Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival is an annual music, culinary, art, and learning festival held in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It debuted in 2013 as a three-day event. In 2019, it was one of the world's highest grossing festivals with revenues of $17.7 million.
In February 2022, Penske Media Corporation (PMC) acquired a controlling interest in the festival. While some details of the deal were not disclosed, the purchase was made through subsidiary Rolling Stone.
History Founded by Rehan Choudhry in 2013, Life is Beautiful is a festival held annually in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. WWD reported that “the festival has focused on building a brand aimed at uniting people around artistic experiences ranging from music to street artists such as Shepard Fairey, brands pooling together for experiences, small businesses and food, among other thing”.
In February 2022, a majority stake in the festival was acquired by Penske Media Corporation (PMC) via subsidiary Rolling Stone, with aims to pursue international expansion.
Art In addition to music, Life is Beautiful has a heavy focus on art providing its attendees with massive murals and interactive sculpture exhibits. The art features both local and international artists, as well as recycled installations from Burning Man. In 2017, art collective Meow Wolf created the fan favorite “Art Motel” converting the abandoned motel at 225 North Seventh Street into a digital wonderland of art, custom-made sound, lighting and projections. The collective revamped 17 rooms and the space's 5,900-square-foot courtyard. While the art motel did not return in 2018, that space was transformed into a new exhibit by Portuguese artist Bordalo. The new installation focused on collecting and arranging 10,000 ft of recycled trash which was then used to create six enormous animal structures, named “Wild Wild Waste”.
The Life is Beautiful Ideas series began 2015, with the idea of spreading positivity and inspiring messages to attendees. The list of speakers has included Bill Nye, IN-Q, Joe De Sena, Stacy London, Ru Paul, and Karamo Brown.
Comedy Comedy also plays a significant part in the Life is Beautiful lineup drop. The 2018 lineup included SNL's Pete Davidson, Michelle Wolf, and Hannibal Buress, along with Trixie Mattel from Ru Paul's Drag Race, and Jimmy O. Yang from HBO's Silicon Valley.
Location Life is Beautiful takes place in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada over 18 blocks of the city. Temperatures during the festival range an average from 69º F to 94º F. Due to the urban landscaping of the surroundings, the festival rolls out 280,000 square ft of sod, providing attendees with cool spots to lay down in the shade and avoid the sun.
In the first five years of the festival, Life is Beautiful has contributed over $185 million of economic impact for the city of Las Vegas measured by a third party.
The September 2020 Life is Beautiful festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Lineups
2013 Inaugural headliners were The Killers and Kings of Leon. Beck, Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Childish Gambino, Pretty Lights, Jurassic 5, STS9, Purity Ring, Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown, Portugal. the Man, Dawes, Imagine Dragons, The Joy Formidable, Charli XCX, Haim, Capital Cities, Poolside, Janelle Monáe, Alabama Shakes, Joey Bada$$, Cults, Smith Westerns, Nico Vega, Zedd, Living Colour, Youngblood Hawke, Family of the Year, Robert Delong, Cayucas, Wallpaper, Twenty One Pilots.
2014 In 2014, the festival expanded to 3 days: Line-upFriday, October 24Saturday, October 25Sunday, October 26Kanye West The Weeknd Panic! At The Disco Girl Talk The Head and the Heart Phantogram Jenny Lewis Neon Trees Baauer Holy Ghost! Switchfoot
RAC MØ Vintage Trouble M4SONIC Echosmith Sleeper Agent ASTR Priory Nostalghia Rusty MaplesOutkast Lionel Richie The Flaming Lips The Roots Alt-J TV on the Radio Fitz and the Tantrums Matt & Kim G-Eazy Kimbra OK GO Tycho MS MR
DJ Mustard J.Roddy Walston & The Business The Preatures Bear Hands Ásgeir DJ Cassidy MisterWives Catfish and The Bottlemen Paper Route EkohFoo Fighters Skrillex Arctic Monkeys Broken Bells Kacey Musgraves Little Dragon A-Trak Mayer Hawthorne Tune-Yards St. Paul & The Broken Bones St. Lucia Galantis
Trampled By Turtles Ryan Hemsworth Dizzy Wright Nahko and Medicine for the People The Orwells Holychild Moksha Sabriel Rabbit! Love by Cirque du Soleil with Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra
2015 In 2015 Life is Beautiful announced a partnership with Insomniac Events to increase the presence of electronic music offerings on the line-up. Insomniac curated the Troubadour stage with headlining acts Porter Robinson, Carnage, and Knife Party.
Line-upFriday, September 25Saturday, September 26Sunday, September 27Stevie Wonder Major Lazer Porter Robinson Thievery Corporation Hozier Twenty One Pilots Robin Schulz Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros AWOLNATION Claude VonStroke Cashmere Cat X Ambassadors
Lindsey Stirling BØRNS Atmosphere Klingande Wave Racer Felix Jaehn Ryan Lofty SZA Rebelution Shamir Big Talk Andra Day Dan DeaconImagine Dragons Snoop Dogg Duran Duran Chance the Rapper Carnage Audien What So Not GRiZ Future Islands SOJA Metric Glass Animals Ab-Soul Jauz
Clean Bandit Big Data Night Terrors of 1927 Royal Blood New Politics Salva The Magician Giraffage Meg Myers Leikeli47 Mercy Music MIICS Pia Mia Alessia CaraKendrick Lamar Weezer Death Cab for Cutie Knife Party Kygo Madeon Brandon Flowers Walk the Moon BadBadNotGood Against Me! Halsey Run the Jewels Tchami
Saint Motel Peking Duk Mercer Best Coast Ryn Weaver Two Gallants 4B The London Souls Kaleo Jared & The Mill Lassi Jill & Julia The Green
2016 Mumford & Sons, J. Cole, Major Lazer, G-Eazy, Empire of the Sun, The Lumineers, The Shins, Bassnectar, Flume, Tegan and Sara, Jane's Additction, Chromeo, ZHU, Leon Bridgers, Young the Giant, Galantis, Die Antwoord, Jimmy Eat World, Bloc Party, Dirty Heads, Duke Dumont, Kehlani, The Temper Trap, Third Eye Blind, KONGOS, Crystal Castles, Snakehips, City and Colour, Excision, Irration, Pete Yorn, The Naked and Famous, Alunageorge, Pete Yorn, Gramatik, Atlas Genius, Banks and Steelz, Bob Moses, Warpaint, Keys N Krates, Seven Lions, Band of Skulls, Kaytranada, Snails, Nothing But Thieves, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The Stumbellas, Jack Garratt, Kamasi Washington, Oh Wonder, Mr. Carmack, Raury, The Wombats, Bishop Briggs, The Heavy, Bomba Estereo, LANY, Highly Suspect, Jess Glynne, Autograf, Griffin, Ghastly, Mija, NF, Finish Ticket, Hey Marsielles, Rezz, Sir The Baptist, Lewis Del Mar, Coast Modern, The Shelters, CID, Durante, Spag Heddy, Anevo, Aaron Jackson, Aazar, Brittany Rose, Brumby, The Lique.
2017 Chance The Rapper, Muse, Gorillaz, Lorde, Blink-182, The xx, Kaskade, Wiz Khalifa, Pretty Lights, Cage the Elephant, Schoolboy Q, Zeds Dead, Slightly Stoopid, Pusha T, De La Soul, DREAMCAR, Matoma, Big Gigantic, Russ, Dua Lipa, Troy Boi, Kiesza, The Revivalists, J Boog, Big Wild, They., Coin, Ekali, Kali Uchis, Hayden James, Hippo Campus, Frenship, Whethan, Sigrid, SG Lewis, Middle Kids, Circa Waves, Day Wave, Ella Vos, Wingtip, Bearson, The American Weather, Cirque Du Soleil, Ideas Featuring Bill Nye, MGMT, Haim, 2 Chainz, ZHU, Milky Chance, Two Door Cinema Club, Tycho, Capital Cities, Lil Dicky, Tchami, Local Natives, Vince Staples, Sean Paul, Mura Masa, Deorro, RAC, Kyle, Broods, PVRIS, Goldroom, Sofi Tukker, Stick Figure, Tokimonsta, Mondo Cozmo, Jacob Banks, Tennyson, Shy Girls, Viceroy, San Fermin, Superpoze, Cameron, Calloway, The Rhyolite Sound.
2018 The Weeknd, Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Travis Scott, DJ Snake, ODESZA, N.E.R.D.m Death Cab for Cutie, Tyler the Creator, Justice, Galantis, Bastille, Miguel, St. Vincent, RL Grime, A$AP Ferg, Slyvan Esso, The Neighbourhood, Jungle, What So Not, Blackbear, Flight Facilities, Sabrina Claudio, SOFI TUKKER, 3lau, Chvrches, Foster the People, French Montana, Santigold, Cold War Kids, Daniel Caesar, Alison Wonderland, T-Pain, The Drums, Robert De Long, DVBBS, Blood Orange, Wolfmother, Cashmere Cat, Gramatik, Lizzo, The Presets, Lane 8, AJR, Tribal Seeds, Ravyn Lenae, Superorganism, Party Favor, Two Feet, HINDS, Denzel Curry, Sir Sly, Sam Feldt, Welshy Arms, Elohim, Elderbrook, FLETCHER, Yungblud, Mt. Joy, Amy Shark, Chet Porter, Mikky Ekko, Knox Fortune, Morgan Saint, Wallows, Graves, Brasstracks, Neil Frances, O Wildly, Lovely The Band, Harry Hudson, Young Bombs, The Dirty Hooks, Mike Xavier.
2019 Line-upFriday, September 20Saturday, September 21Sunday, September 22Chance the Rapper Billie Eilish Portugal. The Man Louis the Child Walk the Moon Tash Sultana Lord Huron Gryffin King Princess Gunna A R I Z O N A Conan Gray Shallou Bea Miller Kasbo Jonas Blue
Maxo Kream Madison Beer 070 Shake Baynk The Aces Ookay The Funk Hunters Morgxn Cub Sport The Teskey Brothers Zack Gray Holy Ghost! Arod Crykit JDHD YeisukeeThe Black Keys Lil Wayne Janelle Monáe Rüfüs Du Sol Of Monsters and Men Maggie Rogers Monsta X Dashboard Confessional Jauz Banks Whethan Chelsea Cutler Pink Sweat$ Saint Jhn Lost Kings Cautious Clay
Space Jesus Taylor Bennett Flora Cash Muna Yung Bae The Regrettes Droeloe Hermitude Cub Sport ViVii Zack Gray Blue Man Group Freak On Masteria Morelia UknewPost Malone Vampire Weekend Zedd Rae Sremmurd Phantogram Toto Sheck Wes Carly Rae Jepsen Slushii Hot Chip Shoreline Mafia Oliver Heldens Oliver Tree Nervo Lewis Capaldi Scarypoolparty
Gallant Masego Polo & Pan Durand Jones & The Indications Phantoms Anthony Russo Crooked Colours Tyla Yaweh Bülow Ryland James Miles Medina Ease Faed Nova Yazz
2021 Line-upFriday, September 17Saturday, September 18Sunday, September 19Tame Impala Megan Thee Stallion Glass Animals Deepak Chopra Don Toliver LANY Brittany Howard Sam Smith Sarah Cooper Willow Purity Ring Ashnikko Noah Cyrus Sam Jay Clozee Shiba San Lost Frequencies Remi Wolf Whitmer Thomas
Jammjam featuring Jacob Collier & Friends Cannons Bia Hook n Sling Ant Clemons Raye Please Don't Destroy Marcella Arguello Teddy Swims Poorstacy Midnight Kids Sa-Roc 90's Nite Junior Sanchez Oscar Molina Lance Le Rok Badbeat Rob FernandezGreen Day Haim Illenium Deepak Chopra Modest Mouse Dillon Francis Gabriella Wright Ludacris JID Sarah Cooper Surfaces EarthGang All Time Low Bob the Drag Queen Victoria Monét Trevor Daniel Drama Cash Cash Sam Jay Caamp Yaeji Trevor Wallace
Whitmer Thomas White Reaper Slenderbodies Annie Lederman Chiiild NOTD Jacques Greene Amy Allen Raye The Backseat Lovers Anabel Englund Sir Chloe Tom the Mail Man Brady Matthews Ekoh Monoky Mija Y2K Beat! Yeisukee Adam the DJ Lio Sounds Trent JollyBillie Eilish ASAP Rocky Young Thug Fisher St. Vincent 6lack Gorgon City Death from Above 1979 Ekali Shaed Surf Mesa Still Woozy Emotional Oranges Joel Corry Half Alive Alaina Castillo Trevor Wallace Alicia Keys Jamila Woods Annie Lederman
Odie Jackie Schimmel's The Bitch Bible LSDream Mob Rich Rachel Sennott Evan Giia Ford. The Stiff Socks Podcast Brijean Brady Matthews Ekoh PapiChuloTeej Four Color Zack Faed The Emo Night Tour Beatbreaker Ever B2B Fashen E-Rock
Culinary line-ups The Culinary lineup has recently become an add-on that is attractive to attendees, organized by culinary director Lee Flint, with the intention of “working with the local talent and making it more accessible to restaurants that may not have been able to participate in the past”. The 2018 culinary lineup included Justin Kingsley Hall of the Kitchen at Atomic, Brian Howard of Sparrow + Wolf, Harvest's Royd Ellamar, Hemant Kishore from the Toddy Shop and Good Pie's Vincent Rotolo.
Food Line-upChefsRestaurantsBrian Massie Bryan Forgione Carlos Buscaglia Bruce and Eric Bromberg Cat Cora Donald Link Duff Goldman Francisco “Kiko” Ojeda Hubert Keller Jet Tila Jonathan Waxman José Andrés Kim Canteenwalla
Lao Sze Chuan Madison Cowan Marc Forgione Mike Minor Mary Sue Milliken Peter Bastien Ralph Perrazzo Richard Camarota