Vijay Nair: ‘Indian Artists Will Get the Best Slots at EDC India’

EDC offers electronic music to fans amidst a carnival-like atmosphere, complete with an array of dancers, stilters, aerialists, circus performers. Photo: Steven Truong/Flickr/CC BY-ND 2.0

One of the biggest electronic dance music festivals in the world, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is set to make its debut in India. This Indian version will be hosted in New Delhi on November 12^th-13^th, courtesy event producers Insomniac and Only Much Louder (OML) in partnership with Budweiser India. Turns out the project was in the pipeline for some time. Says Vijay Nair, Director, OML, “We have been in talks with EDC about organizing this in India for around 2 years. And it was in the past one year that we got into [planning for] it.”

EDC offers electronic music amidst a carnival-like atmosphere, complete with an array of dancers, stilters, aerialists, circus performers. Having originated in Los Angeles in 1996, EDC has expanded over the years into a global group of events with international editions taking place in Mexico, the UK, Japan and Brazil.

Nair says that although the highlight of the festival will be the exciting mix of Indian and international electronic music artists on the roster, the lineup will favor indigenous talent. “We will be announcing the lineup in the next two weeks and there will be a huge tilt towards representing Indian talent. It will be a 60:40 combination; 60 for local acts. And not only that, given that OML is involved, Indian artists will also get the best slots at the festival.”

Ask him about the choice of city and he says, “Although Mumbai would have been an obvious choice, considering that the production scale of EDC is ridiculous, there are just no venues in here. That’s why New Delhi.”

On the other hand, Pasquale Rotella, Founder and CEO of Insomniac, said in a statement that his company had been aiming for an Indian edition for a long time. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the country’s colorful and exotic culture. I know it’s a place where the magic of EDC can come alive in a truly unique way, and we’ve got amazing partners in Only Much Louder (OML) and Budweiser who can help make that happen.”

The previous editions of EDC have hosted EDM biggies like Dutch DJ Afrojack, Swedish producer Alesso, English/Canadian producer Richie Hawtin and around 1600 more acts at its various editions. The event is known for its extensive production and sound design and usually features full-size carnival rides, art installations and more.

This year, India has seen various global events make their debuts in the country, including Budweiser Sensation in March and Don’t Let Daddy Know in May. However, EDC will be the first international two-day EDM festival of its kind to touch Indian shores.

Speaking about the festival, Kartikeya Sharma, Marketing Director, AB InBev (Budweiser), India & South East Asia, says, “We kick-started this year with a promise of ensuring authentic music experiences for Indian audiences and we are happy to deliver on this once again by helping bring one of the world’s largest music festivals to India for the very first time.”

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