Though it might not have quite the same reputation as New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta, Las Vegas has always been one of America’s foremost music cities. After all, one of the iconic images of Vegas in the public imagination are of Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack kicking around casinos.
When Vegas was building its reputation as one of the country's biggest tourist attractions, it tended to focus on performers who would appeal to older customers that had the discretionary income to take a weekend trip to Vegas, so they could relive their youth by watching, say, Linda Ronstadt or Michael MacDonald. That is totally great, of course. Everyone has a right to their own personal nostalgia and MacDonald has bangers for days. (“Yah Mo B There,”? Yes please!)
But it’s always important to cultivate your next generation of customers, which is why around the ‘00s, concert promoters at venues such as MGM Resorts International (MGM) began booking younger skewing acts. This started with Celine Dion’s 2003 residency, and while Celine might not necessarily scream “youth appeal,” compared to what Vegas was known for in the past, she was basically the Britney Spears at the time. Of course, Spears, Katy Perry, The Jonas Brothers and Mötley Crüe would all later do residencies at one point or another.
Concert residencies from young, or young-ish, pop stars and rock bands have helped change the way people see Vegas, and have convinced a generation that it’s worth booking a vacation there. But in addition to residencies, for the last decade Vegas has had another instrument in its ongoing effort to attract new clients: it’s very own music festival.
What Is Las Vegas’s Music Festival?
In the ‘90s, music festivals would come to you, in the form of Lollapalooza, the Vans Warped Tour, Lilith Fair and more. But in the ‘00s, consolidation in the concert promotion and music venue industry, as well as the rising costs of gas and labor, made it more efficient for festivals to set up in one town and have the consumers come to them.
This was long the model in Europe, and in 1999 the Coachella Music Festival popularized the idea in the United States. (Though the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been taking place since 1970, it was marketed towards adults.) It took a while for the model to catch on, but eventually Coachella, the Tennessee festival Bonnaroo and the now Chicago-bound Lollapalooza began attracting waves of young fans, and hitting up at least one of these festivals became a right-of-passage for college kids.
Eventually, every major city, and many secondary markets, began having their own festivals. Some had a very specific flavor, like Miami’s hip-hop-centric Rolling Loud, whereas others festivals have a reputation for booking whomever happens to be touring at the moment and not having much of a personality.
But no one can accuse Vegas of lacking an identity. In 2013, the Penske Media corporation (which owns both Rolling Stone and Variety) debuted the Life Is Beautiful Festival, featuring headliners Kanye West as well as hometown heroes Panic! At The Disco. The festival typically features a mix of popular alternative rock and hip-hop acts, as well as a smattering of DJs and EDMS artists. There’s also a heavy emphasis on visual art, and Shepard Fairey has partnered with the festival before.
The all-ages festival takes place in downtown Las Vegas, over 18 blocks, from 7th to 11th Street and from Mesquite to Carson Avenue. The festival cautiously came back from a covid-mandated break in 2021. This year’s festival will take place in less than a month, from September 16-18, from 2pm to 1am.
Arctic Monkeys/YouTube
Who Is Playing Life Is Beautiful?
This year’s line-up will include headliners Arctic Monkeys, playing some of their first shows since 2019 and debuting material from their upcoming album The Car.
The alt-pop star Lorde will also be doing one of her last shows before her current tour wraps up. Also on the bill are Gorillaz, the DJ Calvin Harris, rapper Jack Harlow, rap crew Migos, indie vibers Beach House, Cage the Elephant, Charli XCX, Rico Nasty the buzz band Wet Leg, and many more.
The festival has also expanded to include stand-up comedy, including the suddenly ubiquitous Joel Kim Booster, “Hacks” stars Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter, the delightfully filthy “Saturday Night Live” star Sarah Sherman and Latrice Royal. There will also be dance parties held by The Emo Night Tour, 90s Nite and the r&b party Simp City.
Single days tickets are $180 and $375 for VIP, which includes express entry, special stage viewing, concierge services, exclusive food vendors and more. The 3-day passes are $380 and $795 for a VIP weekend.
Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, so if you start crying when Lorde does “The Louvre,” that’s no one’s business but your own.
