After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Las Vegas is set to host its Life is Beautiful music festival September 17-19. Headliners include Billie Eilish, Green Day, and Tame Impala. Aside from music, the festival also offers a myriad of comedy, food options, live podcasts, and art installments.
Many people are excited to experience live music once again. Still, some question what that will look like in six months. Concerning the ongoing pandemic, Life is Beautiful posted the following statement on their website:
“As festival dates approach, we will provide our community with pertinent information on festival preparedness, including what may be required beyond a ticket to enter festival grounds. By purchasing a ticket, you agree to comply with all Federal, State, and Local laws, ordinance, regulations, and the rules of the Event Organizers when attending the event.”
In January, Goldenvoice canceled Coachella, set to take place in early April, after delaying it twice. This came after a county health order as a result of coronavirus cases surging. However, with an average of two-million Americans getting vaccinated per day, Life is Beautiful seems hopeful everything will go on as planned. On Monday, March 8, the CDC announced new guidelines, including vaccinated people now being allowed to “visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart.”
“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH.
Without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into the lineup.
Billie Eilish
The alt-pop artist performed at the last Life is Beautiful in 2019. However, she was not billed as one of the big three. She returns to the festival as a full-fledged headliner. In the interim, she swept the Grammys and has become one of the biggest stars in the music world. Her recent single “Therefore I Am” is one of her most successful (and best songs to date). Here’s to hoping we get a new album before September.
Green Day
The pop-punk veterans will make their debut at Life is Beautiful this September. Known for selling out arenas all over the world, this is sure to be a stellar show. Admit it: you still have some teen angst stored away somewhere. After surviving 2020, I’m sure a lot of us are eager to scream along to “American Idiot.”
Tame Impala
Here we have the designated indie spot for any hipsters dragging their feet on buying a ticket. This psychedelic pop band has gone from underground garage rockers to main-stage elites. Their last album The Slow Rush came out right before lockdown and is packed with groovy bops. Tame Impala is famous for their trippy concerts, full of lasers and immaculate vibes. This is a can’t miss if you’re trying to transcend at Life is Beautiful.
A$AP Rocky
This New York rapper rose to prominence in the early 2010s with his signature style of cloud rap. He has been busy the last few years, from being jailed in Sweden to dating Rihanna. Although he hasn’t released a new album in nearly three years, he has enough hits to tear the house down. “I just want to get back out there, get the blood flowing, energy pumping,” Rocky told Forbes. “I just want to touch people in a sonic sense.. want people to give me that same kind of energy.”
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Life is Beautiful, you tease! One name on the lineup is still hidden. So much mystery. Why is it hidden? Who could it be? Many online are speculating that it is Houston rapper Megan thee Stallion. But there is no way to be certain. One thing is for sure: if they are sitting between A$AP Rocky and Haim on the lineup, they must be pretty awesome.
Haim
The three most loveable sisters in indie-rock make their return to Life is Beautiful after four years. Women in Music Pt. III (nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys) dropped during the depths of quarantine. Over shimmering production, the complicated themes of love and loss felt more relevant than ever. Catch them at Life is Beautiful and participate in the largest campfire sing-along of all time.
Young Thug
The enigmatic artist and mumble rap extraordinaire is coming to Vegas. Still riding high from his opus So Much Fun, one of the great trap albums of the late 2010s, Thug’s idiosyncratic style has influenced an entire generation of rappers. From Gunna to Lil Baby, many artists attempt to mimic his distinct cadences and melodies, but no one else can quite recreate his magic. With his live shows being nearly as unpredictable as his vocal inflections, this show is guaranteed to be a wild ride from start to finish.
St. Vincent
St. Vincent just released a great new single “Pay Your Way in Pain” and announced an upcoming album Daddy’s Home, due out May 14, inspired by her father’s release from prison. Look, we all have some trauma we need to work through. What better way to do it than listen to St. Vincent shredding guitar in the late summer Nevada dusk.
UNDERCARD HIDDEN GEMS
Brittany Howard, Earthgang, Death from Above 1979, Jamila Woods, J.I.D, and Purity Ring are all worth checking out.
Tickets are available on Life is Beautiful’s website.
