TOP 10: EDM and Dance Festivals in the USA

#10 Middlelands

Headliners (2017): Andy C, Marshmello, Major Lazer

The first ever edition in May 2017 was one of the most anticipated new music festivals in years. Brought to Todd Mission, Texas by the incredible minds behind Electric Daisy Carnival, Nocturnal Wonderland, Escape, Life is Beautiful, Dreamstate and Countdown, Middlelands made an impeccable impression on debut, so could be on its way to the forefront of dance festivals across the US.

When & where: May 2018, Todd Mission, Texas

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#9 Imagine Festival

Headliners: Above & Beyond, deadmau5, Tiësto

Stepping up into the breach left by TomorrowWorld, Imagine Festival moved from late-August to late-September, taking its all-absorbing party up another notch. EDM, dubstep, house and techno blend into close-up performers and wandering circus troupes, all projecting a dreamlike world that organisers describe as an "aquatic fairytale".

When & where: September 2018, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Georgia

#8 What The Festival

Headliners (2017): Zhu, Cut Copy, Gramatik

What The Festival may forever be weighed down by comparisons to the almighty, media-adored Burning Man. A lavishly imaginative arts and music festival should perhaps expect nothing less, but in truth WTF has crafted a creative character all of its own over the last six years. Reasonably low-key lineups help to keep the focus on the extra-curricular, with one of six stages based in the Pacific Northwest's largest wading pool.

What The Festival is taking 2018 off, but will return in 2019.

When & where: June 2019, Wolf Run Ranch, Oregon

#7 Movement Electronic

Music Festival

Headliners (2017): Richie Hawtin, Testpilot, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer

The birthplace of techno will celebrate the 12th anniversary of Movement Electronic Music Festival in 2018, though the festival's roots go all the way back to the turn of the millennium. Detroit Electronic Music Festival ran from 2000-2005, but the city with an electronic soul found a way to keep the party going – even taking it to Turin, Italy.

When & where: 26–28 May 2018, Detroit, Michigan

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#6 Nocturnal Wonderland

Headliners (2017): Dillon Francis, Excision, Claptone, DJ Mustard

Labor Day weekend hosts another of Insomniac's sparkle-eyed and colour-soaked parties. As the night closes in, the world transforms all around you into a fairytale of great electronic music and heart-stopping performers everywhere you look. From big-room house to underground techno, each impressive stage brings a beat for every taste, while the Wonderland itself never fails to live up to its name.

When & where: September 2018, San Bernardino, California

#5 Electric Zoo

Headliners (2017): DJ Snake, Above & Beyond, deadmau5 & Eric Prydz

Randall's Island, East Manhattan, parks a full-scale electronic festival right in the heart of New York City. Stadium EDM, proper techno and avant-garde house all stand side-by-side, somehow keeping Electric Zoo an intimate, almost personal affair.

When & where: September 2018, NYC, New York

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#4 Escape: Psycho Circus

Headliners (2017): Tiësto, Afrojack, Baauer

If you think about it, Halloween and EDM are a match made in heaven. Both love atmospheric lights, glow in the dark art, dressing up and partying hard, so it only makes sense to combine the two. The biggest Halloween party in SoCal, Escape: Psycho Circus has four stages of the biggest DJs, haunted labyrinths, interactive art installations, roaming circus performers and more.

When & where: 27-28 October 2017, San Bernardino, California

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#3 Electric Forest

Headliners (2017): DJ Snake, Above & Beyond, Flume

Absorbed in a thousand twinkling lights and transformed into a spectacular fantasy by countless art installations and travelling performance troupes, Electric Forest's woodland home takes the colour-explosion of the festival's visual shows and spreads it across the whole site. Electric Forest is firmly established as North America's alternative electronic superpower.

When & where: June/July 2018, Rothbury, Michigan

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#2 Ultra Music Festival

Headliners (2017): Ice Cube, Major Lazer, The Prodigy, David Guetta

Kicking off festival season with a bang, you could easily make a case for Ultra Music Festival being the best festival in the country.

When & where: 23–25 March 2018, Miami, Florida

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#1 Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas

Headliners (2017): Alesso, Martin Garrix, Major Lazer, Axwell ^ Ingrosso

North America's Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas is an immersive experience up there with the best in the world. Taking place in Sin City, both artists and audience are ready to party, and it shows. A stacked lineup, ridiculous light shows and pyrotechnics, a plethora of unannounced special guests and a massive glow in the dark site waiting to be explored are all standard issue at EDC's flagship festival. Put it on the bucket list already.

When & where: 18-20 May 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada

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