Photos by ALIVE Coverage
Every year leading up to Life is Beautiful, set in ever-evolving downtown Las Vegas, an electricity fills the air. It can partially be attributed to actual electricity of course, with stages and speaker stacks being built from the ground up at every corner of the festival footprint. For those who spend a lot of time downtown when it’s not preparing for its flagship event, the energy shift is palpable. Through the preparatory street closures and rampant traffic cones, something fun this way comes. The transformation has amazed festival goers year after year, turning everyday crosswalks into drag shows and forgettable back alleys into underground raves. Now going into its 10th year the weekend of September 22nd – 24th, there’s no shortage of memorable performances over the years and they’re not limited to just bands and solo singers. Electronic music accounts for a good amount of real estate on the lineup each year and there are plenty of iconic appearances to look back on.
Photo by Alive Coverage/Sipa USA
2014 – Skrillex Brings the Mothership
Only in its second year, Life is Beautiful pulled out all the stops with superstar headliners Outkast, Kanye West, Foo Fighters, even Lionel Richie. But electronic music fans rejoiced dubstep royalty was landing his famed Mothership stage in Las Vegas. Running through the hits at a frantic pace to the delight of the day 3 crowd that waited all weekend for the set, this was a rare moment that an artist brought their stage brainchild to the festival.
2016 – Excision Rattles Attendees
While the performance itself was generally par for the Excision course and nothing compared to the magnitude of his shows today, just having an act like Excision on the lineup was a statement of sorts. Almost a year to the day before the inaugural Lost Lands, a booking like Excision signaled the masses were (mostly) ready for the more snarly end of bass music. The normies definitely learned that night as they walked (or maybe ran) by the booming sound system. Bonus points: he played his The Funeral by Band of Horses remix.
2016 – Kaytranada Mesmerizes the Masses
Peddling the gospel that is his 2016 debut album, 99.9%, Kaytranada played to a packed tent and wowed the crowd with his incredibly smooth set combined with delightfully unique visuals. The samples worked into the hour and fifteen minute long journey were masterful. Kaytranada’s many festival appearances in 2016 catapulted him into the mainstream and he’s been blowing away audiences ever since.
Photo by Alive Coverage/Sipa USA
2022 – Calvin Harris Returns to the Festival Stage
Many a raver longed for another chance to see Calvin Harris at the helm of a main stage and they got their wish in the form of a closing main stage set at last year’s Life is Beautiful. The Scottish mastermind commanded a massive audience as he ripped through hit after hit on the final day of the event. Longtime Calvin fans basked in the nostalgia as the event came to a close.
2023 – Potential Stand Out Performances
While not its most electronic-heavy lineup ever presented, Life is Beautiful has scored some heavy hitters for this year’s event as well as some more lowkey artists that will surely gain some new fans by the time the weekend comes to a close. Cloonee is a welcome sight, bringing his unique flavor to Las Vegas. Flume will surely be a major draw with his jaw-dropping production in tow, closing the festival on the first night. For a guaranteed fun, funky time don’t miss Purple Disco Machine and Blond:ish is another great booking with her high energy, eclectic sets. The main stage is sure to be a madhouse as soon as the sun sets on Sunday. The obvious standout electronic artist on the lineup is John Summit so prepare your bender boots and hold on tight. Closing out the festival later that night is Odezsa, a can’t miss spectacle for the ears and the eyes and Life is Beautiful repeat offender. Check out the full lineup below and grab your tickets here.
