Your Guide to Las Vegas Music Festivals

Las Vegas Music Festival

Summer may be over, but the festival season is just getting started in Las Vegas. As the weather cools down, some of the best artists in pop, EDM, and country flock to the city for events that draw in tens of thousands of music lovers. Want to make the most of your experience? Here are the most anticipated events in the upcoming months plus some important tips for attending music festivals in Las Vegas.

Music Festival Tips

Knowing what to expect can help you maximize your fun and avoid mistakes that can ruin an otherwise great experience. Here are some important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind ahead of the festival.

Arrive Early and Plan Your Schedule

There are always plenty of artists on the lineup you’ll want to see, unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Find out where they are playing and how to get there. There will be times where you’ll have to choose one artist over the other because of conflicting schedules. Arrive early and get info on the entire venue, try to get a map so you can plan things out and know where everything is.

Pace Yourself

This one is very important. Only you know your own limits. Try not to party too hard that you end up with missing cash and memories of the night before. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Being dehydrated is one of the biggest dangers of festival goers.  Music festivals are about having fun, making friends, and creating memories — not recreating a scene from the Hangover.

Make a Plan for Your Phone

Don’t assume you can conserve battery life and have an operational phone at the end of the night. There’s a good chance your phone will die during the festival, so have a backup plan. You may want to bring a portable phone charger or even consider renting a locker with a charger. Set up a meeting place with friends in case phones die and you can’t find each other.

Wear Comfortable Clothes for the Setting

Attending a music festival means a lot of walking. Don’t try to suffer through the weekend in your favorite pumps. Bring shoes that are comfortable for walking and already broken in. Wear appropriate clothes for the weather. If you’re going to be out in the sun day drinking all day, be ready for it. Bring extra clothes if need be. The Vegas sun is unforgiving and canopies can be few and far between. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen every morning before you head out. While you’re at it, bring a pair of sunglasses and Chapstick. You’ll be glad you did.

Don’t Try to Smuggle in Anything Illegal

Make sure you read the rules for the festival. While there are some general rules that apply to any event, some festivals allow things like blankets and large bags while others do not. If you try to bring in something on the banned list, you may be facing a trip back to your car or hotel or abandoning your belongings. The last thing you want is to get in trouble with the law.

Don’t Take Valuables

A music festival is no place for valuables. Plan for bringing only the essentials because you will probably be carrying everything. Leave the expensive camera, jewelry, and sunglasses behind if you don’t want to lose or break them.

Upcoming Music Festivals in Las Vegas

Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival

outdoor concert

September 22-24, 2017, Downtown Las Vegas

The Life is Beautiful Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that combines artwork with auditory delights. Every year, dozens of artists transform the walls of Downtown Las Vegas into an outdoor art gallery. This year marks the 5th year of Life is Beautiful with new works that include large murals, solar-powered neon murals, and 3D masterpieces. Life is Beautiful will also be the temporary stop for “Mechan 9,” a massive metal robot that premiered at Burning Man last year. After the festival, the piece will be added to the Smithsonian.

The 3-day multi-sensory festival will feature an eclectic mix of musical artists including Muse, Gorillaz, Blink 182, 2 Chainz, Sean Paul, Chance the Rapper, and dozens more. Life is Beautiful will take place across 18 blocks of Downtown Las Vegas with the entrance at Fremont and 7th Street. The all-ages festival opens every day at 2 pm and closes at 1 am. Even after all the music festivities, downtown continues to be a hot spot. It’s one of many things to do in Las Vegas.

iHeartRadio Music Festival

iheart Radio Music Festival

September 22-23, 2017, T-Mobile Arena

The iHeartRadio Music Festival is one of the most anticipated Vegas festivals of the year with a star-studded lineup. This year, performers will include Coldplay, DJ Khaled, P!nk, Harry Styles, Kesha, and Macklemore.

The iHeartRadio festival has been going strong in Vegas since 2011, showcasing some of the biggest names in the genre. Since 2013, the festival has featured the Daytime Village which showcases emerging artists. This will be the second year the iHeartRadio festival has taken place at the T-Mobile Arena, but the Daytime Village will still take place at the nearby Las Vegas Village. As with every year, the event will air as a TV special on the CW.

Route 91 Harvest Festival

Route 91 Harvest Festival

September 29 – October 1, 2017, Las Vegas Village

The Route 91 Harvest Festival, powered by SiriusXM, takes over Las Vegas this year with some of the biggest names in country music. This year’s lineup includes Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Big & Rich, Jake Owen, Maren Morris and many more across two stages.

There will be free shuttle service from major resorts nearby, including the Luxor, MGM Grand, and New York New York. There will also be lockers available for rent to store your belongings and charge your phone.

Rise Lantern Festival

Rise Lantern Festival

October 6-7, 2017, Moapa River Indian Reservation

Rise is more than your typical music festival. The annual Rise Lantern Festival returns to the Las Vegas Valley for the 4th year, drawing an anticipated crowd of 10,000 people. The goal of the event is experiencing “the collective elevation of peoples’ hopes, dreams, resolutions, goals, and desires” as thousands of event-goers simultaneously release paper hot-air propelled lanterns into the sky.

Rise will feature a stage with artists that include Timmy the Teeth, City of the Sun, Magic Giant, and Vancouver Sleep Clinic. The final lantern release will be done to music by DJ Tyler Pixels after a fireworks display. The festival will also have more than one dozen local food truck options as well as beer and wine.

Rise takes place 32 miles northeast of Las Vegas on the Moapa River Indian Reservation.

Exodus Las Vegas Festival

Exodus Festival Las Vegas

October 27-31, 2017, Multiple venues

While not as famous as the Electric Daisy Carnival, the Exodus Festival over Halloween weekend has plenty to offer EDM fans. This year marks the first Halloween edition of Exodus, combining everything that makes the Vegas nightlife famous. Exodus is a 5-day festival that takes over the top nightclubs in Vegas. Each day and night of the event features a different pool party, nightclub, and DJ with all-access and individual passes available.

Venues for the Halloween festival will include the Wet Republic Ultra Pool at MGM Grand, Hakkasan Las Vegas, Omnia Nightclub at Caesar’s Palace, and XS Nightclub at Encore. The lineup of artists has not yet been announced, but Exodus has not failed to impress after seven years.

Plan Ahead for a Better Experience

The key to a great music festival experience is good planning before you go. Make a plan for where you will stay, what you will take, where you will eat, and how you will get to and from the festival. Most Las Vegas festivals offer some type of parking but it will come at a cost.

Consider weekend tickets on the Las Vegas Monorail to skip paying for event parking or having to take expensive taxi rides that will have you making an early withdrawal from your child’s college savings fund in order to foot the bill. By purchasing weekend tickets for the Las Vegas Monorail, you won’t need to worry about finding a designated driver and most events offer shuttle service near Monorail stations.

To sweeten the deal, ride the Las Vegas Monorail and get a FREE Lyft! Buy any unlimited ride Monorail pass and receive $5 off your next ride.

Buy Las Vegas Monorail Tickets >>  

 

 

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