This scene is a microcosmic example of what went on at 2011’s installment of Electric Daisy Carnival . Upon arrival, I felt like Will Smith’s character. As I descended the innumerable steps from the bleachers to the racetrack, I had to concentrate very hard on not tripping and falling. My eyes kept getting stuck on the bedazzling display encompassing the thousand-acres of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway –  massive stages, glimmering neon art installations, full on carnival rides, and lights and lasers galore. It was a world I didn’t know existed. I’ve been to my fair share of raves, but this was different. Just looking out across the raceway, I knew that this was the rave to end all raves.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a Tommy Lee Jones to explain the situation to me in detail. I was lost in an endless sea of neon and glitter, and I’ll be honest, I hated the first three hours I was there. But once I got acclimated to this bizarre world, I asked myself the question: “Is it worth it?” And the answer was the same as it was in Men in Black – “Oh yeah. If you’re strong enough.”

It was definitely worth it in the end. But that doesn’t automatically pardon all the hurdles it took to reach the end. Strength was absolutely a factor both physically and mentally. The festival ran from eight pm to six am every night to avoid the scorching daytime desert heat, which was only effective to a point as desert nights are only slightly cooler than the days. After three days of uncomfortable heat, immense overcrowding, complete sleep deprivation, and poor organization on the festival’s part, even the hardiest candy kids were pretty worn out. But it was all worth it. Electric Daisy Carnival successfully pulled off throwing the largest dance festival outside of Europe (you know, because Europe festivals > US festivals), and they did it without much public scrutiny.

After last year’s debacle involving the death of a 15-year-old girl and dozens of hospitalizations, and the ensuing blame game with the city of Los Angeles, EDC decided it was best to pick up and leave the city entirely to find a new home for what would be its 15th installment. And they couldn’t have landed in a better place – a city founded upon lavish consumerism and bright lights – Las Vegas, Nevada. Financially speaking, it was a mutually beneficial situation for both the festival and the city. The festival brought in an average of  80,000 attendees a night, all of whom needed hotels to stay in and food to eat, leaving the city of Las Vegas with pockets even more full than they’d been before. And Vegas provided a haven for the festival, a place where they could throw the largest dance event in the United States.