The second half of 2022 is shaping up to be a busy time for Las Vegas, especially if you're a music fan. Day N Vegas may have been cancelled and Punk Rock Bowling postponed until next year, but the Sin City entertainment scene is back on solid ground with festivals, residency debuts, and other big music events. Ticketmaster and other ticket brokers have seized on the dynamic pricing format, which jacks up prices based on demand. However, there's always a way to score cheap tickets in Las Vegas. So get familiar with the biggest music events to round out what's left of the year.
Thursday, August 18–Sunday, August 21
Resorts World
Same intensity. New venue. Psycho Las Vegas is back for the sixth year in a row, but switching from Mandalay Bay to Resorts World with more than 130 bands on six stages throughout the property. So if you want to see Church of the Cosmic Skull play the Famous Foods Street Hall at 11 pm, this is your kind of music festival. Everywhere is fair game, from the main Event Center and Rose Ballroom to Ayu Dayclub, Dawg House, and Redtail. As usual, there's a focus on rock and heavy metal bands, with Emperor, Suicidal Tendancies, and Mercyful Fate as the headliners, but the four-day event is also working in some rap and hip-hop this year, including Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Raekwon with Ghostface Killah.
Cost: Single-day passes begin at $129, three-day passes begin at $349.
Saturday, August 20
Wynn
Swedish House Mafia helped launch the worldwide EDM boom, so it only makes sense for the group to (finally) stick around in Vegas for a little while. The trio just signed their first-ever North American nightclub residency with the Wynn and is booked August 20 and September 3 at XS Nightclub with more dates to come. Funny enough, Swedish House Mafia already has a show scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena on September 2, giving fans the opportunity to see the DJs in two dramatically different venues the same weekend.
Cost: Tickets begin at $40 for XS, $39.50 for the T-Mobile Arena.
Saturday, August 20–Saturday, November 19
Downtown
Downtown Rocks is a weekend series of free open-air concerts at the Fremont Street Experience, where fans can see national acts surrounded by the lights, neon, and energy of nearby casinos and attractions. And who doesn't love something for free? This year's lineup continues with Simple Plan (August 20), an '80s revival of Rick Springfield, Men at Work and John Waite (September 3), The Pretty Reckless (September 10), Jelly Roll (October 15), Slaughter, Vixen, and Sweet (October 22), and Stone Temple Pilots (November 19).
Cost: Free
Saturday, August 20–Saturday, September 24
Off the Strip
The biggest concerts in Las Vegas not named "Weekends with Adele" are taking place at Allegiant Stadium this year. After a run of shows with Billy Joel, Metallica, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the 65,000-seat venue welcomes The Weeknd (August 20), an '80s hard rock package of Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Poison, and Joan Jett (September 9), a homecoming for Sin City's own Imagine Dragons with Macklemore (September 10), Mexico's Grupo Firme (September 15), and Bad Bunny, who might be the most overachieving reggaeton act on the road with two dates (September 23-24). Somewhere in the middle of all this, you might want to come by and see the Raiders play some football too.
Cost: Tickets begin at $88 for The Weeknd, $60 for Def Leppard/Motley Crue, $23 for Imagine Dragons, $59 for Grupo Firme, and $106 for Bad Bunny,
Thursday, August 25–Sunday, August 28
Westgate
This music festival truly is a bender with four straight days of blues performed on stages throughout the Westgate resort near the Strip. More than 45 acts (including Buddy Guy, Tab Benoit, and Little Feat, celebrating 45 years since the band's best-selling Waiting for Columbus live album) are taking part, playing 22 sets a day with an emphasis on convenient, intimate spaces. Yet the festival is about more than music. Guests are encouraged to upgrade their experience with hotel room and drink packages.
Cost: Four-day wristbands begin at $499.
Wednesday, August 31–Sunday, September 4
Wednesday, September 28–Sunday, October 2
Westgate
Boombox! is a retro dance party with some of your favorite acts from the '80s, '90s, and a little bit beyond at the Westgate's International Theater. Get on your feet as Ceelo Green, Tone Loc, Kid 'n Play, J.J. Fad, and Thea Austin (the voice on "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap!) perform their own hits, share the stage, and collaborate in a show designed to be all energy from beginning to end. Eric B. will keep things moving along as the DJ. If you can’t make the August event, Boombox! will return in late September.
Cost: Tickets begin at $29.
Thursday, September 8
Rio
It was only a matter of time. Vegas is catching on to the trend and launching its first-ever yacht rock residency at The Duomo, an intimate theater inside the Rio. You'll have five nights a week to hear the smoothest of smooth rock from the Docksiders, a band led by Grammy-nominated and Oscar-winning studio whiz Kevin Sucher. Hear your favorite hits from the likes of Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, and others who rocked hard (but not too hard) in the '70s and '80s.
Cost: $35.99
Saturday, September 10
Downtown
The Rumbazo festival debuts in Sin City with an all-day celebration of Latin music and culture at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Maluma, Ivy Queen, Prince Royce, Natanael, Yendry, and Omar Apollo will all take the stage with back-to-back sets. Festival organizers are teasing affiliated events like after parties and pool parties with a sign-up form on the website promising the latest info.
Cost: Tickets begin at $59.
Wednesday, September 14–Wednesday, October 5
Park MGM
Aerosmith's return to Las Vegas comes with a lot of anticipation—and a few questions. The band sounded great when they kicked off their Deuces Are Wild residency at the Park MGM back in 2019, especially Steven Tyler who still had the voice and abs to put far younger rock stars to shame. That feels like a lifetime ago, and Aerosmith are back with their first shows since the onset of the pandemic—a run that was supposed to begin in June, but was delayed when Tyler checked himself into rehab. A few other band members have dealt with various health issues in recent years and last we heard, longtime drummer Joey Kramer was out of the picture. Time to see if Aerosmith can pull off another comeback, even if everyone in the band is in their 70s now.
Cost: Tickets begin at $75.
Friday, September 16–Sunday, September 18
Downtown
The Life is Beautiful festival takes over 18 blocks of Downtown Las Vegas east of the Fremont Street Experience for three straight days. A deep and diverse lineup is headlined by Calvin Harris, Jack Harlow, The Gorillaz, Lorde, and more on multiple stages. Yet sometimes you just want to come for the food. This year, you can check out The Cookout (with bites grilled over an open flame), co*cktail School (mixology tastings and demos), The Pizzeria (featuring rotating slices from some of the best pizza shops in Vegas), and Omakase Cantina (reservation-only intimate dinners by top local chefs). Life is Beautiful also has comedy, educational speakers, and a compelling art program with large-scale murals and installations often left behind when the festival is over.
Cost: Single-day tickets begin at $180.
Saturday, September 17
Resorts World
Travis Scott kicks off Road to Utopia, the first night of a seven-show residency at Zouk Nightclub with a second date confirmed for October 15. Watch the rapper go into "Sicko Mode" and perform crowd favorites in an intimate setting, but the shows are also looking to push the boundaries of special effects and technology, making full use of the club's "Mothership" LED light system and ever-shifting ceiling. Travis Scott was originally one of the headliners of the now-cancelled Day N Vegas festival, but admit it—you'd rather see him in a club anyway.
Cost: General admission begins at $75.
Friday, September 23–Sunday, April 9
Planet Hollywood
Miranda Lambert debuts her first-ever Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater, less than two weeks after Shania Twain wraps up her own two-year run at the same venue. Country has been a consistent draw in Vegas with no signs of slowing down. Lambert's Velvet Rodeo residency is scheduled for at least 24 dates through early April, featuring nearly 20 years worth of hits and material from her new Palomino album.
Cost: Tickets begin at $79.
Friday, September 23–Saturday, September 24
The Strip
Here's what happens when a music fest goes mainstream. The iHeartRadio Music Festival celebrates your favorite hitmakers with a lineup that ranges from pop and R&B to country and classic rock, almost like you're changing radio channels. The mainstage at the T-Mobile Arena hosts performances by Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Sam Smith, Pat Benatar, the Black Keys, and others, as Ryan Seacrest continues his role as master of ceremonies. The Daytime Stage is back at AREA15 this year with younger, rising stars like Maggie Rogers, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Willow. Avril Lavigne is booked on both stages—’cause why not?
Cost: Tickets begin at $86.75.
Friday, September 30–Saturday, October 1
Downtown
Dress to impress and bring your glow sticks. The Lost in Dreams festival is back after a Vegas debut last year, presented by Insomniac, the brains behind the upcoming Electric Daisy Carnival. So think of this as a smaller-scale preview of what's to come this spring. Jai Wolf, Slander, Madeon, Audien, Whethan, and dozens more EDM artists perform over two days on three different stages at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Expect a focus on future bass and dubstep with elaborate effects and immersive art installations. The music gets underway at 6 pm each night.
Cost: Single-day passes begin at $64.99.
Friday, October 7–Saturday, October 8
Mojave Desert
Depending on how you look at it, the RiSE Festival is about lifting your dreams and positive energy to the heavens—or letting everything you’re ready to let go of go up in flames. The event (with a choice of two days) takes place on the Jean Dry Lake Bed in a remote part of the Mojave Desert south of Las Vegas. Guests will eat, drink, and inscribe messages onto their own self-assembled lanterns, which are released into the sky after dark—all while listening to the live music of RY X. The lanterns are upgraded this year, making them easier to release, and as always, they're 100% biodegradable (and recovered by event organizers anyway to minimize the environmental impact). Also new this year—a Resorts World Village VIP lounge (with a private bar and food), Chandon Picnic Experience package (with champagne and charcuterie), and Space Apart (an interactive experience that combines art and meditation).
Cost: Tickets begin at $99.
Friday, October 7–Sunday, October 9
Downtown
A weekend of reggae music in a town with legalized weed? Not a bad idea, but keep in mind—you're technically not allowed to consume in public. Even at music festivals. Regardless, Reggae Rise Up is back and bigger than ever, expanding to three days this year at the Las Vegas Events Center. Check out bands on two stages, including headliners Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, and Stick Figure, while visiting more than 40 vendors with food, art, and activities to round out the experience.
Cost: Single-day general admission starts at $55.
Saturday, October 22–Saturday, October 29
The Strip
Don't underestimate the nostalgic hook of the early aughts, when power-pop, emo, and radio-friendly punk rock ruled mp3 players around the country. The When We Were Young festival is coming to Vegas and ticket sales were so strong for the initial date, two more were added. The spectacle at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds is headlined by Paramore (reuniting for their first shows in years) and My Chemical Romance (also playing a pandemic-delayed makeup date at the T-Mobile Arena on October 7). The lineup is filled out with A Day to Remember, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Jimmy Eat World, the All American Rejects, Avril Lavigne, and dozens more with affiliated "sideshows" taking place at the House of Blues, Pearl Theater, and Brooklyn Bowl. Dig out your best skinny jeans, grow out your bangs, and paint your nails black. It's time to emote like never before.
Cost: General admission tickets begin at $224.99. All three festival dates are technically sold out, but you can sign up for an official waitlist online.
Wednesday, October 26–Saturday, October 29
Wynn
Adam Lambert may not be the biggest music star in the world, but he's one of the best things to come out of American Idol and has some of the most loyal fans in the business. (Mention him in a Tweet and see what happens.) The singer follows up a successful mini-residency at the Venetian last year with The Witch Hunt, a three-show run at the Wynn's Encore Theater leading up to Halloween. Expect Lambert to play up his theatrical side with shows that make the most of the holiday theme.
Cost: Tickets begin at $85.
Saturday, October 29
The Cosmopolitan
Whiskey and music is a combination that works perfectly in Las Vegas. So it's good to see The WhiskeyX return for the second straight year as a one-day rooftop festival at the Cosmopolitan's Boulevard Pool. Which is the true headliner: hearty samples of rye, bourbon, Scotch, and other forms of whiskey, or the rock and soul of Alabama's St. Paul and the Broken Bones? You decide. Along the way, you'll enjoy food from the Cosmopolitan's best restaurants and even get in on some grooming services from The Barbershop Cuts & co*cktails.
Cost: Tickets begin at $75.
Friday, November 18–Saturday, March 25
Caesars Palace
Adele. Yes, Adele. The British singer has somehow managed to become the most popular and most reviled Las Vegas headliner within the span of a single year. After pulling the plug at the last minute in January on her Weekends with Adele residency at Caesars Palace, she has since tried to make things better with a few Facetime chats and an about-face on her COVID excuse in a recent interview. Despite the negative press, Adele seems as popular as ever. Ticket holders were given take-it or leave-it makeup dates (no rescheduling allowed) and a few additional shows were added, selling out quickly and carrying the residency through March of next year. Hopefully, she shows up.
Cost: Tickets are going for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on the resale market. Try your luck and hope she doesn't cancel.
Rob Kachelriess has been writing about Las Vegas in Thrillist for more than eight years. His work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, Trivago Magazine, Sophisticated Living, Modern Luxury, Leafly, Las Vegas Magazine, and other publications. He knows the secret to good parking during Life is Beautiful. Follow him on Twitter @rkachelriess.
