The beloved Las Vegas festival Life Is Beautiful celebrated its 10th year in 2023, bringing fans from every corner of the world for a three-day experience on the historic Fremont Street. With performances from The Killers, Kendrick Lamar, ODESZA, and more, it felt like the capstone to an epic era of growth for the festival.
But this year, Life Is Beautiful is trying something different, something smaller, to kick off its next chapter: a “Big Beautiful Block Party.” Taking place over two days (Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th) and located in a single Downtown Vegas Arts District lot rather than an 18-block sprawl, the Block Party will feature just two stages situated across from each other with alternating sets.
Get Life is Beautiful Block Party Tickets Here
Though organizers have stated this format isn’t replacing the larger “festival” experience of prior editions so much as filling-in while plans for the future are made, the Block Party’s stacked lineup remains on par with most major US events, even with half the acts. LCD Soundsystem, Justice, and Jamie xx are atop the bill, with Jungle, Peggy Gou, James Blake, Thundercat, Toro y Moi, Neil Frances, Empress Of, BADBADNOTGOOD, LP Giobbi, Jon Talabot, and FIFI also set to play.
If you’re of the festival going sort, the reduction of days and stages may seem like a downgrade — but given the Block Party’s lower ticket prices, later start times, and curated lineup, it may actually be just as worthy of the Life Is Beautiful name. Here are five reasons why Life Is Beautiful’s “A Big Beautiful Block Party” is a welcome change for 2024. Get in on the fun by getting your tickets here.
An Especially Groovy Dance Party
Like all big multi-genre festivals, Life Is Beautiful typically features several stylistic pathways to choose from in the electronic, hip-hop, alternative rock, and pop worlds. But this year, they’ve honed in and consolidated their offerings to 14 acts that all share common ingredients. It’s very likely that if you’re already a fan of one of these groups — be it the kaleidoscopic house of Jamie xx, the dance punk of LCD Soundsystem, or the psychedelic jazz of Thundercat and BADBADNOTGOOD — you’re bound to enjoy the others.
Each of these artists and groups are known for their electrifying live shows and have no problem keeping the party alive. On top of that, there’s a rarity to some of these bookings; while acts like Jungle, LP Giobbi, and Neil Frances have been festival mainstays throughout the last couple years, it’s an event in and of itself to have LCD Soundsystem and Justice top the bill. Both of those bands emerged in a similar era of electro-aided bombast and aren’t as consistently active nowadays, the former mainly playing residencies and the latter only recently returning to the road behind their first album in eight years, Hyperdrama.