Photo Credit: EDC Mexico Facebook Page
With EDC Orlando just ending, I’m sure a lot of us have post-EDC blues. While we were all reminiscing about the magic at Orlando, Pasquale Rotella and Insomniac announced next year’s EDC Mexico! This 2-day festival takes place every year in February at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (or a racetrack) located in Mexico City, Mexico. EDC Mexico will feature 5 stages including the main stage, the bass arena, the techno tent, and others. Just like every EDC, EDC Mexico’s lineup is amazing! Check the lineup release and tips for going to EDC Mexico below.
LINEUP
The EDC Mexico lineup is ridiculously stacked. I mean, what do you expect from an event thrown by Insomniac and Pasquale Rotella? EDC is known for their out-of-this-world production and lineups and EDC Mexico is no different. This year’s lineup is a bit heavier on the house side, bringing some huge house heavy-hitters like Green Velvet, Justin Martin, Nora
Besides tech house, the lineup also has a ton of techno, psytrance, and trance artists like Loco Dice, Jordan Suckley, Paul van Dyk, and Simon Patterson. It also has its good share of bass artists like Spag Heddy, Excision, REZZ, Riot Ten, Herobust, and RL Grime. And we can’t forget about the main stage guys: DJ Snake, Kaskade, Alan Walker, and all that good stuff.
But I think the most important name of all on this lineup and a huge selling point for why you should go is M*ther F**king SKRILLEX! Skrillex is one of those artists who changed the game for EDM and started new genres and subgenres. This man literally broke barriers, changed EDM, was one of the catalysts of the dubstep craze, and still continues to produce new, unique, cutting-edge sounds. He hasn’t really been playing shows this past year or two, so I was honestly surprised to see his name on this lineup. I can’t wait to see what kind of set he plays! Don’t miss it!
TIPS FOR EDC MEXICO:
GETTING TICKETS:
Stated in the fine print (and written in Spanish) is a clause saying that tickets need to be picked up from a Ticketmaster store/vendor more than 24 hours in advance from the festival start time. This means you need to be in Mexico City more than 24 hours before the festival to make sure you pick your ticket up in time. I don’t know exactly how strict they are with this rule, but it’s better to be safe than sorry so plan your travel accordingly (or have friends willing to pick your tickets up for you if you can’t get there that early). Another thing to note is that there is no box office at the music festival. Tickets need to be picked up from Ticketmaster vendors which are usually located inside shopping malls around Mexico City.
BEST PLACES TO STAY:
Although Mexico City is not a dangerous city, there are always better areas of the city to stay in than others. I would suggest staying in the Polanco, Zona Rosa, Condesa, Anzures, or Jaurez districts. Polanco is probably the most upscale of these districts and has tons of 5-star restaurants, nice hotels, and lots of nice condos and apartments. All of these districts have a wide variety of hotels and Airbnbs to choose from (and probably even some hostels if that is more your cup of tea). I stayed in an Airbnb in Jaurez last year and thought it was perfect, but the location is really up to you. There is not really any places you would want to stay walking distance from the Autodromo so I would suggest staying in one of the districts mentioned and then ubering or getting a taxi to the festival entrance.
OTHER AWESOME STUFF TO SEE/DO IN CDMX:
- Teotihuacan – The pyramids of Teotihuacan are an archaeological complex about an hour outside of Mexico City. The complex is massive and the sacred area alone covers several miles. It is most famous for its two pyramids on either side of the Avenue of the Dead, or the main road that runs through the complex. The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon can both be climbed to give amazing views of the whole complex and the surrounding areas. Take an uber from Mexico City to the complex for about $15. There are always taxis waiting to take you back or Ubers around the area that you can call to take you back to the city when you’re done.
- Zocalo – Zocalo is the name for the main square/plaza of CDMX, although its official name is Plaza de la Constitucion. This is the main historical square of the city and is lined with beautiful buildings – mostly government buildings and churches. Spend some time walking around/sitting in the square enjoying the architecture and people-watching. Also in the Zocalo, there is another Aztec temple site called Templo Mayor. It is right in the heart of the square and takes about an hour to walk around. The stark contrast between Spanish colonial buildings and the ancient Aztec temple really highlights the fact that the Spanish literally built right on top of the Aztec sacred sites after destroying them.
- National Museum of Anthropology – CDMX has more museums than any other city in the world and this museum is probably the best museum I’ve ever been to in my life. The amount of artifacts they have here is astronomical. You could literally spend 3 days in here exploring all the exhibits. The rooms follow in chronological order the history of all the peoples of Mexico. It also has the Piedra de Sol – the famous rock that was originally mistaken as being the Mayan calendar.
- Coyoacan/Frida Kahlo Museum – Coyoacan is a neighborhood about 15 minutes outside of CDMX. It is known for its coffee, colorful homes, and of course the Frida Kahlo museum. Frida Kahlo lived in this neighborhood and her home, Casa Azul, has been converted into the museum. It is a small museum so they limit the number of people allowed in at one time so expect a line to get in (especially on the weekend).
- Xochimilco – Xochimilco is another neighborhood south of Mexico City. It is famous for its floating gardens, the last remnants of a water transport system built by the Aztecs. Today, you can take a gondola ride down Lake Xochimilco and appreciate the canal system while food vendors, mariachi bands, and other tourists float by. Other things to do in Xochimilco include visiting the Island of the Dolls, a haunted island off the channels, and the Dolores Olmedo Museum.
- Chapultepec – The Chapultepec Castle is the only royal castle located in the Americas. It has been used as an imperial residency (most notably for the Mexican Emperor
Maximilion I during the Second Mexican Empire), apresidential home, and today as The Museum of National History. It is located on top of Chapultepec Hill, a sacred site for the Aztecs. The name Chapultepec means “at the grasshopper’s hill.” You can walk up to the Castle, explore the Castle itself and the views from the hill, enjoy the Museum of National History, and then go spend some time in the Chapultepec Park surrounding the area.
See you guys under the Electric Sky in Mexico! 🙂