YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture

Chapter 3The Rise of Electronic Dance Music

The shift from stuff to experiences has had a profound impact on the soundtrack of YouthNation, as the popular center of gravity has seemingly shifted. Hip-hop, largely focused on messages of affluence and excess, is giving way to tech-fueled electronic dance music (EDM) largely rooted in experiences, love, and relationships—in some ways coming full circle to the sixties generation but with a much different look and sound .

The obsession with experiences and the recent explosion of EDM is driving an unprecedented proliferation of DJ-fueled outdoor festivals in the United States. In 2014 EDM festivals topped $1 billion in revenue for the first time while the EDM industry as a whole has now skyrocketed to over $6 billion in revenue. Festivals are now a rite of passage for YouthNation who willingly empties their wallets and braves the crowds with a constant finger on the Instagram trigger. What started with the Lollapalooza festival in the nineties is now an explosion of massive events creating the ultimate experiences for an audience with a thirst for bigger, brighter, and louder happenings. Below is a rundown on a few of the most popular festivals today.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Today's Festival Scene but Were Afraid to Ask

1. The Electronic Daisy Carnival (EDC): Occurring annually in Las Vegas, the EDM-centric Electronic Daisy Carnival, (pictured in Figure 3.1) is currently the largest festival in the U.S. In 2014, EDC Las ...