Post-EDC blues still got you down? I am SO with you. In fact, I think it's only been a day since I stopped eating my feelings and blaming it on the billion calories I just had to have burned dancing the night away for three days straight.
EDC Las Vegas came and went far too quickly and I hope yours went as smoothly as mine — with rave outfits on point, Uber + walking making it the most flawless year of transportation ever and a hotel that had hot breakfast waiting for us at 6 a.m. (score!). And that's not even getting into the perfection that was EDC 20. I'm talking fireworks that made 4th of July seem like a sham, everyone believing, at least for a second, that Marshmello could actually be Tiesto (don't deny it) along with some of the best sets any of us had ever seen. Seriously, can you believe it's been almost a month since we met under the electric sky?
But now, it's back to reality. No need to fear, by the grace of the rave gods (and Sirius XM radio really) we can listen to almost all the EDC 20 sets until our heart's content. Not sure where to start? Here are my top 5 picks:
Top 5 EDC Las Vegas 2016 Sets That Still Hit Different
Whether you were there dancing until sunrise or you're experiencing these sets for the first time, these five performances capture everything that made EDC 20 legendary. Each one brings its own energy — from the kind of house music that makes you forget you've been on your feet for eight hours straight to the epic mainstage moments that reminded us why we live for festival season.
1. Don Diablo - Mainstage Friday
My boyfriend and I have been waiting for what feels like forever to see Don Diablo. He has a sort of Avicii meets Oliver Heldens sound that is cheeks-hurt-from-smiling-so-much cheery and just a goddamn delight to listen to. I'm always nervous going into sets with that much anticipation, but I should have had no qualms about this one.
Don Diablo played mainstage at the pretty inopportune time of 8 p.m. on Friday night, so there's a good chance you missed this set live. It's time to correct that mistake and listen to the first set I heard all weekend, which held strong as my number one pick overall. The man knows how to build energy — starting with those signature future house grooves and building into drops that had the entire crowd moving as one. If you're the type who needs infectious positivity to kick off your festival weekend, this is your anthem.
2. Oliver Heldens - Pure Energy in Motion
In a world where most lower tempo house sounds repetitive to me, Oliver Heldens is what I want chill dance music to be. His ability to keep things groovy without losing that dancefloor energy is unmatched. Plus, halfway through his set, Heldens jumped down from his DJ throne to shuffle on stage, a memorable moment that threw the set over the top.
This is the set you put on when you're getting ready for your next festival — doing your makeup, lacing up your platforms, deciding between rave tops and festival bodysuits. It's that perfect pre-game energy that gets you hyped without exhausting you before you even leave the hotel. Heldens proved why he's been a festival favorite for years, blending his classics with fresh remixes that kept everyone guessing what was coming next.
3. Axwell and Ingrosso - The Pleasant Surprise
With so much great music happening at EDC, you can only invest your anticipation into so many sets and for no good reason at all, I had little expectations going into Axwell and Ingrosso's set. This led me to turning to friends about half a dozen times to exclaim that I have no idea what I was expecting for these two, but for some reason it wasn't the magic they delivered.
With this duo's track record, I had no reason to be surprised, but dang was it pleasant. They brought that Swedish House Mafia energy without actually being Swedish House Mafia — you know what I mean if you were there. The production was next level, the track selection was impeccable, and somehow they managed to make 60 minutes feel like both an eternity and a split second at the same time. This is progressive house done right, with emotional builds that hit you right in the chest and drops that make you understand why people get festival tattoos.
4. Galantis - Sunrise Euphoria
I've talked up Galantis before and I'm here to do it again. Galantis has a ridiculous amount of amazing singles beyond Runaway that are so dynamic I always assume they are from other artists. I spent about 6 months hearing Gold Dust (my favorite song of the year) and searching misheard lyrics before finally finding out it was a Galantis track. Hearing it live was hands down one of my favorite EDC moments.
Even with that, I'll admit now I was a little too run down to truly appreciate them live on Day 3 at sunrise. I finally got to re-listening to this set last weekend and could barely believe my ears. I can guarantee this will be my most re-played set of the weekend. There's something about Galantis that captures pure joy — the kind of music that makes you forget you're exhausted, that your feet hurt, that you have to be at work on Tuesday. It's the soundtrack to those moments when you catch your friend's eye across the crowd and you both just start grinning because you know exactly how lucky you are to be there.
Pro tip: Save this set for when you need to remember why you spend money on festival pashminas and plane tickets instead of, like, responsible adult things. It's worth every penny.
5. Tommy Trash - The Underrated Legend
Tommy Trash is super underrated. He's been around and good at least since I started going to shows in 2012 and it seems like he just never gets the credit he deserves — never grouped with hottest DJs, never playing mainstage…I don't get it. It's time to give Tommy some love because he absolutely sets it off and his EDC was no exception.
This set is for the rave fam who knows. You know the ones — they're not chasing the Instagram-famous DJs or fighting through crowds for the headliners. They're posted up at the stage where the real music is happening, surrounded by people who came for the vibes not the clout. Tommy Trash delivered exactly what those people needed: a masterclass in electro house with enough energy to power the entire Las Vegas strip. If you slept on this set at EDC, now's your chance to experience what you missed.
Keep the EDC Spirit Alive
The beauty of these recorded sets is that they let you relive those perfect festival moments whenever you need them. Play them while you're planning your next festival outfit, blast them during your morning workout, or queue them up when you need to remember that magic still exists in the world. These five sets represent everything we love about EDC — the diversity of sound, the commitment to quality, and that indefinable energy that only happens when hundreds of thousands of ravers come together under the electric sky.
Until next year, keep the music playing and the good vibes flowing. And start planning your rave clothing now — EDC 2026 will be here before you know it.
Written By: Desiree Roughton
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