EDC Week is the part that gets people in trouble.
You fly into Vegas on Wednesday thinking "I'll ease into it," then somehow end up doing a pool party Thursday, a club Thursday night, another pool party Friday morning, and arriving at EDC Day 1 on Friday night running on four hours of sleep and one Red Bull. I've done this. Most people do this at least once.
EDC Week 2026 runs May 12-19 across basically every major venue on the Strip. The festival itself is May 15-17. Everything surrounding it is technically optional - but the lineup this year makes "optional" feel like a lie.
Here's everything confirmed so far, day by day, with my honest take on what's actually worth your energy.
*All events sourced from electronic.vegas and confirmed Insomniac announcements. Ages 21+ unless noted. Tickets via Front Gate.*
---
01.The Full Calendar
Tuesday, May 12
Special Guest - Omnia Nightclub, Caesars Palace - 10 PMLineup TBA. Omnia is doing EDC warmup events all week - this is the earliest one. Unless you're flying in on Tuesday and need something to do, this one's easy to skip.
---
Wednesday, May 13
This is when it actually starts getting real.
DJ Nova - Palm Tree Beach Club, MGM Grand - 11 AM Daytime warmup pool event. Low-key start to the week, which honestly isn't the worst idea.Chris Lorenzo - Marquee Nightclub, Cosmopolitan - 10 PM Chris Lorenzo's UK bass house is a perfect Wednesday night vibe - not overwhelming, genuinely fun. If you land Wednesday and need a soft landing into EDC Week energy, Marquee is a solid call.Ray Volpe - Zouk Nightclub, Resorts World - 10 PM Ray Volpe at Zouk is going to hit hard for the bass crowd. Good alternative if you prefer heavier to house.Mau P - EBC at Night, Encore Beach Club - 10:30 PM Mau P has been one of the most talked-about bookings in tech house over the last two years. EBC at Night is a great venue for his sound. If Wednesday night is your one club night of EDC Week, this would be my pick.---
Thursday, May 14
Thursday is where EDC Week actually earns its reputation. The pool parties are stacked and the night lineup is legitimately ridiculous.
Pool Parties
Above & Beyond - Palm Tree Beach Club, MGM Grand - 11 AM This is the one. Above & Beyond at a daytime pool party is a completely different experience from their festival sunrise set - more relaxed, more conversational, but the music hits the same. Palm Tree Beach Club is a beautiful venue with a proper saltwater pool.Arrive at opening. I can't stress this enough. By 1 PM the lines are long and it gets packed fast. Bring SPF 50+ and reapply - the Nevada UV index is brutal and you'll be standing in direct sun for hours. This event sells out well in advance every year.
Bassrush Pool Party ft. Alison Wonderland - AYU Dayclub, Resorts World - 11 AM Bassrush running their own pool party during EDC Week is always a highlight for the bass community. Alison Wonderland headlining this is a perfect fit - her melodic bass crossover sound works incredibly well in a daytime outdoor setting.DayTrip ft. Eli Brown, Danny Avila, Rebuke - Marquee Dayclub, Cosmopolitan - 11 AM Three solid artists for a single pool party is a good deal. Eli Brown in particular is excellent for daytime - his driving tech house has the right energy without being overwhelming. If you want a slightly lower-key alternative to the Above & Beyond circus, Marquee Dayclub is a great shout.Subtronics - Encore Beach Club - 11 AM Subtronics at a pool party in the morning is an interesting scheduling choice. His riddim sets are heavy - some people love the contrast of the heaviest bass music playing while the sun is out. If that's your vibe, go for it. Just know what you're walking into.Korolova Presents Captive Soul - The Pool at Virgin Hotels - 11 AM The most underground option Thursday morning. Korolova's melodic/deep progressive sound is beautiful for a daytime pool context. This one won't be as packed as Palm Tree Beach Club, which is either a pro or a con depending on what you want.Knock2 - LIV Beach, Fontainebleau - 11:30 AM Knock2 is one of the most fun daytime pool party DJs working right now. His sets are groovy, accessible, and genuinely crowd-pleasing without being generic. LIV Beach is a great venue. Worth considering if the other Thursday pools are sold out.Thursday Night
Hardwell B2B Maddix - Downtown Las Vegas Events Center - 9 PM Hardwell is back at EDC for the first time since 2018 and he's doing a B2B with Maddix before the festival even starts. This is a proper event, not just a club night - the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center can hold a serious crowd. If you're a Hardwell fan this is a no-brainer. If you're not, the timing is rough because Thursday night is already stacked.Armin van Buuren - Omnia Nightclub, Caesars Palace - 10 PM Armin at Omnia is a legitimate event. Omnia's kinetic chandelier ceiling is genuinely spectacular and trance in that space hits differently than at a festival. The crowd will be passionate. The set will be long. This conflicts directly with Hardwell B2B Maddix so you're going to have to choose.Charlotte de Witte - Hakkasan Nightclub, MGM Grand - 10 PM I didn't expect to see Charlotte de Witte at Hakkasan. She's usually playing proper techno clubs or festival stages. But this exists and it's one of the more interesting bookings of EDC Week. Hakkasan is a big room - her dark minimal techno in that environment is going to be a unique experience.James Hype & Meduza - Zouk Nightclub, Resorts World - 10 PM MEDUZA have been playing their hybrid live/DJ format (MEDUZA cubed) rather than standard DJ sets lately. At Zouk this could be excellent - their melodic deep house in a club context with proper production sounds ideal.Dom Dolla - LIV Nightclub, Fontainebleau - 10:30 PM Dom Dolla at LIV is going to be one of the most fun club nights of EDC Week, full stop. LIV is a great club, Dom Dolla is at the peak of his career, and the crowd energy during EDC Week at that venue is unlike regular weekends. If you want one pure fun night during EDC Week with no genre complications, this is it.Diplo - XS Nightclub, Encore - 11 PM Diplo at XS is a Vegas staple at this point. If you're staying near the North Strip and need something close, this works.---
Friday, May 15 - EDC Day 1
Friday is the first festival day. This is where most people make their biggest mistake of EDC Week.
Pool Parties (Morning)
Dreamstate Pool Party - The Pool at Virgin Hotels - 11 AM Dreamstate is Insomniac's trance imprint and their pool party is always a beloved event for the trance community. Lineup TBA but the Dreamstate brand guarantees solid trance programming. Perfect pregame if you're planning to spend Friday night at quantumVALLEY.Noizu - AYU Dayclub, Resorts World - 11 AM Noizu's catchy tech house is ideal daytime pool music. AYU is a nice venue at Resorts World. Solid choice for a relaxed Friday morning before the festival.Gryffin - Encore Beach Club - 11 AM Gryffin's melodic/indie electronic sound is one of the most festival-friendly things on the EDC Week pool calendar. Good option if you want something lower-energy Friday morning.Disco Lines - LIV Beach, Fontainebleau - 11:30 AM Disco Lines has been rising fast and his blend of house and disco-influenced production is genuinely fun for daytime. Less known than the others, which means shorter lines.The Friday Rule
Here's the thing about Friday pool parties: you need to be done and back at your hotel by 2 PM max.Festival doors open at 7 PM. You need to eat properly, shower, let your skin recover from hours of sun, rest for at least 90 minutes, and get ready. If you're still at a pool party at 4 PM trying to squeeze out another hour, you're going to arrive at EDC already running a deficit.
I've done it both ways. Pool party until 1 PM -> proper rest -> EDC Night 1 is a dramatically better experience than pool party until 4 PM -> rushed shower -> EDC Night 1 at 60%.
Friday Night Clubs (Post-EDC or Pre-EDC Alternative)
Steve Aoki - Omnia, Caesars Palace - 10 PM Note: this overlaps directly with EDC. It's technically there for people who didn't get festival tickets.Wax Motif - Zouk, Resorts World - 10 PM Same - these are for the people not going to the Speedway Friday night.Tiesto - LIV Nightclub, Fontainebleau - 10:30 PM Tiesto at LIV during EDC Week is happening Friday night, but again - you're at EDC. This exists for completeness.---
Saturday, May 16 - EDC Day 2
The day the energy management problem becomes real.
You got home from EDC Night 1 around 6 AM. You need sleep. Saturday pool parties start at 11 AM. The math is brutal.
Pool Parties
Calvin Harris - Encore Beach Club - 11 AM Calvin Harris at a pool party is exactly what you'd expect - polished, crowd-pleasing, his biggest hits in a summer sun setting. This is one of the highest-demand pool party tickets of EDC Week. If you're going, you bought tickets weeks ago.The question is whether you can physically do it after Night 1. My honest answer: only if you got to bed by 7 AM and slept until 11 AM. That means leaving EDC before the last set or missing the Above & Beyond sunrise. Most people don't want to make that trade.
Alesso - Palm Tree Beach Club, MGM Grand - 11 AM Alesso's catalog (*Heroes*, *If It Wasn't for You*, *Years*) is genuinely perfect pool party music. Palm Tree Beach Club is a beautiful venue. This is probably the most popular pool event of the entire week and it will sell out - if you want this one, buy immediately.Same timing issue as Calvin Harris. Know what you're trading.
David Guetta - LIV Beach, Fontainebleau - 11:30 AM David Guetta at a pool party is a very specific vibe. His pop-EDM crossover catalog is relentlessly catchy and crowds go nuts. If you want maximum fun with minimum genre seriousness on Saturday morning, LIV Beach with Guetta delivers.Mathame - AYU Dayclub, Resorts World - 11 AM The underground pick of Saturday daytime. Mathame's atmospheric melodic techno is a completely different experience from the Calvin/Alesso/Guetta crowd. If you slept properly after Night 1 and want something more introspective, this is excellent.Hotel EDC Pool Party - Virgin Hotels Las Vegas - 11 AM Free with RSVP for anyone staying at Hotel EDC. Virgin Hotels is off-Strip but Insomniac runs a dedicated shuttle. The Hotel EDC pool parties are 18+ (unlike most other pool events which are 21+). Lineup varies but the vibe is the most "festival community" of any EDC Week pool event.Saturday Night Clubs
The Chainsmokers - Omnia, Caesars Palace - TBA SOFI TUKKER - Venue TBA Steve Aoki - TBAThese are confirmed for EDC Week Saturday but full details TBA. Omnia is running programming every night.
---
Sunday, May 17 - EDC Day 3
Skip the pool parties. I'm serious.
Sunday is Night 3 of EDC. It's the final night. The Above & Beyond sunrise set and the Armin van Buuren sunrise set are both happening. You need every ounce of energy you have for Sunday night at the Speedway.
I've done a pool party on Sunday before going to EDC Night 3. It was a mistake. By 2 AM I was sitting on the ground near cosmicMEADOW trying to remember where my friends were. Night 3 deserves better than that.
Sleep in. Eat a real meal. Rest. Go to EDC.
---
Monday, May 18 - Recovery (Sort Of)
EDC is over. You're destroyed. But Vegas keeps going.
Insomniac Records Pool Party - Marquee Dayclub - 11 AM Actually a solid post-festival wind-down. Insomniac's own label showcase tends to have good underground-leaning programming at lower energy than the main EDC Week events. The crowd is people who just survived three festival nights, which creates a specific kind of solidarity.David Guetta & Kaskade - LIV Nightclub - Evening Martin Garrix & Justin Mylo - Omnia Nightclub, Caesars Palace - Tuesday May 19These exist. Whether you're physically capable of attending after three festival nights is a personal question. Most people I know use Monday as full recovery. A few go to the Marquee Dayclub in the afternoon and call it. The LIV and Omnia shows are technically for the superhuman or the people who somehow still have energy.
---
02.The Honest Energy Strategy
Three years into doing EDC, here's what I've actually learned about EDC Week:
Protect Night 3 above everything else. Every decision you make Wednesday through Saturday should be filtered through "will this affect how I feel on Sunday night at 11 PM." If the answer is maybe, that's a no.Thursday is the best pool party day. You haven't done any festival nights yet. Your energy is full. Above & Beyond at Palm Tree Beach Club on Thursday morning is the peak EDC Week experience because you can actually be present for it. This is when I go hardest on pool parties.Saturday pools require a choice. Calvin Harris and Alesso are both incredible but if you want to be genuinely conscious for Night 2 of EDC, you're doing a pool party max until 1 PM and then going back to your hotel. If that feels too short to be worth it, skip the pool and save the energy.Night clubs during festival nights are for people without tickets. Tiesto at LIV on Friday night while EDC is happening is for people who didn't get wristbands. Don't do both. You can't actually.Wednesday night is underrated. Mau P at EBC, Chris Lorenzo at Marquee - these are low-stakes, the festival hasn't started yet, and it's a good way to ease into the week without burning anything you need for later.---
03.Venue Quick Reference
| Venue | Hotel | Strip Location | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Tree Beach Club | MGM Grand | South-Center | Tropical, saltwater pool, beautiful |
| Encore Beach Club | Wynn/Encore | North | High energy, strong production |
| LIV Beach / LIV Nightclub | Fontainebleau | North | Premium, strong lineups |
| AYU Dayclub | Resorts World | North | Modern, good layout |
| Marquee Dayclub / Nightclub | Cosmopolitan | Center | Multi-room, great terrace |
| Omnia Nightclub | Caesars Palace | Center | Kinetic chandelier ceiling, spectacular |
| Zouk Nightclub | Resorts World | North | Modern, tech house vibes |
| Hakkasan Nightclub | MGM Grand | South-Center | Large, full production |
| The Pool at Virgin Hotels | Virgin Hotels | Off-Strip | Hotel EDC home, more intimate |
---
*All events verified against electronic.vegas EDC Week 2026 calendar and Insomniac official announcements. Some events TBA - check edcweek.com for updates closer to the date. Source: electronic.vegas*