Life is beautiful is a three-day music festival located in a hidden gem of Las Vegas few typically venture off to – Downtown. With 2015 being its third consecutive year, there was a certain excitement and mystery that loomed in the air, partly from seasoned veterans and also from newcomers like myself. Little did I know, downtown Las Vegas was a whole different desert world full of art, culture, and tons of people looking to have a great time. With a much different vibe than your typical Las Vegas experience on the strip, I almost didn’t feel like I was really in Las Vegas for the weekend (not a bad thing). Allow me to take you behind the scenes of Life is Beautiful 2015: an expression of music and the arts.

A photo posted by Lolo (@laurendawson) on

Life is Beautiful shut down multiple streets in Downtown Las Vegas, allowing businesses to remain open and get a healthy economic boost from the nearly 60,000 festival goers. Shade from the various buildings and select air conditioned areas made the 100 degree weather bearable, and a gelato here and there didn’t hurt much, either. Being in Las Vegas, you were more than welcome to buy drinks from various venders and take them where you please. This was a nice change of pace compared to festivals like Coachella, which force you to drink behind the gates of a beer garden – a total buzzkill.
Best acts? The Killers showed up for a surprise set which had everyone in the vicinity going crazy. Stevie Wonder was nothing less than extraordinary. Kendrick Lamar surprised me with live acoustics for all of his songs instead of opting for a DJ which was a nice change of pace. Kygo brought us those feel good, tropical house vibes and left the crowd feeling euphoric. Snoop Dogg, a seasoned veteran, also had a great performance, but it was very cliche and exactly what you would have expected from Snoop. All in all, the lineup was spectacular, but I wouldn’t say Life Is Beautiful offered the best lineup of this festival season (Austin City Limits, anyone?)
One thing that stuck out the most? The amount of unique art that was scattered throughout the venue. There was an Art Motel, which boasted rooms decorated independently by various artists. Individually, each room was unique and caused you to really think about the message the artist intended for you. Collectively, the Art Motel was a visual masterpiece that stitched together art of many kinds into one interesting jumble of art.

A photo posted by Lolo (@laurendawson) on

Would I go back next year? Absolutely! Life Is Beautiful brought out the inner art critic in me while still satisfying all of my musical and culinary needs. I loved the mix of people and experiences that could be had in Downtown Las Vegas, an area off the strip I never venture off to. If you want a unique festival experience, I would definitely recommend taking this one for a spin. Until next year!