It doesn’t really get the attention it deserves, because its all-star lineup of mainstream artists playing 25-minute sets defines the iHeartRadio Music Festival as something very different from the current cultural category of music festivals. But it’s undeniable that this event, now in its 12th year, is the perfect musical weekend for Las Vegas; both the concert and the city are designed for absolute fan service.
“Las Vegas has become the most important music city in America, and maybe the world,” says John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia. “We like to think we were ahead of the curve by bringing this event when Las Vegas was really emerging with the residencies and performances as the place where the world wants to go see music. We saw the festival not as an industry event, but really for fans and artists who love playing Vegas.”
In case you’ve never been—and locals skipping iHeart is common, since it has frequently been held over the same weekend as Life Is Beautiful; not the case this year—it really is a “best in class event” covering “every genre of music from classic rock to pop to hip-hop to country and everything in between,” as Sykes describes. For two nights at T-Mobile Arena, attendees this year will see performances by Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Sam Smith, LL Cool J, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Diplo, Lionel Richie, Pitbull, The Black Keys and more. And at Area15 on Saturday, the Daytime Stage will once again feature emerging artists, this year showcasing Latto, Maggie Rogers, Big Time Rush, Willow, Lauv, Chloe, Chase Rice, Gayle, Carly Pearce and others.
“And a funny thing that happens that we’re always in awe of, is that once an artist finds out who their fellow performers are, they surprise everyone and get onstage and you see these collaborations you’d never get anywhere else,” Sykes says. It happened with Prince and Mary J. Blige, Sting and Lady Gaga, and Alicia Keys with Coldplay. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
Daytime Stage stars are the main stage headliners of tomorrow, and every act on the main stage would likely headline other genre-specific festivals. On several occasions, iHeart sets have sparked musical comebacks or reunion tours. “I recall how impactful it was when Backstreet Boys played with Florida Georgia Line, or when Queen reunited for the first time [in years] on our stage,” says Tom Poleman, chief programming officer. “Backstreet Boys didn’t realize what would happen after that, which was a massive tour and a Las Vegas residency.”
In other ways, this festival is like a Grammy or Academy Awards production. The performances resonate because the performers go out of their way to make things special onstage.
“[They] realize they don’t own this audience,” Poleman says. “These are the biggest artists in the world, and they’re used to playing in front of their own fans. But when they step on that stage in Vegas, they’ve got to win over that audience, and they’re really trying hard from the first song to get that crowd. Paul McCartney told us about that. So you have maybe the greatest artist in the history of music saying, ‘I’ve got to go out there and give them my best.’”
iHeartRadio Music Festival September 23-24, T-Mobile Arena & Area15, axs.com.
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
