Unity EDM festival launches this weekend at Las Vegas’ Sphere

It’s another massive event for the massive spherical venue.

Here are 10 things to know about Unity, the electronic dance music festival that kicks off Friday at the Sphere, the same weekend the Las Vegas Strip venue launches its new “Wizard of Oz” experience.

Unity is here! OK, so what’s Unity again?

Two of the world’s largest electronic dance music companies joining forces for the first time to tag-team eyes and ears into submission. Conceptualized by Insomniac and Tomorrowland, Unity will feature new orchestra compositions and accompaniments mixed with classic anthems and immersive visuals in what’s designed to be an all-encompassing sensory overload. Maybe bring a spare set of retinas.

Who is Insomniac?

A familiar brand around these parts: Insomniac puts on the Super Bowl of EDM, Electric Daisy Carnival.

Launched in founder Pasquale Rotella’s SoCal bedroom in 1993, Insomniac has grown into an electronic dance music behemoth with dozens of annual events around the globe from Colombia to Croatia, Thailand to Poland.

But, of course, EDC remains the crown jewel.

Who is Tomorrowland?

Europe’s largest electronic dance music fest. Founded in Belgium in 2005, Tomorrowland has grown into an international draw as well, with events from Brazil to Dubai. Tomorrowland briefly expanded to the States from 2013 to 2015 with a trio of fests in the Atlanta area under the TomorrowWorld banner. But Unity marks Tomorrowland’s most substantial foray into America since.

What’s bigger, EDC or Tomorrowland?

Like a European Coachella, Tomorrowland takes place over two weekends and drew over 400,000 fans in July. EDC on the other, much bigger, hand, brought a crowd of more than 500,000 to Las Vegas Motor Speedway over just three days in May, making it the largest electronic music fest in the world. That said, Tomorrowland’s 2025 livestream did break TikTok’s all-time record with more than 74 million viewers, making it the platform’s biggest live event ever.

What is each party bringing to the table?

Well, a party. But more specifically, each company is bringing specific elements of some of their signature events to Unity. For Insomniac, this means tumbling down the rabbit hole of Beyond Wonderland, getting spooky with the autumnal Escape Halloween and, of course, entering the cocoon of light and sound that is EDC. Tomorrowland will revisit various themes of past fests, including the underwater world of Planaxis (2018), the mythical majesty of Adscendo (2023) and the wintry climes of Orbyz (2024), which is described as a “magical universe made entirely out of ice.”

Who’s playing?

On Friday, Brit duo Chase & Status continue to push the bounds of drum and bass with their genre-hopping bombast. And you can’t really have a major dance music event without ubiquitous EDM superstar Kaskade, can you? He headlines on Saturday. Finally, white-hot techno prime mover Eli Brown performs on Sunday, just in time to help you “Escape From Planet Monday.”

When should I get there?

Doors open at 10:15 p.m. and the music starts at 11:15 p.m. Expect an hourslong experience culminating in a live performance by the headlining act. You won’t be dancing till the sun comes up … but close.

Can the kids come?

Surprisingly, yes. Though EDC and most Insomniac productions are 18-and-older, Unity is the rare all-ages big-ticket electronic dance music event. And now to find some juniors-sized fuzzy boots …

Is the party over after this weekend?

Nope. Unity is booked for three more weekends after this one, featuring plenty more big names. The rest of the lineup: DJ Snake (Sept. 19), Alan Walker (Sept. 20), Meduza + James Hype (Sept. 26), Slander (Sept. 27), Sara Landry (Oct. 17) and Subtronics (Oct. 18).

Most importantly, what does Kaskade think?

“The Sphere is already such an iconic place, and I would bet every music performer has at least thought about what they would do in that venue,” Kaskade tells the RJ. “For me, it’s a natural fit to give it a spin. I’ve always been a visuals guy, and love to see how far I can stretch out with the mesh of technology and music. The Sphere is exactly the spot to see where I can take that.”