Every summer millions upon millions of fans descend on festivals around the world to celebrate music and community, and well fun. With Ultra completely in the books now and summer quickly approaching it could not be more appropriate than to sum up and give you the scoop on some of the more tantalizing options for you EDM fans. Here’s a rundown of the North American festivals we’re looking forward to!

Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas (June 8th-10th) & East Rutherford, New Jersey (May 19th-20th), & Puerto Rico (Dates TBA)

Routinely one of the largest and most popular festivals, Insomniac’s EDC has become a staple in the EDM community and festival circuit as a whole. After originating in Los Angeles, the festival moved to Las Vegas to rousing success and now the first EDCNYC is slated to happen to (though it’s actually in New Jersey). While no official lineup has been announced as of yet, it is sure to be stellar. Acts like Tiesto, Bassnectar, Skrillex, Afrojack, Ferry Corsten, Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Dada Life, The Glitch Mob, Cosmic Gate, Excision, Steve Aoki, and pretty much anyone and everyone you could ever want usually shows up for this one. The festival was held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year and will be again this year. At the 2011 DJ Awards, the festival was recognized for it’s success and was awarded International Festival of The Year. For a 3-day General Admissions pass to the Las Vegas show, it costs a pricey $299.63 (after fees) but should certainly be worth the price of admission. Last year it sold out, and will definitely again, so get on that now!

Camp Bisco, Mariaville, NY (July 12th-14th)

In it’s 12th year, Camp Bisco has become quite the landmark festival. With it’s picturesque location at the Indian Lookout Country Club in upstate New York, Camp Bisco 11 is sparing no expense this year in providing the ultimate fan experience. With an $175 price tag for a 3-day festival, you are getting quite the bargain. The lineup has confirmed acts such as the festival’s founder The Disco Biscuits but also Skrillex, Bassnectar, Amon Tobin ISAM, Porter Robinson, Zeds Dead, Dada Life, Shpongle AND MORE. They’ve even hired hip-hop acts like Atmosphere and Big Boi to join the EDM laden event too! They have even set up accommodations for fans who might have issues getting to the remote locations, with long-distance shuttles going from New York City, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Burlington, Albany, Boston, and Baltimore. This festival seems to have the best bang for your buck when you compare lineups and ticket pricing, so this is the one to go to if you only go to one. They are sure to sell out so make sure to get your tickets NOW.

Coachella, Indio, CA (April 13th-15th & April 20th-22nd)

Situated in the desert of Riverside county, Indio is not exactly the easiest to get to, but that hasn’t stopped the masses from coming to this awesome festival year in and year out. With two weekends this year and a stellar lineup, Coachella is slated to once again reign supreme as the top festival of California. The lineup is quite diverse with acts like The Black Keys, Radiohead and Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre as the three main headliners, but it is certainly not short on EDM talent. At all. Avicii, Afrojack, Borgore, Calvin Harris, Datsik, Amon Tobin ISAM, Feed Me, Kaskade, Flux Pavilion & Doctor P, Justice, Madeon, and more and more and more. There are honestly far too many to just list off, so check it out for yourself! Unfortunately for those who are just finding out about this now, the festival is ENTIRELY SOLD OUT. From this one perspective, it’s worth checking out Stubhub or another off-market because this festival is going to be off the chain.

Starscape, Baltimore, MD (June 9th, 2012)

The mid-atlantic event is only one day, but time and time again has become a can’t miss massive. This year is slated to have Flux Pavilion, Chase & Status, Shpongle and Wolfgang Gartner as it’s top headliners, with other amazing acts like Dillon Francis, Camo & Krooked, Zedd, and Dada Life joining too. The one day event ticket is $75 and is 18+, so you won’t have to worry about those underage teeny boppers and whatever comes with that! From their website “The venue, Fort Armistead Park, provides a beautiful wooded and coastal backdrop for the event, but is a small enough site to allow for easy access to all of the stages and attractions. While the talent lineup is diverse and the production is top notch, Starscape is not a mega-fest, and as such, it has developed an intimate feel and is known for its amazing vibe.” Short story: Get your ticket, go make friends, and listen to amazing performances.

Electric Forest Festival, Rothbury, MI (June 28th – July 1st)

The festival formerly known as Rothbury, has become one of the top festivals the last few summers. One of the few EDM festivals in the midwest, EFF has attracted several large names and is beginning to be one of the real top of the line festivals. This years festival has acts like Bassnectar, String Cheese Incident, MiMOSA, Steve Aoki, GirlTalk, Wolfgang Gartner, Major Lazer, Borgore, and so many more. The only tickets availabe now cost a pricey $242.50 (plus fees!) but should be worth the cost if you are already in the area!

Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN (June 7th-10th)

Well it’s another summer and there is another Bonaroo. The line up is still great, but it’s not as EDM focused as it has been in certain years. Skrillex, Major Lazer, SBTRKT, Big Gigantic, MiMOSA, and Flying Lotus are all performing alongside acts like Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish. The festival returns to it’s Manchester location for the umpteenth time and is going to cost $259.50 (plus fees!) For those who can’t afford the costly tickets upfront, the event holders have offered a payment plan service and would be advisable for those who need it! The last tickets are going quick, so hop to it!

Born and raised in NYC, a full-time student in the Towson/Baltimore, I’ve had a wealth of experience in electronic music. I’ve DJ’d parties and on the radio, and am an aficionado all things Electronic Music with a passion for art in general. If you have any questions, concerns, comments, you can email me with inquiries and demos at 808sJake@gmail.com And you can follow me on twitter! @808sJake Follow my music taste on last.fm too! http://www.last.fm/user/Jake0617 doandroidsdance.com