Las Vegas for the ‘Life is Beautiful Festival’

Stephanie Hernandez

Life is Beautiful Festival had an extremely successful inaugural year last October. The fledging festival managed to bring together the likes of The Killers, Childish Gambino, Kings of Leon and Beck. Last year’s festival drew over 60,000 fans to downtown Las Vegas, and we are not surprised that this year is already shaping up to be bigger and better than the last.

This year’s festival runs from Oct. 24 – 26.  It is expected to draw over 100,000 fans this year, featuring over 60 live acts, more than 50 world renowned chefs, dozens of art installations as well as a multitude of inspirational speakers.  This festival really will have something for everyone. This year’s lineup includes some of the biggest and most diverse names in music and is probably the best festival this year for those with a varied palette.

While even the mention of Kanye West’s name seems to draw either disdain or extreme respect, he still manages, in spite of the controversy that follows him, to be one of the most sought after acts this 2014 festival season. This year alone he has taken the stage at Outside Lands, Made in America, and most recently Chicago’s AHHH Fest; but he will end his insanely popular Yeezus tour at this year’s Life is Beautiful festival, making this Day One headliner a can’t miss – if only for the story you know will follow.

Day Two of the festival brings together an amazing hodgepodge of artists sure to please even the most critical festival goer. This event is a part of the historic Outkast reunion tour, which ended the group’s long performance hiatus at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. For fans of the hip-hop duo, this may be the last chance for them to see Big Boi and Andre 3000 perform, as the two have stated they have no plans to reunite again. For those more interested in the rock scene, the elder statesmen of cool, The Flaming Lips, will also take the stage. Frontman Wayne Coyne is known to be an extremely enigmatic performer with a flair for the unexpected, so one can only assume the boys will bring the best to the Vegas stage.  If none of these acts sound appealing, there is always the possibility of dancing all night long with Lionel Richie. Everyone wins.

The Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys close out the last night of the festival on the 26th. Tracks from the Foo Fighters’ latest album “Sonic Highways,” pending US release on November 11th, will be in the set for Sunday night and definitely worth staying up to hear live first. The festival is going to be the first large scale performance the band has done in promotion of the new album, so you can be sure millions of Foo fans will be watching with excitement.

As for the Arctic Monkeys, the success of their latest album “AM” is a sight to be seen. Coming fresh off of an amazing headlining set at England’s world-renowned Reading and Leeds festival, the band will be more than ready to take on the Vegas crowds. This performance also marks the last 10 dates in their current international tour, which will end in early December. American fans should take advantage of the opportunity to see the Arctic Monkeys take on a stadium scale stage, as the ventures for these British rock n’ rollers to the States are few and far between.

EAT

Other than bringing a stacked musical lineup, the festival is also taking full advantage of its connections to the culinary stars of Vegas and passing the benefits on to festival attendees.

Brian Massie
Massie is the Corporate Executive Chef for The Light Group in Las Vegas. He oversees menus and operations at the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, as well as the Mirage. His menus are designed to make gourmet food more approachable, often taking a spin on classic American cuisine with dishes made for sharing. Sounds like the perfect combination for a group of hungry festival goers.

Cat Cora
Cora Made television history when she became America’s first female Iron Chef back in 2005 and is now bringing to you her expertise in pleasing hard-to-satisfy palettes. She will be in Vegas dishing out healthier options to fans throughout the weekend. Catch this Food Network star’s creations before the weekend’s end!

Scott Conant
Founder of the highly praised Scarpetta restaurant in New York, Chef Conant is bringing his bold Italian cooking to this festival. Regularly a guest judge on the most addictive cooking show on television, “Chopped,” Conant knows a thing or two about creating the perfect dish. His Sicilian Spiced Duck Breast with Preserved Orange is guaranteed to make you eat just a tad slower to savor the layers of flavor. Also, If Esquire thinks your establishment belongs on their list of top restaurants in America, Conant’s food probably belongs in your mouth.

Truffles n Bacon
Probably the most beautiful words you will see all day. Chef Jacqueline Lim, bringing 25 years of experience and a flair for finding bold yet pleasing pairings, will solve that salty or sweet debate you are bound to have. Her creations have garnered the respect of renowned Chef Wolfgang Puck and are sure to satisfy even the most persnickety member of your group. Try her famous Bacon Jam.

STAY

The Four Seasons
Service is the word here, people. Anything you need, any questions you have will be addressed.  The staff here is famed for being the best in town, and they know just how to get you from point A to point B. The Four Seasons is also a non-gaming establishment, which means the nights will be quieter here, which may not be such a bad thing. You need to rest up to be ready to rock this festival! This hotel is dedicated to making your stay as stress-free as possible, and even their beds are custom made to regulate pressure and temperature so that you always get a great night’s sleep. There are even sound effects, special lighting and fabrics chosen for the sole purpose of making your “turn down” as flawless as possible. Talk about an awesome experience.

The Wynn
Winner of the most Forbes’ Five Star awards than any other independent casino resort in in the world! This hotel truly brings the party to you.  With five nightclubs featuring resident artists like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Diplo, Avicii, and David Guetta, there is no shortage of amazing music surrounding you at the Wynn!  The Wynn is so luxurious and so packed full of extras, you might forget you came for an outdoor festival. Here’s a pro-tip for you, when you book your stay at the Wynn for at least two nights, the hotel gives you a $100 credit to use at any of the resorts spas, lounges, restaurants or nightclubs.  This may be the be the luckiest you get all weekend.

Planet Hollywood
Two words: Pleasure Pools. Yes, you read that right. Apart from the promise of a great weekend, you can go to sleep knowing in the morning you can step out your door and instantly be greeted by DJs, two separate pool decks, 15 cabanas, daybeds, two pool bars and a pool café.  Take a deep breath here. There’s literally so much to do within the walls of this hotel that you may want to invest in cases of Red Bull just to avoid that thief of time, sleep – but only if you’re serious about having the best time of your life, and you don’t work Monday morning.

The Cosmopolitan
Meet the wild youngest sibling of the Vegas hotels. The Cosmopolitan promises a posh experience for all who enter her doors. The perfect place to stay for the Instagram festival crowd, as its famed Violet salon will prove to be your best friend when you need your hair, makeup and nails done in one fell swoop or need a world-class back rub to recover from the toll your body is going to take from the desert sun. Their tagline, “Just the right amount of wrong,” is definitely an idea we can get behind.

The Life is Beautiful Festival will be held in downtown Las Vegas on Oct. 24 – 26. Tickets are still available on the festival website.  Single day passes start at $105 and 3-day General Admission passes from $249.