EDC Week Las Vegas 2026

EDC Week Is the Biggest Nightlife Week in Las Vegas History

Produced by Insomniac Events, Electric Daisy Carnival brings approximately 170,000 electronic music fans to Las Vegas over three nights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But the festival itself is only part of the story. The week surrounding EDC — typically running Wednesday through Sunday — transforms the entire Las Vegas nightlife ecosystem into the most concentrated display of DJ talent anywhere on the planet. Every nightclub and dayclub on the Strip books its highest-profile headliners specifically for EDC Week because hundreds of the world's top electronic artists are already in town. Acts that normally command six-figure appearance fees play intimate nightclub sets as warmup or afterparty performances. The result is a week where you can see more world-class DJs than at any other time of year, at venues that are operating at peak production and energy. EDC 2026 runs May 15 through 17 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with EDC Week nightlife events spanning May 13 through 19. The Las Vegas Review-Journal covers the festival's economic impact annually — EDC Week pumps an estimated $400 million into the local economy and fills every hotel room within ten miles of the Strip. If you are in Las Vegas during this window, the nightclub and pool party options are unmatched by any other week of the year.

EDC Week Nightclubs: Where to Go Every Night

The nightclub programming during EDC Week is stacked in a way that does not happen any other week of the year. Every major venue on the Strip runs events Wednesday through Sunday instead of the usual Thursday through Saturday schedule. OMNIA at Caesars Palace is the go-to for main-stage EDM headliners — expect the biggest names in progressive house, big room, and electro house across its multi-level layout with the kinetic chandelier installation pulsing overhead. XS Nightclub at Wynn is where you will find deep house, tech-house, and more underground-leaning headliners performing in the 40,000 square foot indoor-outdoor space. The outdoor patio overlooking the pool is especially popular during EDC Week because the late May weather is ideal. Zouk at Resorts World has emerged as the premier venue for bass music and future bass acts, and its state-of-the-art sound system makes it the most sonically immersive room in Vegas. Hakkasan at MGM Grand runs its massive five-level layout at full capacity all week with acts that span the EDM spectrum. Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan is where the tech-house and melodic house acts gravitate, and the multi-room layout lets you move between genres in a single night. Drai's at The Vanderpump Hotel (formerly The Cromwell) books EDM and hip-hop acts across its basement multi-room format — a more intimate alternative to the main Strip mega-clubs during EDC Week.

EDC Week Pool Parties: Daytime Events You Cannot Miss

The pool party schedule during EDC Week is arguably more exciting than the nightclub schedule because this is when you get to see festival-level headliners in an intimate 2,000 to 3,000 person venue instead of a 70,000 person main stage. Pool parties run Wednesday through Sunday during EDC Week, expanding from the usual Friday through Sunday window. Encore Beach Club at Wynn is the epicenter — expect the biggest names in EDM playing afternoon sets to a crowd that is already buzzing from the night before. The 60,000 square foot space fills to capacity on Saturday, so arrive right at 11:00 AM. Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan is the tech-house capital during EDC Week, booking acts like Fisher, Chris Lake, and John Summit for rooftop pool sets with Strip views. Tao Beach at The Venetian draws the upscale crowd with a curated lineup that balances big names with underground talent. Ayu Dayclub at Resorts World connects directly to Zouk Nightclub, making it the best day-to-night pipeline during the week — hit the Balinese-themed pool in the afternoon and walk through to Zouk at night without leaving the property. LIV Beach at Fontainebleau brings the Miami festival energy with headliners playing to the brand-new pool deck. If you are attending EDC at night, a pool party is the ideal way to spend the afternoon.

Pre-Parties and After-Hours: Before and After the Speedway

The EDC schedule runs roughly 7:00 PM to 5:30 AM at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which creates two distinct windows for off-site events. Pre-parties happen from about 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at pool parties and from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at select nightclubs that open early specifically for EDC Week. These are not throwaway events — pre-parties regularly feature headliner talent doing abbreviated sets before heading to the festival. After-hours events pick up at 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM when festival-goers return from the Speedway and are still riding the energy. Drai's After Hours is the most established after-hours venue in Las Vegas, running from 1:00 AM to 9:00 AM in its basement space with dark, intimate vibes and underground electronic music. During EDC Week, after-hours venues book bigger acts than usual because the 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM window has a built-in audience of thousands of people looking for exactly this experience. Marquee Nightclub also runs extended hours during EDC Week, sometimes staying open until sunrise. The typical EDC Week daily rhythm looks like this: wake up around noon, pool party from 1:00 to 5:00 PM, rest and eat from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, head to the Speedway by 7:00 PM, festival from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM, after-hours from 5:30 to 8:00 AM, sleep. Repeat for three days. It is a marathon and pacing is everything.

Venue Recommendations by Genre

EDC Week is when the genre-specific programming at each venue reaches its peak. If you are into big room and progressive house — the headliner anthems, the hands-in-the-air drops, the festival main-stage energy — Omnia and Encore Beach Club are your primary venues. These book the Tiesto, David Guetta, and Martin Garrix tier of acts. If tech-house and melodic house are your thing — the groovy, four-on-the-floor sounds of Fisher, Chris Lake, John Summit, and Dom Dolla — Marquee Nightclub and Marquee Dayclub are where that sound lives in Las Vegas. The Cosmopolitan's multi-room layout means you can catch a tech-house set in the main room and wander into Boom Box for hip-hop between sets. For trance and uplifting electronic — artists like Armin van Buuren, Above and Beyond, and Gareth Emery — check Hakkasan and Zouk, which occasionally dedicate rooms to trance during EDC Week. Bass music fans — dubstep, drum and bass, trap — should focus on Zouk's programming, which leans harder than most Strip venues, and look for special one-off events at smaller venues like Brooklyn Bowl or the Event Center at Virgin Hotels. For a mix of EDM and hip-hop crossover — artists who blend genres or hip-hop acts that resonate with the EDC crowd — Drai's basement multi-room club at The Vanderpump Hotel is the spot. The dedicated hip-hop and house rooms make it a unique EDC Week alternative to the EDM-heavy main Strip venues.

2026 Grand-Opening Dayclubs Debuting at EDC Week

EDC Week Pricing: What to Expect

EDC Week is the most expensive week of the year for Las Vegas nightlife, and you need to budget accordingly. General admission cover charges at nightclubs jump to $50 to $100 for men and $30 to $60 for women — roughly 50 to 100 percent above normal pricing. Pool party cover runs $40 to $75 across the board, with headliner events at Encore Beach Club pushing $75 to $100. Guest list availability is reduced but not eliminated — more on that in the next section. Bottle service minimums increase significantly. A nightclub table that normally runs $2,000 will be $3,500 to $5,000 during EDC Week. Dayclub cabanas jump proportionally. The premium is real, but so is the talent — you are paying to see artists who command $200,000 to $500,000 per appearance in venues that hold 2,000 to 5,000 people. The math on a per-person basis is actually reasonable: a $4,000 nightclub table split among 10 people is $400 each for a private table, bottles, and a headliner DJ set in an intimate venue. That same artist charges $100 to $150 for a festival ticket where you are standing in a crowd of 70,000. Drink prices remain consistent with normal — $18 to $25 for cocktails. The premium is on admission and VIP, not on individual beverages.

Guest List During EDC Week: What Works and What Doesn't

Here is the honest breakdown on guest list during EDC Week. Women's guest list is still available at most venues on most nights — the gender dynamics of nightlife do not change during EDC Week, and venues still want a balanced crowd. Women can typically get free entry on guest list at pool parties and nightclubs through Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Saturday and Sunday are more restrictive, with some venues reducing or eliminating guest list entirely for their biggest headliner events. Men's guest list is significantly more limited during EDC Week than during a normal week. The highest-demand events — Saturday nightclub headliners and Saturday pool party headliners — often have no men's guest list at all. Wednesday and Thursday events are more likely to honor men's guest list, and pool parties earlier in the week are your best bet for free or reduced entry. Our strategy for EDC Week is straightforward: sign up for guest list for every event you are interested in, arrive early (before 12:00 PM for pool parties, before 11:00 PM for nightclubs), and have a backup plan if guest list is capped. Presale tickets at $30 to $50 are a smart insurance policy for the events where guest list might not work out. Sign up through our form and we will text you real-time updates on guest list availability for your specific dates.

First-Timer Tips for EDC Week Nightlife

If this is your first EDC Week in Las Vegas, the scale of the nightlife programming can feel overwhelming. Here is how to navigate it. First, do not try to do everything. Pick two or three nightclub events and two or three pool parties for the week. The people who try to hit every venue every day burn out by Thursday and miss the best events on the weekend. Second, pace your drinking. Between pool parties, pre-parties, the festival, and after-hours, you could theoretically be partying for 18 hours straight. Alcohol and desert heat are a dangerous combination at pool parties, and adding a three-day festival on top makes dehydration a real risk. Alternate water with every drink, eat full meals, and take genuine rest breaks. Third, plan your transportation. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 20 to 30 minute drive from the Strip, and rideshare surge pricing during EDC hours is brutal — $50 to $100 each way. EDC offers official shuttle passes that run from multiple Strip locations to the Speedway and back. Buy the shuttle pass and save rideshare money for getting between nightclubs and pool parties on the Strip. Fourth, book early. Hotel rooms, pool party reservations, and nightclub tables sell out weeks before EDC Week. If you are reading this in April, book now. If you are reading this during EDC Week, text us and we will find you same-day options.

The EDC Week Schedule: How to Plan Your Days

A well-planned EDC Week maximizes your energy across both the festival and the Strip nightlife. Here is a sample schedule. Wednesday: arrive in Vegas, settle in, hit an EDC Week kickoff pool party in the afternoon (lower key, good warmup), then an opening-night nightclub event. These Wednesday events are less crowded and often feature surprise guest DJ sets. Thursday: pool party from noon to 5:00 PM, rest and eat, nightclub from midnight to 3:00 AM. Thursday ramps up the energy but you still want to conserve for the main festival nights. Friday through Sunday (festival nights): sleep until noon, pool party from 1:00 to 4:00 PM (optional — skip if you need rest), nap and eat from 4:00 to 6:30 PM, head to the Speedway by 7:00 PM. Return from the festival around 5:00 to 6:00 AM. Optional after-hours until 8:00 or 9:00 AM. Sleep. The pool party on festival days is optional but popular — many people treat it as a low-key social hang rather than a rager, arriving late, skipping the guest list hustle, and just floating in the pool to recharge before the Speedway. Monday: checkout day for most visitors, but some nightclubs and pool parties run Monday closing events specifically for the EDC crowd. These Monday events are often the most relaxed and local-feeling of the entire week.

EDC Week 2026: How It Actually Went