Life is Beautiful is a mission statement as much as it is a name. Taking a cue from rave culture, the Life is Beautiful festival’s stated purpose is optimism and community, two things it thinks make life more beautiful. The scene is broadly dance music, with a jumpy line up of mostly hip hop, electronic and pop, and a psychedelic aesthetic. There’s a stage dedicated to up and coming DJ collectives, drag queens, comedians, and 18 blocks of murals and interactive art installations, some of which have been recycled from Burning Man. In fact, some consider Life is Beautiful a street art festival in its own right. It takes place in downtown Las Vegas, a wholly different locale than the strip. Still, the strip is part of the draw. Attendees can exit and re-enter Life is Beautiful up to three times in a day, allowing the ambitious to catch a show at the MGM and get back in time to hear this year’s headliners Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Gorillaz, Cage the Elephant, Calvin Harris and others.
Beyond the music, Life is Beautiful will offer a comedy lineup that features performances by Latrice Royale, Joel Kim Booster, Hannah Einbinder and Meg Statler from HBO’s Hacks, Ricky Velez, Jordan Rock and more. According to Billboard, podcasts such as Going Deep With Chad and JT, Celebrity Book Club With Steven & Lily and Y2YAY will also be recording live episodes in front of the festival’s audience.
Life Is Beautiful 2022 poster:
