing his European tour, Alesso returns to the States to headline EDC Orlando in 2018. The internationally popular Swede’s career has seen its highs and lows since joining the scene in 2010. In 2013 he was nominated for Grammys for his work on songs like “If I Lose Myself” and playing the main stages of globally renowned festivals like Tomorrowland, Ultra and even EDC. He’s still touring the world, but if last year's collab with Florida Georgia Line (“Let Me Go”) is any indication, then his career may have seen better days.
Starting just 10 minutes later is Belgian duo Ganja White Night, which, in July at The Ritz in Ybor City, played perhaps the best Tampa club set of the summer. Known affectionately among fans as the “wobbly boys," Ganja’s bouncy bass music will serve as a delightful pre-Bassnectar appetizer at the circuitGROUNDS.
CL Pick: Ganja White Night.
SATURDAY 9:30 p.m.
Alison Wonderland vs. Illenium
The most difficult set conflict of this upcoming weekend will be the one that pits future-bass and trap star Alison Wonderland against Denver-based act Illenium.
Unlike most of the aforementioned matchups that are old-school against the new, both Alison Wonderland and Illenium represent fresh acts that have blown up in the last year or so. Wonderland, a 32-year-old out of Australia, is coming off of the release and supporting tour for her sophomore album Awake, which hit no. 1 on the U.S. dance charts. After spending nearly a decade trying to break into the scene, Wonderland is finally receiving the credit she deserves and finds herself closing out EDC's Saturday night. She’ll compete for crowd with Illenium, and rightfully so.
Started by Nicholas Miller in 2014, Illenium has quickly garnered a cult following in the future-bass genre. Grouped with acts like Seven Lions, Illenium’s music typically relies on emotional ballads backed by dramatic bass drops. As evidenced by performances at hardstyle festivals like Lost Lands, however, the 27-year-old can still throw down, justifying his placement at the festival's more bass-heavy stage, the circuitGROUNDS.
Both are tough acts to miss, so we’d suggest trying to catch a little of both. It’s a nice problem to have, and either way EDC’s closing acts won’t disappoint.
CL Pick: Start at Illenium, catch the end of Alison Wonderland.
