#live sets

Anakhemia: music producer, songwriter, live sets and digital DJing, music education

EDC Las Vegas 2026!

TLDR spoiler: here's the whole Rave Tapes EDC Las Vegas 2026 live sets PLAYLIST on SoundCloud!

The debrief...

It's been a couple weeks since the music stopped. The ringing in my ears has ceased, the stardust in my eyes has cleared.

The event is such an ordeal, so thoroughly exhausting – physically and mentally – I understand why most of my peers in the older set don't attend anymore. EDC seems like a young person's game.

Yet, I am called back by the music, driven to capture, document, and share, like usual. And if it means I need a week or so to heal and recover after the fact, so be it. But, I've been busy during that time!

It means…I have my collection of EDC recordings to offer, once again!

And boy, this one was a doozie.

Here's the recap of what I saw and what I recorded.

Fun opening b2b set by "the Deans" Max Dean and Luke Dean. Started with slower house-y tracks then moved into what I would describe frat tech house. Good energy.

I got a really great set from Roddy Lima but the upload got a rare copyright strike, so that one's no longer available.

I had never seen Underworld live pa before, Somehow, I managed to miss them all these years, I'm ashamed to say. So I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. OMG no regrets, the set was absolutely moving, absolutely touching. Musically the performance seemed perfect, but you could just tell the duo were in their element and having so much fun themselves. And this was a live pa set, which means the music tracks were generated and mixed in real-time with a daw and a bunch of audio gear, not canned tracks. Extra special.

After Underworld at CosmicMeadow, I ran over to Neon Garden for Joseph Capriati's EDC 2026 live set. Holy smokes, such a solid and consistent set of upbeat and accessible tech house. Now I understand the hype surrounding Capriati.

I started Saturday at StereoBloom - one of my top 3 stages at EDC - for a 3-set block of sick bass house. Dreya V blew me away, she played my favorite style of intoxicating bass house. Dicip was next, continuing the bass house vibe and integrating popular remixes. I actually did record Omnom but the audio is no good. I think they crank up the volume for the primary headliner, and in this case the SPL's were just high enough to overload my recorder's circuits and cause distortion. Unfortunate!

Next, I caught The Prodigy at Cosmic Meadow…but I did NOT record! A) I assumed it would be streamed, B) I needed a break and watched while relaxing in the bleachers. From up in the stands, the crowed seemed a little subdued – common for Sat night as everyone is so physically thrashed by that point. But the band's energy was high and the performance was solid. I really did need the rest time, but I still regret not recording.

I finished Sat night at BassPod for a back-to-back set by Doctor P, Flux Pavilion, and FuntCase. Damn this was so good. While I appreciate dubstep, I tend to like house more, so I'm pretty picky about the dubstep sets I hit, if any. This was the right choice. The boys seemed locked in but relaxed and having fun. And the setlist was immaculate. Some of those Flux Pavilion joints hit me right in the emotions! Outstanding performance.

My first stop Sunday was Frankie Bones set at Neon Garden. Been a fan of Bones for 30+ years, and I wanted to hear what he would play on a big stage at EDC. Of course, a master dj…dj's masterfully. He played and iconic and symbolic collection…house or techno or tech house…not sure if I want to try to label it. An audio journey of classic and funky rave vibes with current remixes, somewhat different compared to typical Neon Garden sets. It was perfectly appropriate, perfectly amazing. A masterpiece.

After Frankie's set, there was a bit of chaos on the raceway. Strong winds above 25 mph caused temporary closures of some big stages. Temps were starting to drop, so I headed for the intimate Insomniac Friday stage, set up to "simulate" an old-school warehouse rave!

One of my absolute favorite LA heroes was on the decks – Steve Loria! I wasn't sure what he would be playing but, damn. Within a few seconds I realized Steve was delivering something special. He seemed BETTER than I remembered! Every track was perfectly selected and precisely mixed. I was in heaven for his set, and so thankful it was recorded. I'm excited you get to hear it, too!

As if his Neon Garden set wasn't enough, Frankie Bones showed up at Insomniac Fridays stage and took over after Steve…and played another iconic set! I have to be careful about overusing words like "iconic" and "special" and "legendary" because they'll lose their impact. But once again, it's as if Frankie knew he had a unique opportunity to "school" this generation of ravers, to teach them what funky rave music and classic techno are all about. He succeeded in his mission, and you can hear the evidence!

My last set this EDC was the two-hour journey by DJ Tennis b2b Red Axes. One of my fav sets of the festival. Inspired and creative house, tech house, and bass house. Been listening to this one a lot, myself.

Finally, I'm sharing two sets I didn't see myself – I was elsewhere on the grounds recording other sets. Mark Lewis and Donald Glaude qualify as og rave royalty and played sets at the Insomniac Fridays stage, set up to pay homage to Pasquale Rotella's original weekly Insomniac club. The stage showcased dj's from that era, many of whom played the club, 30 years ago. Both Mark Lewis and Donald Glaude's sets were unbelievably solid. Both have continued to dj all these years and it definitely showed. These guys are masters, listen to the sets to hear for yourself!

Overall, 2026 was a fantastic EDC. Wind and cold were problematic on Sunday, but that did little to dampen the overall PLUR spirit of the weekend. PLUR is alive and well at EDC, for the most part.

The next question is, what about next year? It was just announced that 2027 will be TWO back-to-back weekends!

The problem with two weekends is that I can barely survive one! It's unclear what I will do, and my involvement with EDC next year may be different, possibly in a more official capacity. If that happens, there's a chance I will be able to capture content from both weekends. But it's too early to know anything definitive at this point. We'll see…

My best photos from EDC Las Vegas 2026!

Friday opening ceremony at Cosmic Meadow stage featuring Max Dean b2b Luke Dean.

Towering plumes of orange flame erupt across BassPod stage during Doctor P, Flux Pavilion, and FuntCase b2b set at EDC Las Vegas 2026.

Neon Garden's stage production was particularly mesmerizing this year.

Strange green characters glow on massive screens while Omnom plays at StereoBloom stage, Saturday at EDC Las Vegas 2026.

Peggie Gou during b2b set with Ki/Ki at CircuitGrounds stage.

Gateway to Kinetic Field,  EDC's largest stage. Beyond, a goggle-adorned face dominates the elaborately-themed stage.

Fireworks burst above Insomniac Fridays, an intimate stage set up to simulate an old-school warehouse rave!

Green light washes over the crowd inside Insomniac Fridays, the 'rave within a rave' at EDC, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the original Insomniac underground club in Los Angeles.