EDC Orlando 2021: Beyond The Headliners

The rules to this article series are pretty simple: highlight artists that aren't headlining the given festival. The thing about EDC, though, is their lineups are always so stacked that even the non-headliners are headliner status. So with EDC Orlando 2021 coming up this weekend we thought we'd take things one step further and highlight five great DJs that are not only not headlining the festival, but whose sets are not on main stage.

Even with this criteria it was still difficult to chose only five from the star-studded bill, but after much thinking and debating we managed to settle on a group of artists we love. Here they are. 

ANNA

Sunday, 7:30 - 9:00 - Neon Stage

Brazil is known for a lot of things but techno isn't one of them, something São Paulo native ANNA is doing her best to change. Her music features dark synths and booming drums that combine to create an immersive, almost physical presence, but what sets her apart is that no matter how heavy a given song of her's might get, it never loses its deep-rooted sense of groove, allowing even the uninitiated to get into her energetic sets.

Cosmic Gate

Saturday, 8:15 - 9:30 - Stereo Boom Stage

A prime example of the star-studded nature of the lineup, Cosmic Gate, one of the most renowned trance acts in the world, are not playing on the main stage. A duo from Germany, the pair have been making transcendent, atmospheric beats for over 20 years now. Their calling card is a nearly unrivalled ability to instil positive emotionality into their music, drawing listeners in during their sets and taking them on a cosmic journey.

DJ Holographic

Sunday, 3:00 - 4:30 - Neon Stage

There are few contemporary DJs out these days who embody the old school Detroit approach to the craft better than DJ Holographic. The Motor City native has taken up the mantle of generations of some of the most revered artists to ever call themselves DJs and brought that history into the modern music scene, unleashing fierce mixes of funky house and disco on everyone who sees her perform. For someone performing so early in the day, this is a can't miss. 

Patrick Topping

Friday, 5:00 - 7:00 - Neon Stage

British DJ, producer, and label boss Patrick Topping is a jack of all trades. Some DJs pride themselves on being genre purists, Patrick Topping is not one of these people. His sets mix everything from house, techno, electro, and disco together to bring the rave energy to wherever he is playing. Having played pretty much every electronic festival and venue in the Western world and steadily risen through the ranks, I'm not sure he could put together a bad set even if he tried. 

Denis Sulta

Sunday, 4:30 - 6:00 - Neon Stage

You pretty much have to be a music nerd to be a DJ. Putting together even one set, let alone new ones every night, requires you to have an endless reserve of music knowledge. Glaswegian house DJ and producer Denis Sulta first found his passion for crafting sets while working at a record shop in his hometown. Fast-forward a decade and his ability to make dance floors shake with reckless abandon landed him a recording contract with one of the most prestigious independent electronic music labels in the world: Ninja Tune. 

EDC Orlando 2021 takes place November 12-14 at Tinker Field. Find more info on our EDC Orlando 2021 guide.