Over 345,000 festival goers revel under the electric sky each year to kick off the summer season with a bang. For many, the road to Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas is a much-desired journey home. For others experiencing it for the first time, it will be their first taste of the wild cultural zeitgeist EDC represents. If you're an EDC virgin, expect an experience so unique and magnificent that you'll want to return year after year. In order to make the most out of your inaugural Carnival, here are eight things that'll get you revved for the adventure that awaits.

The Ticket Package

Plain old paper tickets are a thing of the past. The road to EDC begins with a special package that accompanies your ticket. Kinda like opening a present on Christmas Day, ticket holders are treated to awesome swag such as a custom kandi bracelet, festival poster, photo booklet, an exclusive luggage tag, and more.

That First Walk Through The Tunnel

EDC Las Vegas is built to make lasting impressions. The sheer joy of seeing the playground for the first time, with lasers spewing in every direction and the bass thumping deep into your soul, will electrify you as you walk through the EDC entrance tunnel. Just breathe, take it all in, snap a few photos and get your boogie on.

The Carnival Rides

Music aside, the festival has some of the best carnival rides you’ll find in one place (and they’re free!). That’s right, free! No tokens, no tickets, and no forking over $10 for the ferris wheel. From the Windseeker to the Tornado and the Swing Boat to the Merry Go-Round, there are rides for everyone. They don't call it a carnival for nothing.

The Daisy

Photo by: Alex Perez for Insomniac

The iconic Electric Daisy, designed by Poetic Kinetics, is the festival’s picture-perfect landmark. Congregate under the LED petals to snap a few photos during your break, but think twice before making the daisy your meet-up spot, or you’ll end up looking for needles in a haystack.

The Stage Designs

Photo by: Doug Van Sant for Insomniac

Insomniac Events is well-known for its elaborate stage designs, and the stages at EDC never fail to disappoint. Last year’s kineticFIELD, the festival’s main stage, featured a cathedral-like design with two larger-than-life owls safeguarding the DJs and preaching music to thousands of people. Equipped with water geysers, hundreds of lasers, pyrotechnics and strobe lights, kineticFIELD is North America’s largest stage and holds almost 80,000 fans.

The Performers

Not only do the festival's many players dance and perform acrobatic tricks onstage, they frolic throughout the carnival to energize and interact with attendees. Whether they’re traveling on an owl art bike or walking on stilts, the theatrical performers enliven every corner of the festival.

The Sunrise

Dancing until the sun rises takes a lot of stamina, but it’s totally worth it. Any delirium you feel from dancing all night will be wiped away by the morning sun as the light energy radiates into your body. Trust us.

The Fireworks

Photo by: aLIVE for Insomniac

Forget what you know about Fourth of July fireworks; EDC Las Vegas has the best fireworks display in the country. Insomniac goes all out, especially because there aren’t fireworks limitations in Las Vegas (score!). Grab a seat high up in the bleachers at cosmicMEADOW for a perfect view of the 10-15 minute show. Only then will you understand what it means to dance under the electric sky.