Downtown’s Neon City Festival adds two dozen acts
Neon City Festival is a “festival without fences,” which is a good thing. It isn’t easy to contain the new performers announced for the inaugural festival.
About two dozen acts are joining headliners Alison Wonderland, Neon Trees, Russell Dickerson and Seven Lions. The event will take place Nov. 22-24 in downtown Las Vegas. Originally announced rap star Macklemore was removed from the lineup after making anti-Amerian comments during a show in Seattle last weekend.
A first-of-its-kind music, arts and culinary event, NCF is free for all ages. Vegas food-and-beverage outlets, art exhibits and fireworks are on the bill.
“Neon City Festival will be a great way for music lovers of all genres to come together in a thrilling environment,” Neon City Festival CEO Jeff Victor said in a statement. “The lineup includes everything from rock and hip hop to country and EDM; on every corner, there will be an incredible artist performing a free show.”
The entertainment lineup additions provided by event organizers are below. Set times and stage locations will be announced soon.
The festival’s footprint extends from the Fremont East district to Fremont Street Experience and the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, to the Arts District to Las Vegas Boulevard and The Strat. The FSE’s three outdoor stages, which are active seven days a week, are being used for live performances.
NCF will also feature food and drink specials from local Las Vegas restaurants and bars, laser art shows, strolling entertainers and a 3D graphic display on FSE’s Viva Vision, the world’s largest LED canopy screen. Block parties, pop-up performances, street festivals and unbilled entertainment moments are planned.
Neon City Festival was created by downtown Circa, the D and Golden Gate co-owner Derek Stevens, with a $1 million grant from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. All downtown resorts, and FSE, are on board as founders.
The event is presented during the same dates as the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, giving visitors a downtown entertainment option while the race is held. The Raiders are also in town that weekend, hosting the Denver Broncos.
And of course, F1 is back for its second run. The goal of the event is to provide widespread entertainment options throughout Las Vegas even as the race and related events take place.
“There were many reasons to say the inaugural year of F1 was terrific, or some people might say it was terrible,” Stevens said in an interview this month. “So what we really tried to do is focus on, ‘How can we make that weekend better?’ We felt we could do something that’s an alternative to F1, and give people more of a reason to come downtown on that same weekend.”
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What: Neon City Festival
Where: Downtown Las Vegas
When: Nov. 22-24 (set times and stage locations to be announced)
Who: Headliners: Alison Wonderland, Neon Trees, Russell Dickerson and Seven Lions
Lineup additions (alphabetically):
408 – The Orlando DIY act features a prolific blend of pop-punk and modern pop, hip hop and EDM from members Mark Faroudi, Nick Hanus, Nick Roque and Jake Cerretani.
Adelita's Way – This American rock band was formed in Las Vegas in 2006 and their debut single "Invincible" broke them into the mainstream scene. The group consists of Rick Dejesus, Trevor Safford and Andrew Cushing.
American Mile – Formed in 2018, American Mile has been carving their name into the roots of southern rock and country music around North America. Their powerful sound has earned them coveted spots on major festival lineups and stages captivating thousands.
Beauty School Dropout – Los Angeles-based Beauty School Dropout burst onto the scene in 2022 as a rising force in the music world. The band, comprising three talented musicians—Colie Hutzer, Beepus, and Bardo—boasts a nod from A&R legend Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 and the backing of Verswire label.
Bubba Sparxxx – The rapper is known for his Billboard-charted hit songs "Ugly" and "Ms. New Booty."
Cassadee Pope – Cassadee Pope is known for her work in the seminal pop-punk band Hey Monday. She's also the season-three winner of The Voice and a Platinum-selling ("Wasting All These Tears") artist and GRAMMY-nominated ("Think of You," a duet with Chris Young) singer/songwriter.
Charlotte Sands – Influenced by a mix of acoustic storytelling and powerful pop-rock performances, Sands has remained a fully independent artist, all while charting on Top 40 radio for over 15 weeks in the United States.
Ekoh – A multifaceted musical force from Las Vegas, Ekoh has etched his distinctive mark on the industry by skillfully blending hip hop, rock and alternative genres.
elijah – Fresh off the viral success from his single, "harder to lie," elijah has perfected his signature hook-driven choruses, caught somewhere between active rock and pop. His song "virus" quickly became one of the most played tracks on SiriusXM's Octane, peaking at #10 on the charts.
Filter – Formed in 1993 by Richard Patrick, the Ohio band is known for its dynamic sound, blending alternative, industrial and hard rock genres.
Kaleido – Straight out of Detroit, Kaleido is fronted by Christina Chriss and rounded out by Joey Fava (drums), Cody Morales (bass) and Drew Johnston (guitar). Together, they seamlessly stir hard rock, punk, metal, alternative and pop into a combustible and catchy signature style.
Krewella – Krewella is the boundless electronic duo comprising sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf. Born in Houston, their multicultural background influences their art. Always experimental, they've carved out their own niche in EDM.
Kruse Brothers – Phoenix-based duo The Kruse Brothers, Chandler and Miles Kruse, are transforming country music with their blend of diverse influences and musical styles. Originally rooted in classical music, the brothers bring a unique sound to the genre, infusing it with elements of blues and rock.
Lit – Lit is considered one of the preeminent bands to have come out of the post-grunge era of the late 90s. They helped define an entire generation of SoCal power punk with hard-charging hits like "My Own Worst Enemy," "Miserable," "Zip-Lock," and "Lipstick & Bruises."
lovelytheband – The Los Angeles-based alternative rock group's debut single "broken" made Billboard history as the longest-charting alternative rock song in history (charting for 76 weeks and reaching No. 1 on multiple charts). The song has recently been certified triple platinum.
Luniz – An iconic rap duo from Oakland, Luniz consists of longtime friends Yukmouth and Numskull, who have been close since junior high. Their debut album, Operation Stackola, was released in 1995 and knocked Michael Jackson's HIStory off the top of the R&B charts on the strength of the hit single "I Got 5 on It."
Mr. Carmack – Carmack finds inspiration from a range of sources, from his friends and fellow musicians in production cliques, Team Supreme and Soulection, to his travels and numerous sold-out tours of five continents over the past two years. This includes sharing stages with folks like Hudson Mohawke, Just Blaze, Cashmere Cat and Diplo.
Mystery Skulls – Singer-songwriter Luis Dubuc Jr. leads the electronic dance-oriented band with chart-topping hits including "Ghost," "Losing My Mind," and "Hellbent."
No Proof – No Proof is a rock, heavy rock and blues rock band from southern Utah. The band consists of Sarah Jane, Locklin Hammett, Hunter Harrison, Dave The Dreaded (Anderson) and Michael Westrich.
Pertinence – Pertinence is a musical artist known for his hip-hop hits "Drop Top Beater" and "Bobby Boucher."
Restless Road – Made up of three different but complementary voices, country band Restless Road (Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack) is "one of the most intriguing and exciting acts of the year." (Wide Open Country)
Twista – The American rapper is well known for his chopper-style rapping and holds the title for fastest English-speaking rapper.
Vampires Everywhere – Vampires Everywhere is an American metalcore band based in Las Vegas and started by Michael Orlando, later known as Michael Vampire.
