A History of Music Festivals, Part 7: Post-2000 Electronic

In the new millennium, especially in the last decade, the popularity of electronic dance music (EDM) has increased globally – mostly in the United States and Australia.

EDM is an umbrella term for multiple genres such as dance-pop, house, techno, trance, drum and bass, dubstep, trap and footwork.

Electronic music in the 1990s was associated with the European rave and club culture. Yet, in the USA, it had limited commercial success and remained underground.

Rave parties were especially big in the UK and Germany in the early '90s

Using the term EDM to re-brand the American rave scene of the early 2010s helped enable a massive growth in its popularity.

EDM festivals achieved record breaking attendances in the 2010s.

In the last decade EDM festivals became colossal 

Ultra Music Festival

Founded in Miami, Florida, in 1999. Ultra Worldwide began in 2008 – the festival appeared in countries such as South Africa, Japan, Brazil and Spain.

Ultra Music Festival in 2017

Electric Daisy Carnival

Established in Newberry Springs, California, in 1999. The flagship event is now at Las Vegas; it is the largest EDM festival in North America. EDC's other annual events take place in Orlando, China and Mexico.

Electric Daisy Carnival in 2010

Tomorrowland

A festival in Belgium first held in 2005. Today, it is one of the world's largest and most notable festivals.

Tomorrowland in 2015

Sources

www.chemionglasses.com

www.jmcacademy.edu.au

en.wikipedia.org