What Is the Neon City Festival?

With free live music, thrilling attractions, unique culinary experiences and fun gaming options, downtown Las Vegas is the go-to destination for a good time. As if that weren’t enough to venture north of the Las Vegas Strip, downtown has added yet another exciting experience to the list: the Neon City Festival.

After taking place in November 2024, see why the Neon City Festival drew 180,000 visitors to the downtown area in its debut weekend, and what you can expect going forward.

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A Reimagined Festival in Downtown Las Vegas

Nevada is no stranger to festivals, including the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) and iHeartRadio Music Festival here in Las Vegas, and the Burning Man Festival in the northern part of the state. So, what’s so different about the Neon City Festival? As it turns out, a lot of things.

Three Days of Free Live Entertainment Across Four Stages

The biggest thing you should know about the Neon City Festival is that you get three days’ worth of live entertainment by renowned musical artists across multiple stages for free. There is absolutely no admission fee. That’s definitely a stand-out difference from the expensive tickets you might associate with other festivals.

How is this possible? First of all, the festival takes place at the Fremont Street Experience and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), which already have the infrastructure to support mind-blowing performances. The stages are equipped with booming sound, dazzling lighting and everything else you’d expect at live shows in Las Vegas. This keeps costs significantly lower than having to build everything from scratch.

Second, the downtown Las Vegas community is all about making Sin City entertainment accessible for everyone. Hotels, casinos, Fremont Street Experience and other sponsors partnered with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to fund the Neon City Festival.

Culinary Experiences From Local Food Vendors

Another unique feature of this festival is an emphasis on the local culinary scene. While Las Vegas is home to award-winning restaurants by some of the best chefs in the world, not everyone has the time (or budget) to hit all the places on their list. This gives festivalgoers a chance to sample local Las Vegas food in one convenient location.

Here are some of the favorite food trucks and pop-up restaurants from the 2024 Neon City Festival:

Chi Asian Kitchen
El Fuego Picante
Empanada Factory
Here’s the Beef
Ole Manny’s Seafood Shack
Super Chill
Sushito Sushi & Poke Bowl
Truk N Yaki

Omaha Steaks also hosted a VIP tasting experience at The Lott in DLVEC, where many of the Neon City Festival headliners played.

Immersive Art Installations

The festival also had plenty of things to explore besides the music and food. With AREA15 Las Vegas curating the art for the event, local artists showcased their work in the form of mind-bending art displays and interactive installations. The Neon City Festival 2024 featured:

Win World: Portals Into the Infinite — Neon artwork by Aliume
Immersive activation by Illuminarium
A 60-foot-long art car creation by local artist Henry Chang
Preview of AREA15: Superplatic’s Dopeameme
Sneak peek at AREA15’s new John Wick Experience

Pop-Up Shops

The 2024 festival grounds also offered shopping experiences, with exclusive retail deals and pop-up shops selling:

Custom jewelry
Artwork
Clothing
Skateboard merchandise
Keepsakes

The Neon Market at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center featured even more vendors from local stores. Between sets and performances, festival attendees could peruse the shops and get a unique souvenir to remember their time in Sin City.

Location, Location, Location

One of the best things about the Neon City Festival is the location. The three-day event takes place right in the heart of the city, giving festivalgoers plenty to do and see while visiting. Downtown Las Vegas is considered the cultural hub of the city, with iconic properties and a vibrant energy that just hits differently from other parts of town.

Headlining Artists at the Neon City Festival 2024

Now, let’s talk about the music. The Neon City Festival featured an impressive lineup of captivating singers, DJs and other musical artists who rocked the stage every night. Performances took place at DLVEC and the Fremont Street Experience’s Third Street Stage, First Street Stage and Main Street Stage.

Set times typically started around 6:00 p.m. and continued until the final performance between 10:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. While there were multiple stages, the Main Street Stage featured the last performance every evening. Here’s a look at the top headliners.

Seven Lions

Seven Lions is an American DJ that hit the DLVEC stage at the 2024 Neon City Festival. Mixing up trance, electro house and melodic dubstep styles, he had the crowd jumping with every beat drop. The lighting also added another element to the performance, creating a truly immersive experience.

Neon Trees

Best known for their alternative rock hits “Everybody Talks” and “Animal,” Neon Trees has been entertaining audiences with their upbeat sound since 2005. They gained exposure after opening for The Killers and went on to build their own loyal fanbase, which is clearly going strong.

TroyBoi

TroyBoi always has everyone on their feet, and his performance at the Neon City Festival was no exception. Combining elements of hip-hop, trap, hard-hitting bass and Latin beats, TroyBoi has created a signature sound that will turn anywhere into a dancefloor.

The All-American Rejects

The All-American Rejects lit up the Third Street Stage as the Saturday night headliner. Starting with “Swing, Swing,” and wrapping up with “Dirty Little Secret,” the set included all their hits and fan favorites. The lively crowd under the Viva Vision screen was definitely not disappointed.

Alison Wonderland

Another stand-out performance was Alison Wonderland’s set at DLVEC. As one of the best Australian DJs, she is known for explosive beats mixed with soft lyricality that had the downtown festivalgoers entranced for the entire hour-long set.

Lit

American alternative rock band Lit wrapped up the festival on the First Street Stage on Sunday night. They came in hot with their pop-punk energy, keeping festivalgoers headbanging through every song. Ending their set with their hugely popular song, “My Own Worst Enemy,” there wasn’t a person in the crowd not belting it out.

Krewella

Attendees flocked to the Krewella set at DLVEC on Saturday night to experience the band’s signature electronic dance sound in person. The music, lighting, visuals and energy took the festival to another level, with the crowd vibing in synchronicity throughout the performance.

Twista

One of the biggest performances of the Neon City Festival was Twista on Saturday night at the Main Street Stage. As the title holder for the fastest rapper in the world, Twista brought his hard-hitting style and poetic rhymes to downtown Las Vegas. This one drew Las Vegas locals and visitors alike to see the hip-hop mogul do what he does best.

Other Artists at the Neon City Festival in Las Vegas

Of course, the festival featured so many other musical artists over the three days of world-class performances, including:

Bubba Sparxxx
Filter
Plain White T’s
Russel Dickerson
Charlotte Sands
Cassadee Pope
Beauty School Dropout
Dr. Fresch
Mr. Carmack
Adelita’s Way

See free shows in Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience.

Things To Do Around the Neon City Festival

With plans to continue the Neon City Festival into the foreseeable future, you’ll have a chance to experience the largest free music festival in Sin City for yourself. While dates and lineups have not been announced yet, it’s a good idea to check out things to do around the area, including places to eat, stay and explore.

The best things to see and do in downtown Las Vegas include:

SlotZilla Zipline
Free Viva Vision light shows
The Neon Museum
Downtown Container Park
Las Vegas Arts District
The Mob Museum
Fremont East Entertainment District

Noteworthy hotels and casinos where you can stay and play around the Neon City Festival are:

FAQ

Where Does the Neon Festival in Las Vegas Take Place?

The Neon City Festival happens in downtown Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience and the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. In 2024, there were more than 50 bands across four stages, along with interactive art and a diverse culinary scene, to round out the festival weekend.

Do You Need Tickets for the Neon City Festival?

No. The Neon City Festival is completely free and open to the public. There are several entry and exit points throughout the festival grounds, including DLVEC and all hotels and casinos connected to the Viva Vision canopy.

Is There an Age Limit To Attend the Festival?

There are no age restrictions to attend the Neon City Festival. All ages are welcome to enjoy the music, art and food featured at the festival. However, children must be accompanied by an adult to enter and partake in the festivities.

How Do You Get to the Neon City Festival?

There are several options to get to the festival, including driving, ridesharing and public transportation. If you drive yourself, you can find self-parking at the Fremont Street Experience parking garage, Garage Mahal at Circa and other downtown properties. Rideshare stops closest to the festival grounds include Circa, Golden Gate and The D.

Festivalgoers who want to try public transportation can use the free Downtown Loop shuttle service, which runs from The Strat to the Las Vegas North Premium Outlets, with stops at:

Brewery Row
Las Vegas Arts District
Fremont East Entertainment District
Circa Resort & Casino
Fremont Street Experience

You can also take The Deuce bus from the Las Vegas Strip to downtown at a very affordable rate. See stops and schedules for The Deuce bus line, which runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How Far Is the Neon City Festival From the Las Vegas Strip?

It’s about two miles from The Strat at the very north end of the Strip to the center of the Neon City Festival in downtown Las Vegas. If you are staying on the south side of the Strip, you’ll be closer to eight miles away from the Fremont Street Experience.

With so many hotels in downtown Las Vegas, you may be better off booking accommodations in the area. This way, your room is only a few steps away from the festival action.

See a Different Side of Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience

Ready for a new Las Vegas experience? Head downtown for a guaranteed good time. The Fremont Street Experience hosts Viva Vision light shows and free concerts in Las Vegas every night. You can also take a thrilling ride on the SlotZilla Zipline before exploring the hidden gems that make downtown the place where locals hang out. Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming Neon City Festival.

Soar over the downtown crowds on SlotZilla.