Over the course of three days, Life is Beautiful elevated downtown Las Vegas into a hub of art and culture.
Since the festival’s inaugural run in 2013, it has brought in over $350 million of economic and cultural capital to the area. The influx is no surprise. This year, Life is Beautiful drew in 170,000 attendees for a lineup of premier music acts, experiential artists, culinary talent and sharp comedians. With its aim to aid in positive community transformation and individual empowerment, it certified itself as a holistic experience by kicking off the weekend with a meditation led by Deepak Chopra, leading into a weeknd of music and community so sorely missed by festival goers. Read on for the top performances of the weekend.
Day 1: Megan Thee Stallion
To no surprise, the killer lineup at the Downstage Stage drew in much of the Life is Beautiful crowd with electrifying performances by Brittany Howard, LANY, Glass Animals and headliner Tame Impala. Noah Cyrus, Willow Smith and Megan Thee Stallion also delivered standout performances, with a horde of attendees securing their place right in front of the Bacardi Stage early to get a good view of the beloved H-Town Hottie. One of the day’s surprise guests included an appearance by T-Pain during Jacob Collier’s set.
Day Two packed a punch with festival circuit regulars Dillon Francis, Haim and All Time Low, not to mention millennial favorites Ludacris and Modest Mouse. The Kicker Comedy Club was also saturated with laughs initiated by the talents of Sarah Cooper, Sam Jay, Trevor Wallace, Annie Lederman and Brady Matthews, in addition Sibling Rivalry hosts Bob the Drag Queen and Monet X Change. The night capped with a nostalgia-fueled, high-energy set from Green Day who performed a host of emo kid anthems, including “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
Life is Beautiful commenced its 2021 edition with perhaps the most epic performances of the weekend. After a captivating appearance at the Met Gala, A$AP Rocky hit the desert for a kinetic show that could only have been upstaged by (and just for a moment) Rihanna. The power couple sent the internet into a frenzy with footage of him blowing kisses from the stage to his mogul girlfriend. Later, headliner Billie Eilish kicked the night up a notch with the live debut of a handful of tracks from Happier Than Ever, including “I Didn't Change My Number,” “NDA” and “Therefore I Am.” She sealed her set, and effectively the festival, with crowd favorite “bad guy.”
