15 Uniquely Fun Music Festival Experiences You Can Only Have in Las Vegas

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September 23, 2019 10:07AM EDT

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Art of the Wild

Art of the Wild — House and techno music characterizes Art of the Wild, a three-day festival held in various venues at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas every October. This year’s festival is expected to spotlight pillars of the underground music scene—DJs like Bedouin, Zhu, The Martinez Brothers, and Black Coffee and Virgil Abloh, who are performing as White Coffee.

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Thump and Grind

Thump and Grind — Everyone is encouraged to dance at Art of the Wild, but VIP ticket holders (and those who sign up for tables/bottle service or cabanas) have more room to move with the beat. For those with VIP tickets to shows at Encore Beach Club, there’s even a chance to cool off in a private pool.

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Gain ultimate access

Gain ultimate access — Fans of house and techno music can get up close and personal with their favorite DJs at this intimate event, where even the most basic ticket gets you onto the same floor as your spinning icons.

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Dance, dance, dance

Dance, dance, dance — The fest is held mostly in nightclubs, creating a behind-the-velvet-rope vibe of exclusivity that lasts well into the night.

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EDC

EDC — This May event is a three-day immersive experience featuring art in all its forms: fashion, music, theatrics, and more. It’s sort of like a rave in the desert; think Burning Man, only brighter. Held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it includes a camp where festival-goers can spend their nights. Look up, Buttercup–you may spot artists arriving for their sets via helicopter!

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Sleep under the stars

Sleep under the stars — Staying at Camp EDC means you get a full dusk-till-dawn fun marathon, including pool party DJ sets, amazing food, wellness classes, goat (yes, goat) yoga, massages and more. You can do tent-camping or rent an RV. Either way, staying overnight only enhances the experience.

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Enjoy exclusive access

Enjoy exclusive access — The whole idea behind EDC is that everyone’s a VIP (as it should be!). That said, those with VIP bracelets get to hang out in a private hookah lounge, ride on a dedicated Ferris wheel, and load up on a host of exclusive food and drink options.

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Rock out at daybreak

Rock out at daybreak — The main stage at EDC, known as kineticFIELD, is always decked out to be some sort of whimsical fantasyland. Performers play here pretty much all day and night. The best time to go: Sunrise, when the sound takes on an ethereal quality.

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Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival

Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival — One of the most rollicking shindigs of the year is the three-day Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival, held every May in Downtown Las Vegas. Promoter bros Mark and Shawn Stern bring together dozens of punk and ska bands to perform on multiple stages. And as the name suggests, there’s bowling too—a tournament with cash prizes.

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Bring your ball

Bring your ball — Bowling is a big part of the fest; the 2019 tournament attracted more than 700 teams and doled out more than $16,000 in prizes. Registered players are shuttled from the festival grounds to alleys and back.

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Party poolside

Party poolside — Better pack your bikini: Another hallmark of the annual Punk Rock Bowling show are the pool parties, free and open to the public. VIP cabana rentals are available.

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Dance til dawn

Dance til dawn — While mainstage shows attract major crowds, the Punk Rock Bowling event is known for its afterparties, held in smaller intimate venues all over town. Often these late-night-fetes aren’t even ticketed events; you just have to be in the know.

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iHeartRadio Music Festival

iHeartRadio Music Festival — Now in its ninth year, this two-day festival—most people just call it “iHeart”—brought together 30 of today’s hottest pop music stars to perform on the main stage for two days in late September. The show, which took place September 20 and 21 inside T-Mobile Arena, has become famous for sparking surprising collabs between artists (think Miley Cyrus and Billy Idol, which happened in 2017). This year’s lineup included Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello, Chance the Rapper, Halsey, Mumford & Sons and Backstreet Boys.

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Rock out at Hyde Lounge

Rock out at Hyde Lounge — This 18,000 square-foot nightclub—boasting banquettes and bottle service—in the rafters of T-Mobile Arena hosted the iHeart show. All seats lookd down on the action and offer space to stand up and dance.

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Book a plush VIP suite

Book a plush VIP suite — Suites at T-Mobile Arena had a kitchen for private catering and bars stocked with top-shelf liquor. As a VIP-suite ticket holder, you could receive premium parking passes for easy access, and got to attend like the royals you are, through a private entrance and exit.

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Backstage meet-and-greets

Backstage meet-and-greets — Some VIPs at iHeart even had the chance to go backstage and meet their fav performers in real life.

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Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful — This annual three-day fest, held September 20-22 in Downtown Las Vegas, celebrated creativity in several forms. Yes, there’s a music lineup—this year it included Maggie Rogers, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and The Black Keys’ first show since 2015. There was also a comedy stage welcoming Desus & Mero, Jonathan Van Ness, and Fred Armisen, and a culinary HQ where you could feast on the deliciousness of Las Vegas’ star chefs. Art is major at LIB, too, with local artists displaying and selling work throughout the event. Higher-level ticket holders received unlimited food and drinks, as well as practically unfettered access to performers.

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See all the Art

See all the Art — LIB has always been about promoting the art community and reviving Downtown Las Vegas. Over the years, artists such as Shepard Fairey, Felipe Pantone, D*Face, Seba Velasco and Andre Saraiva have created vibrant street art that complements installations such as the Big Rig Jig and The Mantis to create an immersive festival experience.

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Ditch the lines

Ditch the lines — For the first time in seven years, this year’s LIB enabled all ticket holders to order ahead through Postmates and skip the lines via dedicated Postmates Pickup windows.

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Save room for brunch

Save room for brunch — For high-end ticket holders, the All-In Brunch featured a feast from two Las Vegas local favorites, Honey Salt and DW Bistro.

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