Las Vegas is a mecca for electronic dance music, from the biggest, hottest, most outrageous superclubs in the world hosting the biggest names in EDM every night to the legendary pool parties and festivals.
If you’re an EDM fan, a pilgrimage to Vegas is an absolute must.
These are the top clubs, pool parties, festivals, and need-to-knows to guide you on your transcendent dance journey.
Best Las Vegas EDM Nightclubs
Omnia is one of the most popular nightclubs in Las Vegas.
OMNIA Nightclub
OMNIA is one of the most popular nightclubs in Vegas, and it is as much an over-the-top Vegas spectacle as it is a superclub with multiple resident A-list DJs including Kaskade, Illenium, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, DJ Shift, NGHTMRE, Loud Luxury and more.
At 75,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest EDM clubs in the world.
The massive space is three stories tall, and the 65-foot-tall ceiling dome holds a 33-foot-wide, 22,000-pound kinetic chandelier consisting of eight massive concentric rings. The super-tech lighting is controlled with motion tracking, with each of the rings moving independently in sync with the music.
Other production elements of the chandelier include LED strips, theatrical lighting effects, and video projections choreographed with the music.
The production quality of the chandelier alone is a show in itself, but the club also boasts a colossal lighting system and L-Acoustics sound technology (some of the best in the world, and the only such sound system in Vegas).
What else? State-of-the-art air conditioning to keep the dance floor comfortable, motion-activated liquid crystal display screens, as well as the superclub standards like aerial acrobatics.
There is also a club-within-the-club called the Heart of OMNIA, where hip-hop dominates. OMNIA also has an expansive outdoor rooftop terrace with its own DJ and killer views of the Strip.
If you want the full Vegas EDM experience, look no farther than OMNIA!
Hakkasan entrance inside MGM Grand.
Hakkasan
The five-story, 80,000-square-foot restaurant/lounge/superclub combo inside the MGM Grand helped to set a whole new standard for the Vegas superclub. Hakkasan brings in the same level of powerhouse superstar DJs as OMNIA, including Lil Jon, Steve Aoki, Loud Luxury, and Kaskade.
There are multiple venues inside the sprawling Hakkasan complex. The first floor is the Hakkasan Restaurant, a Cantonese fine dining concept, and the second floor features an elegant private dining space.
The third floor is home to the 10,000-square-foot club-within-a-club Ling Ling Lounge and Club where guests will enjoy hip-hop and Top 40. The fourth floor is the main room and the Pavilion, a faux-outdoor space with couches, fake foliage, a two-story waterfall, and another DJ.
Finally, the fifth floor is the mezzanine level overlooking the main room.
Hakkasan boasts a TurboSound Line Array System, intense light shows.The recent multi-million-dollar “Hakkasan Grid” kinetic light installation is the largest permanent kinetic light installation in the United States, made of 57 four-foot seamless and sculptural triangles that combine to form a 30-foot showpiece that can transform into infinite shapes and colors above the dance floor.
Entrance to XS inside the Encore.
XS Nightclub
XS Nightclub at the Encore is one of the more intimate EDM clubs on the Las Vegas Strip, at 40,000 square feet. The nightclub isn’t the largest you can party at but is consistently a favorite among seasoned club-goers.
Surrounding the Encore’s pool, XS is one of the rare indoor/outdoor Vegas clubs. While the gorgeous pool area might tempt you to stay outside, the unbelievable roster of top DJs and the gorgeous club interior will beckon you back in.
XS is one of the most luxuriously designed nightclubs on earth and is inspired by the sexy curves of the female body and the club fixtures are decked out in gold, including a 10-foot rotating gold chandelier and gold dancer poles.
XS, along with Encore Beach Club, pulls in some of the most exciting names in EDM today, including The Chainsmokers, Diplo, and RL Grime.
Their weekly “Nightswim” events, held during the summer, are one the most popular club events in Vegas.
Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub
The 40,000-square-foot Marquee at the Cosmopolitan has multiple rooms that offer their own unique kind of experience.
The aptly named Library, a discreet VIP hideaway, is more of a relaxed lounge lined with bookshelves and even has a pool table and fireplace.
The Boom Box is the more upbeat ultralounge playing hip-hop and Top 40, but what draws the crowd is the main room where headliners like Vice, Fisher that appeal to the hardcore EDM fans.
The multisensory experience includes intense sound and lighting effects from state-of-the-art audio and visual systems and a 32,000-watt Funktion One sound system.
A drawbridge over the DJ booth has dancers backlit with shifting LED lights, and there’s also a rooftop patio overlooking the Strip.
Marquee is also a popular 22,000 square-foot Dayclub with an expanded indoor/outdoor space, three-story bungalow lofts with their own infinity pools and party decks, and the same internationally influential EDM DJs.
Top EDM Las Vegas Pool Parties
Encore Beach Club
The three-level pool/club complex at Encore is one of the best Vegas pool parties in Las Vegas in size, layout, and quality of talent.
The gorgeous space is known as “the happiest place on earth” and includes 26 upscale cabanas that include flat-screen TVs and balconies overlooking the Strip. There are also plenty of booths, couches, bungalows, daybeds, lily pads, and even poles for go-go dancers.
Catch Diplo, RL Grime, and the absolutely wild parties thrown by Brazilian production company Elrow all summer long. You might even be caught under the occasional champagne shower.
There’s also EBC at Night, because the party should last all day and all night.
EBC at Night brings the best of Encore Beach Club to the night crowd, with night swims held during the summer (in the winter, a climate-controlled dome covers the pool area) and the top DJ talent.
Wet Republic Ultra Pool
The 54,000-square-foot ultra pool is newly renovated with brand-new architectural and audio-visual design, additional plunge pools, a redesigned and expanded artist performance area, elevated cabanas and bungalows, furniture upgrades, and state-of-the-art immersive technology.The new L-Acoustics Kara and ARCS II speakers at Wet Republic are the same sound technology found in OMNIA Nightclub and music festivals Coachella and Tomorrowland.
There is also a high-tech, 4,000-square-foot LED display with a 13-foot interactive cube.
Catch Steve Aoki, Rob Guson, Lil Jon, and more breaking in the revamped space.
Daylight
One of the biggest pool parties in Vegas, Daylight is a massive pool and entertainment venue with the towers of Mandalay Bay and the Delano as its backdrop. The beach club has 70 daybeds, 25 cabanas, six LED screens, and a 4,400-square-foot main pool.
Book a cabana for private VIP pool access, or an ultra-VIP bungalow with their own private dipping pools.
It tends to book primarily hip-hop artists, but there are EDM events as well with DJs like Mike Oz, Kid Funk, J-Nice, and Maria Romano
Looking for more places to soak up some sun, drink, dance, and do some serious mingling? Hit this link for Las Vegas pool party tickets and DJ schedules!
EDM Festivals and Concerts in Vegas
Electric Daisy Carnival
Fans of EDM music love coming to Las Veags for the Electronic Daisy Carnival–the largest EDM festival in North America and takes place rain or shine!
Held over three nights in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, EDC is a pure spectacle with multiple stages, a full carnival, massive art installations, and a “downtown” area with themed bars, an open-air theatre, and wedding chapels.
There are also a variety of dancers, aerialists, stilt-walkers, and other performers throughout. Which is to say nothing over the over 100 different EDM acts scheduled to perform.
Camping has recently been added as an option, which alleviates much of the logistical hassle of getting to and from the venue.
The 2022 Electric Daisy Carnival is May 20th-22nd with the opening ceremony from 5 pm-7 pm on Friday the 20th. The grounds will be open from 7 pm-5:30 am each night after. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
Life is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas.
Life is Beautiful
Life is Beautiful is a three-day festival of music and art held in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas with a dedicated EDM stage in addition to the variety of hip-hop, pop, and rock acts performing on other stages. The festival also features areas for fine dining, comedy, meditation and wellness, the Market in the Alley which features local artist, markers, and artisan booths, and other stages that help make life beautiful.
It’s a rare thing to experience a festival that is wholly within the footprint of a city, and not on separate park grounds, and the artwork produced as part of this festival has completely transformed DTLV. Add this one to your Vegas bucket list.
The 2022 festival takes place September 16th-18th.
Exodus Las Vegas
The Exodus Festival is held over four weekends during the summer, offering partygoers access to 15 EDM pool parties for one price—Basically a bar crawl but for EDM pool parties!
Resident DJs participating in the 2022 lineup include the Chainsmokers, Diplo,Kaskade, Alesso, Kygo, and Marshmello just to name a few. The day clubs taking part are the hottest on the strip—Wet Republic, Encore Beach Club, Hakkasan, XS, Omnia, Marquee, and TAO. Exodus Las Vegas is an excellent way to secure your summer pool parties over the biggest weekends in Vegas: Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Fourth of July (plus a bonus extra weekend at the end of August).
Art of the Wild
The annual Art of the Wild event at the Wynn takes the hottest party producers in the world—Elrow, All Day I Dream, Circoloco, and more—and combines them with some of the hottest legendary EDM talents like Loco Dice, Felix da Housecat, Chris Lake, Rufus Du Sol, Seth Troxler, and more.
This isn’t your typical mainstream Calvin Harris/Tiësto/Zedd lineup you see every weekend in Vegas, but a specially curated weekend for EDM purists.
The 2022 Art of the Wild event is March 18th-20th.
Collective Zoo
Another Vegas-born alternative to mainstream EDM events, Collective Zoo puts on what might best be called “mini-festivals” featuring underground and up-and-coming talent at locations like the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Promoters also hosts parties at Marquee and have an exclusive stage at the annual Life is Beautiful.
Vegas EDM music and artists
Popular EDM DJs that perform in Vegas
If you missed your favorite DJ playing in Vegas, don’t worry: they’ll be back. Between all of the MANY clubs in Las Vegas, there are dozens of DJ residencies, with some of the biggest names—like Calvin Harris and Tiësto—playing almost weekly.
Las Vegas EDM calendar is HOT! Below are just some of the most iconic names in EDM who are slated for residencies throughout 2022, and where you can catch them.
- Alesso: Tao
- Gryffin: Hakkasan, Omnia, Jewel, Wet Republic
- Benny Benassi: Marquee Nightclub, Marquee Dayclub
- The Chainsmokers: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Chris Lake: Marquee Nightclub, Marquee Dayclub, Tao Beach
- David Guetta: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Diplo: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Illenium: Hakkasan, Omnia, Wet Republic
- Loud Luxury: Hakkasan, Omnia, Wet Republic
- Marshmello: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Mustard: Marquee Nightclub, Marquee Dayclub
- RL Grime: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Kygo: XS, Encore Beach Club
- Steve Aoki: Hakkasan, Omnia, Wet Republic, Jewel
- Tiësto: Ayu Dayclub , Zouk Nightclub
- Zedd: Ayu Dayclub , Zouk Nightclub
- Calvin Harris: Zouk Nightclub, Ayu Dayclub
FAQs and Need-to-Knows
How long are EDM sets at clubs?
Typically between two and three hours.
What time does the headliner usually go on?
The headliner will usually go on between 1 and 2 a.m. at a nightclub, and between 2 and 3 p.m. at a dayclub.
Is the party over when the headliner finishes?
Nope! Just as there is always an opening DJ, there is also always a closing DJ, and that’s usually a good opportunity for people to see new or local talent (same goes for openers).
Is it true that it’s more expensive for guys to get in?
Pre-sale and door prices are always higher for guys. Pre-sale tickets may have smaller quantities available for guys, too.
Is it cheaper to buy your tickets in advance?
Yes; the prices will always be higher at the door, regardless of if you’re a guy or girl. Also, when you buy your tickets in advance there’s usually a separate line for pre-sale, so you can get in a lot faster. This is the easiest and most hassle-free way to go.
Who are these people who keep asking me if I want to be put on their guest list, and is it a scam?
Nope, it’s legit! Those people are “VIP hosts,” and their jobs are to get people in the clubs. They are especially useful if the event is sold out or if you didn’t plan ahead and would otherwise be stuck in the GA line.
Sometimes they can get you in for free or at a discount; usually they can get you in faster. It all depends on the event.
VIP hosts can usually do a bit more for girls—girls are always more valued as club guests. But if you’re working with a VIP host, be sure to follow their rules.
If they tell you to get there by a certain time, then BE THERE by that time; otherwise, they can’t (or won’t) do anything else for you.
For guys, the VIP hosts can get you deals on bottle service or tables, and it’s always a good idea to work with a VIP host when you’re trying to get discount pricing or sit in a certain area (meaning inside vs. outside or near the restrooms…if you’re only buying one or two bottles, you’re not going to be next to the stage).
VIP hosts might also limit groups of guys so once again, buying your tickets in advance will save you some headache and then you’re guaranteed to get it.
What do “VIP” tickets get you?
Your own dedicated VIP entry line. That’s really it.
What do you get when you buy a table or bottle service?
Well, you get the table and bottle service.
Las Vegas clubs have very limited seating and you’ll have to pay for it if you want access. Buying a table reserves an area of seating, with a dedicated host/server for the evening.
Other perks of table and bottle service include an exclusive entrance line for faster entry.
Pro Tip: You canpre-pay for bottle service and reserve a table on the club’s websites. They’ll treat you a little better for planning in advance also!
How can I get the best table?
Start with buying a $10,000 bottle of Dom, and then buy several more. The reality is the “best” tables are reserved for the people spending absurd amounts of money.
You aren’t going to be waltzing into one of the tables closest to the stage while Calvin Harris is headlining by ordering one or two bottles of Grey Goose.
What is security like?
Strict. And thorough.
What about non-EDM clubs and other pool parties?
Understood: not everyone is into EDM, and not everyone wants to hear nothing but EDM the whole time they’re in town to party.
For those who want more of a mix of music that includes hip-hop, Top 40, and R&B, check out Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub, Tao Nightclub and Tao Beach, On the Record, Jewel Nightclub, Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop, and LIGHT Nightclub.
For more chill EDM pool party vibes, try Liquid Pool Lounge at ARIA.
Browse our list of the best nightclubs in vegas for a complete list.
What time do the clubs close?
It really depends on the crowd. If the headliner is long gone but the party is still going strong, they’ll stay open until 6 a.m. If the headliner finishes at 4 a.m. and everyone leaves, they’ll start shutting down by 5 a.m.
And that’s when people head to the after-hours spots.
What about after-hours parties?
Oh my, yes. No club night is complete without swinging by an after-hours spot!
The most popular are Drai’s After Hours, Terrace Afterhours, Tempo, and Artifice, though there are various others. It’s best to ask around: people at the club will know where everybody is going afterward.
I want to go clubbing but I’m not into the “superclubs.” Are there any other places in Vegas for EDM that aren’t those giant casino clubs?
If you want to avoid the superclub, there are smaller venues (like the after-hours joints) located off the Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas where you can catch more up-and-coming DJs as well as more niche genres like dubstep, drum and bass, and deep techno.
If you’re looking for a specific DJ, check out their website—they might be playing a spot in town that they’re not openly advertising.
Tom Hamilton - Author
Hi, I am Tom, and I love Las Vegas. You may see me lounging at the pool, catching a late-night show, or trying my luck at craps while out in Las Vegas.
I hope my tips and information can help people plan an enjoyable vacation and do so while saving money.
