New Las Vegas festival planned for F1 GP weekend

A new music festival starring “A-list musical talent” is being launched in Downtown Las Vegas during the city’s 2024 Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.

The Neon City Festival will debut from 22-24 November after the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) board approved $1 million (€920,000) in sponsorship.

The new event, which is being produced by Downtown Las Vegas Resorts and the Fremont Street Experience, will be free and open to all ages. It will include programming across “Fremont Street Experience, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the surrounding downtown area”.

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix is set for 21-23 November, with Neon City designed to drive “incremental visitation” to the area in the midst of the F1 festivities along the Las Vegas Strip.

“The Neon City Festival will incorporate an eclectic mix of A-list musical talent”

“The Neon City Festival will incorporate an eclectic mix of A-list musical talent, local vendors, art installations and exhibits, and a variety of food and beverage outlets from famed Las Vegas venues,” says a LVCVA statement.

According to the Las Vegas-Review Journal, Neon City’s launch follows complaints from downtown businesses that they were hit financially when the F1 race premiered last year. A group of nine local businesses said they suffered losses as a result of traffic congestion and street closures during the event and pleaded with the authorities for compensation, as well as petitioning for the 2024 race not to go ahead.

The inaugural 2023 edition kicked off with a star-studded showcase, featuring artists including J Balvin, Journey, Keith Urban, and Steve Aoki. Entertainment also included performances from Mark Ronson, Kylie Minogue, Nile Rodgers & Chic and Major Lazer in the T-Mobile Zone at Sphere.

The track encircled the next-gen Sphere Entertainment venue, which boasted a dedicated fan zone during the event weekend.

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