Rock in Rio USA 2015

For the Star Power? 5 Stars, No Doubt… Take Pop Weekend for example (& just to name-​drop a few)… Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Bruno Mars (would’ve also been Sam Smith had it not been for his vocal chord surgery), etc… That lineup tho?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? An absolute «5 Star» no brainer…
For the audio quality? WOW… There were literally 100’s of speakers that were actually visible on the main stage. Imagine the other speakers in hidden locations above the stage, behind the crowds, etc… These speakers weren’t just loud, but would likely please the most discerning of audiophiles (enhancing/​enveloping you in the omnidirectional, live experience)… Another Easy 5 Stars…
For the main stage (one of MANY stages at that) + the amazing massive video/​screens & pyrotechnics? You guessed it…, 5 stars…
For the location? Mehh… Too far down the strip & an extremely inconvenient hike from any decent hotels within a several mile radius. (though CLS likely made out like a bandit). One of the closer, decent options was the Venetian (where we stayed) & just cab’d it… Even with a cab, it was STILL inconvenient when the show ended (though we’ll revisit that a bit later)…
For the food? Another Mehh… Relatively ok options within the venue, though nothing really to write home about (not to mention one helluva hike from the main stage)…
How about the cashless/​rechargeable wrist-​bands? Seemed a decent option in theory, though wasn’t very well executed. The wrist bands were to be charged before/​at the venue & had an option to recharge automatically when funds depleted below a certain $ amount. Didn’t happen… Once my band was depleted, I was SOL (though said screw it & opted to not recharge anyway, else I’d be settling on mediocre food/​beer)…
Speaking of beer? (I was seriously almost in tears). Let me rephrase… WHAT BEER? There was flavored yellow water (AKA, Corona) OR Modelo. If you were lucky, Negra Modelo was a possibility (which, considering the other options), was like drinking the water of eternal youth from the Holy Grail… Yes, Corona (AKA Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V.), which is the parent company of Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, etc… (& has an average beer rating of 2.5÷5 on Beer Advocate) was the sponsor, but how f’d up that was to subject us to the torture of such a limited/​specific number of choices… I barely finished 1 beer (I was holding/​babysitting the same damn can throughout the afternoon/​evening) & it likely assumed my body’s core temperature as it became fused to my hand… As a result, I now know what it feels like to a DD/​Non-​Drinker seeing folks around me (outside my group that is), act a fool… So… not…cool…
Ok, enough of my beer rant… Let’s get back to the show! Lineup was truly amazing… Everyone wished Sam Smith could’ve made the event (as promised), though John Legend’s cover of «Lay Me Down» was AMAZING… Having Bruno Mars wrap up the evening as well (though a majority of show w/​the whispering of «sweet nothings in the mic» & Elvis-​like, pelvis undulations) were obviously geared towards the female fans, I still have to admit…; performance-​wise, HE KILLED IT… Dude is talented as all hell. He kicked off the performance GOING OFF w/​a drum solo, THEN played lead guitar w/​yet another solo on another song. I expected him to get all «John Legend» on the Piano as well, but he let his keyboard player assume that responsibility…
When the show ended however, it was back to the flaws… Only one entrance/​exit to the venue which resulted in absolute GRIDLOCK on the sidewalk/​street & even worse if you were staying at CLS (also one of the reasons I opted for The Venetian). Traffic (even for pedestrians) was horrendous & we couldn’t even get a cab out from CLS (ended up walking).
Despite the flaws, that Star Lineup was incredible… Each artist basically performed the # of songs typical had they been hosting their own concert (I’m exaggerating, but still… Over an hour +, for each performer?). That being said, the cost per ticket was an absolute STEAL… Next time however, I’ll be sure to get liquored up prior to arrival unless (fingers crossed), Stone, Lagunitas, Firestone or Russian River happens to sponsor the next Rock in Rio USA (hint-​hint)… Ahh…, one can only dream…
That being said…, here’s my rating breakdown:
+20 Stars for the lineup
–10 stars for the horrendous beer selection [AKA, Beer Purgatory]…
–3 Stars for the location of the strip that the venue was hosted (though the venue itself was beautiful). LOVED the AstroTurf lawns…
–2 Star for the food
–1 Stars for the cashless bracelet system that wouldn’t recharge itself…
Total = 4 Stars
1…2…3…4, «FOUR Stars», Ahh… ahhh…ahhh…ahhh… (said w/​my best Count von Count impression)…
Conclusion? Will I be back? HELL YES… You can already reserve your tickets in advance for the next event in 2017! Great music, great friends & horrible beer… What’s not to love?! :D

I attended the second day of the second weekend (e.g. the pop weekend when Bruno Mars headlined), and had a blast! In terms of performances, the highlights for me were definitely Bruno Mars, John Legend, and Empire of the Sun! But the choice of artists probably could have been more cohesive. As Big Sean mentioned, he was the only rapper in the entire lineup. Nevertheless, there did seem to be a soul, pop, and R&B vibe pervading the second day of the pop weekend. And, I greatly appreciated the way in which performances were staggered so that you could see most of the performers.
Don’t expect a lot of personal space if you’re trying to get up close and personal. Chaos reigned near the main stage during the bigger performances, as people who were sitting down suddenly stood up, making everyone else stand. But this is to be expected. I’m not sure why people would choose to bring kids to a 10 hour music festival and expect them to last until 1AM. Some (tired) kids were sitting in the standing area in front of the main stage, and were constantly being jostled/​trampled due to people moving through the crowd. However, farther out, there was plenty of astro turf (what do you expect in a desert?) to spread out on. And, you could easily see the main stage from most areas, though you would have to mainly rely on the large screens.
There were a variety of food options (burgers, pizza, Indian, Brazilian, etc.), which weren’t as expensive as I would have expected. Technically, you’re not supposed to bring in outside food, but you are allowed one re-​entry if you need to leave for whatever reason. What was confusing (but also convenient) about purchasing items in the festival area was the need to upload money to your wristband. (Sorry, no cash/​credit cards accepted at the vendors inside.) While we were able to successfully do so from the comfort of our hotel room, we weren’t told that we needed to activate the wristbands INSIDE the festival grounds to be able to purchase drinks from the mobile vendors. Elsewhere, there were several art installations (giant sunglasses /​performance artists), a zip line, and photo booths for all your documentary needs. This definitely would have been a selfie-lover’s paradise, as different buildings had interesting artwork and décor. The stages themselves were architecturally interesting and unique — not as insane as other music festivals, but still aesthetically stimulating.
However, as the first Rock in Rio in the US, there were several problems. First, will call was located in Circus Circus, which was a bit of a walk from the actual entrance to the festival grounds. The signage in Circus Circus directing patrons to the conference room where we could obtain tickets was lacking; while there were a few scattered signs in the lobby, there were some signs on the ground pointing in the general direction of the room. If we hadn’t asked someone at an information desk for directions, we probably would have been very lost, as the route required going up stairs and down stairs several times. Talk about confusing and counter-​intuitive!
Second, the replacement for Sam Smith wasn’t comparable. It’s kind of silly that John Legend was Sam Smith’s «replacement» when the former was already to scheduled to perform, albeit on a different stage. Switching people to the main stage doesn’t actually count as «replacing» them. (Note: It boggles my mind that John Legend wasn’t already slated to perform on the main stage.) Mayer Hawthorne was added to the lineup, and while I find his music enjoyable, he certainly doesn’t have the same name recognition or popularity as Sam Smith.
Third, I could imagine that transportation to and from Rock in Rio was terrible. The festival grounds are located on the northern edge of the strip across the street from SLS and the Stratosphere. There definitely seemed to be a taxi shortage after the festival concluded, as there were very few taxis on the road (and even at nearby hotels) and many many people in line. It’s worth it to stay nearby the festival grounds ONLY if you’re not planning to go elsewhere on the Strip (like us). The SLS was conveniently located for the festival, but wouldn’t be great if you were trying to navigate elsewhere.
Overall, this was a fun experience, and I definitely think I got my money’s worth. Hopefully the organizers will continue to bring in big names and improve the overall organization/​layout of things!

Where do I start? I could just say it was f’n amazing! I could just say hell yeah! I could use an array of emoticons and symbols like a hipster. But let me start by saying, they come back in 2017 and I’m all in!!!
The planning started last year. I was trying to figure out what to do for my sexy ass wife’s birthday. I say that because it’s proven fact. Anyhow, I stumbled onto the Rock in Rio site by typing in Bruno Mars in my Google search bar. I wanted to take my wife to see Bruno since we missed him the last two times he was in the Bay Area.
To my surprise, I click on the site and an entire line-​up appears for a festival I had never heard of. At the time, it was just head liners… John Legend, Bruno, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith and that right there was enough! So I paid for two tickets through Ticketmaster for $ 296 each. I thought it was a bargain as we were already getting 4 headliners and some others were being built in to the expanding lineup.
What was left to do? Well, like any good party you have to throw an invite to all your close friends. So I did and the cool ones were all in. The rest? Hmmmm, their status remains questionable in my circle of friends. I’ll re-​evaluate that by December 31. One of our other friends was also celebrating his birthday so it turned out to be just what he needed as well.
I did have some problems with Ticketmaster and getting our electronic wristbands but that’s another story. The wristbands came about 4 weeks before the event and came with instructions. This was a «cashless» event so you were to create an electronic spending account for the wristbands, which I did and for the most part this did make it convenient. But «cashless» wasn’t exactly true. You could easily top off your wristbands at the event at any number of the top off stations there. The instructions were specific to the fact that the wristbands could not be shared or removed. But I’m pretty sure there was a lot of sharing and passing on of the wristbands.
By the time of the event there were so many performers. The event was slated to start at 3pm and end by 1:30am each day. I really started to feel like this was a bargain. Each performer did a full performance and was in excess of an hour and a half.
The event was held at The City of Rock, which apparently was purchased by MGM entertainment. For those familiar with Vegas and the strip this was that vacant lot behind Circus Circus adjacent from the Stratosphere and across from SLS. The Hilton was probably the best location if you wanted to stay near because SLS and Strato meant you still had about a ¼ mile walk to the gates.
Like any event you walk by boosters, scalpers, and some weird a-​s people on the way to the gates. I can appreciate that though because it makes the event real. Since this was Vegas, moments I was completely sober were few and far between so of course I was drinking a Heineken on the way there. Not often Do I get to drink in public so I take full advantage of it when I can. However, you can’t bring anything in so security is there to make sure you drink it all or throw it away before you come in.
When you get past the actual gates, you still have to go through security. They split men and women up in separate lines. They thoroughly checked for contraband, opened bags, and patted everyone down. I say Hell yes, because the last thing I want to worry about at these events is my safety. Please check everyone and please check them well. If I can’t bring any goodies in no one else should and I want to make sure there are no weapons anywhere around me. Last thing I want is to be stabbed to death getting in touch with my feminine side while pushing and shoving for position to get the best view of Taylor Swift’s body glitter.
The organizers get a big round of kudos for their attentiveness to security and organization in general. People come from all over to these events and it’s nice and just pleasantly refreshing to know you are getting your money’s worth. When you finally get inside, what you see is a festival ground dedicated to music and good vibes. Another nice touch was the fake grass. I love grass at parks and when I go to enjoy nature but the fake grass meant I didn’t have to worry about bugs or grass stains. This I thought was an awesome touch. It really kept us from getting messy and uncomfortable.
There were multiple stages set up. There were so many booths. There was a zip line tower (the wait each day was over three hours though), there was a giant Ferris wheel, and so many concession stands that were dressed up like shops from Rio. Each and every performance here was amazing and magical but Bruno and his Hooligans were simply earth shattering. He is a throwback in a world of auto tune and I’m a fan for life. Ed Sheeran was an amazing surprise too. That boy and his guitar rocked out. Big Sean can go back to Detroit and get «big» but other than that this was by far the best music festival I have gone to.

**fart**
Coachella six years in a row, Street Scene in San Diego three years in a row, plus a smattering of other random festivals, and Rock N’ Rio is my least favorite by far.
Yes, the drinks and food are expensive. You’re at a festival, these things are to be expected, but RNR really gouged people. Fifteen dollars for a Corona, fourteen dollars for a vodka soda, and if you want a Red Bull in that vodka, that’s another four dollars. It’s just a tad ridiculous.
I feel bad for the food vendors; they are probably getting charged enormous amounts of money to be apart of this festival only to hopefully break even on the food cost and paying their employees. That’s the reason why, Rollin’ Smoke BBQ, O Face Donuts, and Island Grill are charging fifteen dollars and up for food. The Rock N’ Rio mafia… f*ck you, pay me.
No cash. No card. So how do you pay? With your wristband, this is a great idea in theory, but what ends up happening is your money gets held hostage. You load x-​amount of money on to your wristband and whatever you don’t use comes back to you, but they end up charging you four dollars for the refund and it can take up to two weeks for the money to come back. I’m still currently waiting for my funds.
The music was good, and the walking is all part of the festival experience. So there’s no complaining there; plus my tickets were free. My girlfriend won them at some Container Park raffle, but if I had paid the eight hundred dollars for the two day festival I would have been pretty pissed off about the whole thing.
Rock N’ Rio. There’s some major retooling that needs to be done before next year. Hopefully they will work out the issues.

Although the venue was a lot smaller than other festivals I’ve been to, I didn’t really get to take it all in like other people did. I don’t know maybe my planning was horrible… or maybe I literally spent my life in line for that zip line. LOL. Both days we waited in that insane line… but alas we made it on Saturday for 20 seconds of gliding through the air… Not really worth it in my opinion…
There was two stages, a main one and a smaller one. There one another more unnoticed «EDM» stage, but it was nothing to really be amazed by. The sound system was good, and the artists they brought in this year was good. SO SAD that Sam Smith couldn’t make it though! SUPER SAD. I liked that there was plenty of bathrooms, so there was barely any wait. The venue looked clean in the day, but at night it got trashed. The fake grass was actually pretty nice, I didn’t have to worry about wet grass or mud. The cash band was a neat idea, but don’t forget to activate them or get 21+ bands after you loaded it… Our group couldn’t get beer for awhile cause we were in line for dat zip line, and didn’t want to get out of line… Oh, the people there were nice so it’s okay for you to leave to go potty. I mean literally you’re there for 4 hours… so people are going to be understanding. And we did eventually get our beers for the wait. PHEW.
Overall, the venue is well put together, but it was just an OK experience comparatively to other festivals I’ve been to. For the artists, I think the pricing was decent… but as a festival. I don’t think I would pay for it again… I really wonder what they’re going to host here next though… hmmmm.

Had an amazing time! I attended the pop weekend ⁵⁄₁₅ & ⁵⁄₁₆. I flew to Vegas mainly to see Bruno Mars perform and was not disappointed. The line up was pretty good; Friday Ed Sheeran was amazing and Taylor swift didn’t disappoint. Saturday was my favorite though; Big Sean was rad, Magic was tons of fun, John Legend breathtaking and Bruno Mars surreal!!!
The set up for the music festival was pretty good. Tons of bathroom stalls, turf was all around which made sitting down much more pleasant, food stations were great, good variety of options for food/​drinks. The cashless wristband was a phenomenal idea, made the process much faster and efficient. The complimentary rides were a nice surprise. Although I didn’t go on any of them it was a great incentive.
My two complains are the security and tipping option on the cashless wristbands. A fight broke out before the Bruno Mars performance and it took forever for anyone to show up. With that many people whoever is in charge of the event should make sure there is always security around. And regarding the cashless wristbands. Every time you purchased anything, the cashier would ask you if you wanted to leave a tip. I’m not cheap at all but it was a little annoying. If I’m grabbing a bottle of water and a hot dog you expect a tip? Really?! The tipping option should only be for the bartenders I think. It was for EVERYTHING!!! Including food.

Wow! What a well planned, well organized, and well orchestrated event. The shuttle was easy to find, dropped us off right at the entrance of the venue, security was easy, and the cashless wristbands were awesome.
Plenty of bathrooms (although just in two locations). The bathrooms never really had a significant wait because they had women working in there directing people to stalls. The toilet paper was well stocked. They must have listened to the reviews from the weekend before.
The venue itself was clean. Loved the turf instead of just all asphalt. There was a wide selection of food vendors from bbq, to pizza, to Greek and Indian food. They even had dessert vendors (Nothing Bundt Cake, anyone?). Lines weren’t terribly long and if they were, they seemed to move fast. My only beef with the cashless bracelets is the uncomfortable question each time I purchased something «would you like to leave a gratuity?» and I’d feel like a schmuck that I didn’t want to tip someone who handed me a water bottle. They could maybe put signs up that say «if you want to leave a tip, you can do it on your wristband; just tell the cashier.»
The entertainment was excellent. Loved watching the RIR dance crew, listening to the smaller bands on Rock Street and watching the stilt walkers, etc. The lines for the zip line and ferris wheel seemed long, but looked fun (and they were free).
All the performers on the two stages were fantastic. RIR did an awesome job of timing the concerts so you weren’t standing around waiting (with the exception of the two headliners who had to get their stages set up… totally worth the wait for Bruno…).
We were able to bring a backpack in with our jackets. Wear comfy shoes! Don’t worry about being high fashion. There were all types of outfits from sequin dresses to sweats to jeans and t-​shirts. My advice is to be comfortable since you are standing and dancing for a lonnnnngggg time. They did allow one exit/​re-​entry, but we didn’t need to do that.
I think they could have had a little convenience store with gum, tissues, girl products, etc. If they did have something like that, I didn’t see it. But that could be helpful for future events.
Overall a great event. No complaints. Already looking forward to 2017.

I saw Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, John Legend and Bruno Mars. Great concert and performers. This event will get better and bigger.
PROS
Good concert. Big venue. Astroturf to sit down so no dirt or mess on clothes. Good bathrooms. Good sound. Well policed to keep scumbags at bay.
CONS
Entrance was too far away. Wristband was too complicated — gains admission and serves as payment medium (no cash or card accepted inside). But if you want to use the band, you need to walk somewhere else to activate it. If you want to load more cash to the band, then you will pray to the cell phone gods for good reception, and there is barely any cell reception there.

OMG!!! Taylor and Ed Sheeran were BONKERS amazing!!! MGM really did a great job… A guy I was dating bought my tickets for a friend and a guest of my choice 4 months ago and he paid $ 830 for two POP weekend wrist bands so I can see Taylor (no need to even include last name Swift) and I felt awful that I’m hearing the day of show they were NOW selling for $ 50 for last min buyers… that SUCKED ASS and not cool. Also not cool that if people bought tickets JUST for Sam Smith could not get a refund… Either way I had an amazing night!!! Thank you Rock In Rio 2015 :) THANK YOU TAY TAY!!! Ed Sheeran you were also BANANAS amazing!!! Seriously sick set up venue!!! I’ll def go again!

We try to make it out to as many shows as we possibly can. We’ve even been to other festivals. While I’m far from an expert, I can’t understand how an organization that’s literally been doing this for 30 years just couldn’t quite get things right.
Our first day at Rock In Rio was technically on Tuesday when we got invited to their press/​media night. We got to roam the venue while it wasn’t packed with people, and kind of get a sneak preview of what was to come for the weekend. The venue itself showed huge potential. They had giant bathrooms, a large open area where you could see both of the big stages from far away, and there seemed to be plenty to do and see. We also got to a see a cool little 2 song set by Magic that sounded excellent, and got to the meet the guys afterwords. They even closed out that night with a fireworks show. It really just got us even more excited for the weekend to come.
Then when the weekend came, 2 days were enough to see all the problems with Rock In Rio. We decided to park down at the Linq parking garage and ride the monorail down to SLS. The biggest issue with that was they made you walk up LV Blvd. from SLS to the Circus Circus, and then back track to where the gate entrance was. I don’t mind walking, but the whole thing was just stupid. Getting out was a nightmare, but I’ll get back to that. The staff seemed to be all but useless too. Just hours after opening each day, the whole festivals grounds turned into a dump. Most of the staff seemed to be just standing around, and the 2 guys I saw walking around on trash duty literally had a bag in one hand with maybe a dozen cans or so, and their phones in the other hand. I ended up finding some guys ID on Friday night and I had to ask 6 people where to turn it in. I’m not sure if everyone working was volunteer, but the majority of them seemed way more interested in being attendees than doing anything remotely helpful. I’m assuming the lack of work is what made the bathroom situation crap too. There were lines outside the mens bathroom of all places, and almost every time I went into one of the restrooms, there were no paper towels and garbage everywhere.
When it comes to the vendors, I think RIR did an okay job. Having the little shops setup was neat, but it obviously caused huge lines at some places and made it difficult to get certain things. It was nice to see local business’ come out like MTO Café and Rollin’ Smoke, but pricing was more ridiculous than I expected. I won’t get into this since other people already have, but not including tax in the listed prices was dumb and a total inconvenience. Like it’s not bad enough having to pay $ 12 for a pork sandwich and $ 4 for a bottle of water. Speaking of which… why the high price for water? I understand demand, but even on two unusually cool days in May, we live in Vegas, water is necessary. Do your high paying ticket attendees a solid and sell your water for 200% profit instead of 600% (which is probably a generous estimate anyway).
The whole cashless payment system thing was terrible too. If I can offer any advice, load your wristbands before you get anywhere near the venue. Cell data service was virtually non-​existent and it took forever to add more money through the app. Going through the «top-​up» stations didn’t seem much better, as long lines were formed at them pretty much all day. Using the wristbands to pay wasn’t very smooth either. There was multiple times we had to re-​scan our bands for it work, and even though it didn’t happen to us, we saw quite a few people who’s wristbands just flat out didn’t work. Add those errors to the ridiculous amount of people who couldn’t read that this system was in place and tried paying with cash/​card anyway just made lines take forever to move. I get that people’s stupidity isn’t their fault, but the cashless system was unnecessary… especially when you take into consideration their $ 3.50 charge just to get YOUR unused money back.
In my opinion, one of the best things about the RIR venue itself was the fake grass. It was much nicer to walk around on, and during the actual event dates, it was nice to throw down a blanket and relax between sets. Other festivals should take note of it.
Moving on to the actual music which is the biggest part of my 3 stars. I mean sure, this wasn’t some all out, must see list, but I thought it was very solid. I’m a fan of a the majority of the first weekends line-​up and there were quite a few I hadn’t seen perform before. Metallica and No Doubt put on an excellent performance, and seeing Steve Vai needs no explanation. I noticed an unusual amount of technical difficulties, but overall the sound quality was spectacular.
Had I paid full price, I may honestly have only rated this 2 stars. They just have too many years of experience for them to have this many issues. But I love music and I’m grateful to be able to attend events like this. Though I do think RIR has a lot of work to do before 2019.

I think it’s only fair to start off with saying I’m not a huge concert fan. I don’t enjoy huge crowds of people and I definitely don’t enjoy being smashed in between them. I was given free VIP tickets to the Friday night rock show! Super grateful and always down for an adventure. I booked a room across the street from the event at SLS thinking I would cross the street and enter but no… they make you trek all the way down to Circus Circus to enter and then you have to make your way all the way back to SLS once you enter. Wear your walking shoes! The VIP entrance was awesome as you just keep swiping your wristband and make your way to the VIP tent which is HUGE and two stories tall! Belvedere Vodka and Bacardi Rum both had all you could drink stations along with other alcoholic beverage stands in between. Wolfgang Puck catered the entire event and had food from all around the world. It was very decent food for such a large crowd. Indoor seating was plentiful but not the most comfortable. The outdoor patio seating consisted of tables of two with barstools and some round cushioned seats. The main stages were pretty far from the VIP area so everyone on stage was about an inch tall. They did have large tv’s so you could see what was going on. The music was okay for me as there weren’t many songs or bands I knew. We did leave the VIP area a few times and wander around the general admission areas. There was tons of food and drinks to choose from. Towards the end of the night when No Doubt was getting ready to play you couldn’t get anywhere close to the stage which was to be expected. It would have been awesome if the VIP ticket holders had a reserved area near the front of the stage. It was so cold Friday night and I kept thinking it would have been so nice if they would have brought in some heat lamps (after all they knew what the weather was going to be like a least a week in advance). All in all it was a good time but not sure if I would do it again. Maybe if I received more free tickets.

I thought that this was a very well planned and executed event.
I got a last minute ticket on Saturday. I really wanted to see Deftones and Metallica and neither band disappointed!
First of all — there was plenty of space. The size of the crowd was never an issue. Surprisingly, I never saw long lines anywhere — even for the bathroom. I was pleasantly surprised by the bathroom, it was really nice! It was also very clean.
I’ve seen complaints about the amount of trash that was on the ground. You can’t blame event organizers for the idiots who choose to throw their trash on the ground, rather than throw it any of the MANY trash cans scattered throughout the property. I never saw an overflowing trash can, and I can image that staff can only pick up trash so quickly.
I liked that it was a cashless event. However, there were not enough centrally located «Top Up» booths, and those that I did find did not have very good signage.
My biggest issue with this event was the cost of certain items. I expected high prices — but why were they charging tax on top of that. For example: you put $ 50 on your wristband because you saw that beers were around $ 10 each. Except they were actually $ 10.82 after tax. Just make them $ 11 and say tax is included — or charge $ 10 flat. This left quite a few people with an odd balance on their wristbands, which was super inconvenient. I had money left I COULDN’T spend, which doesn’t even make sense!
Parking was also inconvenient. SLS was the best option, but they were charging $ 40 to park in their garage (there were loopholes to this and luckily we got our money back). You can’t expect everyone to take the Monorail. Hopefully MGM can work on a solution for this for future events.
The coolest thing I saw were the beer vendors. There were TONS of them and I loved that they were IN the crowd. It was very easy to get a beer!
It was cool that both the ferris wheel and zipline were free, but this caused really long lines. It wasn’t worth waiting in line for the ferris wheel to only spend 2 minutes (literally) on it. Also, I thought it wasn’t in the right location, because you couldn’t really see anything good from up there.
Overall, this was a fun event. It was the first year it was here, so I figure if it comes back, it will only get better.

Thirty years of experience in music festivals and this is the product? Meh …
Gripe #1
— Line-​up is mediocre and not worth the wristband price.
That is a fact, porra. Do the math or compare to A-​level festivals; hell, even B-​levels as was masterfully illustrated by Life Is Beautiful [LIB] slapping Rock In Rio [RIR] across the cara with an email blast on the day preceding RIR weekend one [W1]. LIB announced on Thursday early bird passes for their three-​day festival for 200 $ while RIR was having a helluva time moving their 300 $ two-​days. Bad Rehan.
Gripe #2 (pronounced dois)
— There was a giant fucking boom crane in front of the main stage on the Boulevard side for W1. Seriously?
Get rid of it!
Gripe #3
— Only one in and out permitted? Is this 2005 or 2015? Is this a major festival or not? You have got to be fucking kidding me …
For those who will justify Rock In Rio’s shittiness on it being their first show: wrong. Just plain wrong. This was not their first rodeo. As it certainly was not mine. Although it would have been my costliest if I had actually paid full-​price to go, not even factoring in accommodations had I not already resided in Sin City.
Gripe #4
— No parking at all? What the fuck …
Life is Beautiful takes place in goddamn Downtown Las Vegas and there is parking.
Coachella has parking with no shuttles required and the parking is free.
RIR is partnered with MGM Resorts International and they cannot arrange free parking at any of their countless garages with free shuttles to the site? They aren’t even trying.
Gripe #5
— No box office on site? Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha.
This is just dumb.
Gripe #6
— Not accepting cash or credit card/​debit card payments?
This is just dumb. Guerrilla Union tried it; GU is now not in existence anymore. This is America! *waves flag and greenback.
+ Not accepting cash or credit card/​debit card payments?
On second thought: Can one even tip with this system? Perhaps it is the real reason they employed this model of loaded wristbands as currency. Makes it easier for non-U.S. Americans from other cultures who did not necessarily tip for being handed a bottle of water.
*Possible removal of Gripe #6 pending weekend two [W2]*
Gripe #7
— CSC — or someone similar — stopped the members of Hollywood Undead from playing street craps. CSC drones: You are not the Nevada Gaming Commission. Relax.
Hire less CSC drones and hire more trash removal personnel. Hire less Metro moonlighters to stand around and play jerkoff games and lower the fucking price of admission and schedule more rare headliners besides Metallica, like for instance the Stones or AC/​DC. Or Queen. What the fuck …
+ Full sets are a pretty cool concept, notwithstanding the 2 a.m. festival end. (Sorry whiny neighbours; we at RIR are not good neighbours. [See ya’ in hell!])
People who would love RIR (and five-​star): everyone who has never been to another music festival.
People who would hate RIR (and one-​star): everyone who resides in nearby apartment buildings who laughably continue living there when the firms that own these buildings are being monetarily compensated whilst they get nothing (or just a one-​day GA pass, RMV: 20 $).
My Rating: two-​stars, «Meh. I’ve experienced better.»

Full disclosure: I was angry at this festival before it even started. I was one of the unfortunate idiots who purchased full price weekend tickets during the special presale. I fell for the hype to the tune of $ 1,268.00. I firmly believe the concert planners purposely misled people by hinting at Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and the Rolling Stones to get suckers like me to pre-​purchase full price tickets. They promised no single day tickets would ever be sold (lie). They promised no discounts (another lie). They also promised six huge stages, 3 minor stages and a roulette shaped ferris wheel (all lies). So you can see why I was pretty upset before setting foot inside.
I purchased general admission wristbands for both rock and pop weekends. I ended up donating the pop weekend wristbands to a charity silent auction once I saw the lineup. I have to say that I am GLAD I did NOT purchase VIP because the VIP area was FAR AWAY from all the stages! VIP folks pretty much had to watch the show on the screens if they didn’t want to leave the VIP area. I would’ve been more angry to be so far back.
While I was SUPER negative going into the festival, I do have to eat a few of my words. I’ll give credit where credit is due. This was an extremely well run festival. I’ll break down the good and bad here.
THE GOOD:
1. Plenty of Restroom Stalls.
I didn’t have to wait ONCE for a restroom. That is unheard of at any major event.
2. Impeccable Crowd Control.
Maybe they were planning for a crowd five times the size, but the crowd control was truly amazing. Lines were minimal and the City of Rock never felt overly crowded. Security lines moved quickly. I admit that I was impressed. During the main shows, it was easy to get down front and still have plenty of room around to dance and move (we were super close for Metallica but had at least a few feet of space around us, we weren’t packed in like sardines).
3. That Fake Lawn!
It was so nice to sit on and stand on. Looks great and was super fun.
4. Incredible Sound and Video.
Wow, the sound system here was first rate! I’ve never heard such CRYSTAL CLEAR vocals and guitar nuances, it was crazy for a rock concert. I am still amazed at the clarity of the sound. Unbelievable! Also the video screens broadcasting the live action in glorious HD. Perfect!
5. The Stages.
Yep, the lighting and design of the stages was fantastic. The best lighting I’ve ever seen at any concert in my entire life. The cool mini fireworks show before the main headliner every night was a fun spectacle.
6. Local Businesses as Food Vendors.
It was awesome to see local Vegas businesses (Nothing Bundt Cakes, Rolling Smoke BBQ and more) as the food vendors on site. Nice touch!
7. Metallica
Good lord, Metallica single handedly saved the entire festival for me. Their 2 hours plus set with double encore was easily one of the top 5 concert experiences of my entire life.
THE BAD:
1. Clean-​Up Crews
The restrooms didn’t have lines but they were out of toilet paper and paper towels and were pretty dirty. The trash cans outside were overflowing (see my photo). The fake lawn was covered in empty beer cans and plastic bottles. This is too nice of a venue to have it totally trashed like it was. They need to hire a professional Disneyland-​like clean-​up crew to keep things tidy.
2. The Line-​Up
«Rock» weekend was absolutely pathetic. I’m sorry, but when does No Doubt or Foster the People qualify as «rock» music? The organizers should be ashamed! I will NEVER make the mistake of buying presale tickets for this event EVER again. Take note: WAIT UNTIL THE LINEUP IS ANNOUNCED before you buy, and wait until the last minute because people were literally giving away tickets on Craigslist starting the week before the concert.
3. No Barrier Fences
It irritated me quite a bit that people just walking by on the Strip could easily see right inside the festival grounds and pretty much listen to the bands AND SEE THE LIVE BROADCAST VIDEO just like we were all watching inside. I wish they’d put up some privacy fences because quite frankly, next year I probably would just go down and stand outside the venue and watch the same show for free.
4. Overpriced Concessions and a Cashless Wristband System
I’m proud to say that I was so angry about being ripped off on the presale tickets that we spent ZERO DOLLARS inside the festival. Organizers were quoted as saying that they hoped to «make up the lost money by overcharging» for concessions.
5. Awful Internet Coverage
There were signs encouraging attendees to Tweet & use social media but the internet coverage was so bad that I finally gave up Tweeting! Too bad because the crowd would’ve advertised for the festival, especially when we were all worked up from Metallica! EPIC FAIL on internet coverage.
Unilocal limits the length of my review, but I’ve hit on the highlights here. I’d do Rock in Rio again for sure, but only for discounted tickets.

We got tickets for Friday and were SO disappointed in the entire organization of the event that we left FAST. Went in around 8:30pm and spent about 30 min in line for a bathroom… the MENS restroom. Lines at a mens room are rare!
Then we stood in line for another 30 min to load money onto our wristband… you know, since credit cards arent convenient… We have major complaints about those wristbands. The girl at the booth barely knew how to load money on them and we spent another 15 min at the front of the line with her trying to help us put $ 100 on one. The app Rock In Rio has was designed to help you avoid lines, but the wireless was so terrible there that we STILL had to use the booths. Well after we finally got our money on one bracelet, we went to find food. $ 9 slice of pizza was pretty cheap compared to the $ 12 beers! I know festivals can get expensive but prices were a bit absurd… But hey, at least the pizza was good.
Another complaint is that all of the food is SO far away from the stages, meaning you cant really listen to your band playing if you are also waiting in line. Must choose music OR food. Unacceptable. As a Chicago native, i am accustomed to large music festivals like Lollapolooza handling crowds seamlessly so that everyone can have an enjoyable experience. Lines were always short there. Rock In Rio is a disaster.
Trash cans were overflowing with trash. Volunteers were not trained in customer service. When asked how to make an account to load a wristband, the girl AT THE WRISTBAND LOADING BOOTH said she just got there and didnt know! What?!
One benefit though was the lineup. They have some great headliners.
Back to negatives. Definitely save your money and do something else with your time in Vegas. Unless you love long lines and confusing wristband-​debit-​cards STAY AWAY!

First off, this festival showed it was in its first year of operation. The first night the Ferris wheel wasn’t operable and the trash cans seemingly got more and more full but no one was emptying them. Also, the walk to get into the festival could’ve been better thought out. You have to walk around the Hilton in order to make it to the check in lines which is far considering most people were getting off the monorail at SLS. We didn’t experience the zip line or the Ferris wheel on day 2.
I LOVED the cashless system. There were really zero lines and everywhere we went we didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes considering the tens of thousands of people also at this festival. There were dudes walking around with mini keg backpacks serving you corona and negra modelo which was awesome because we had prime spots to view the performances from the main stage. The timing of the lineups was astounding you could walk from the Mercedes Benz stage to the main stage and still get a prime location for the next band.
It’s Vegas and we were prepared for high costs so that’s one piece of advice for anyone that don’t be surprised when you get a 12 buck beer and 10 buck burger. But just soak in the guitars and have a good time. The ticket was already a high initial price, just assume the concessions and merch are as well.
We loved rock in rio and hope to be part of another one in the future.

I had great expectations on this event and they were fulfilled. I liked the lineup and I’d say Saturday was actually better than Friday. I was specially there to see Metallica, No doubt and The Pretty Reckless.
The only thing I’d change would be that designated smoking area should’ve been set to respect those that don’t smoke.
Mostly good crowd on Friday but obnoxious middle aged misfits Saturday

It was an okay festival! liked that there were plenty of places to buy drinks and food, and lines weren’t bad at all, but I did not like seeing trash, empty cups and cans all over the ground. Trash cans were overflowing, women’s bathrooms were disgusting, and even though there were plenty of stalls, there were no toilet paper and toward the end of the night, there were no paper towels. The only clean bathroom was the one located by the entrance/​exit area.
I only saw one drunk person who was totally out of it, he wasn’t bothering anyone, but you could tell there was something wrong and security went over to him right away.
We parked at MGM and took the monorail to the SLS and then walked and it wasn’t too bad. Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes.

In the VIP area. So much fun and do well taken care of.
Always something happening to keep you entertained. Lost of dancin lots of musics lots of food and lots of booze.
Couldn’t have planes it better myself.

Pain in the ass already having to sign up to put money on wristband so that they can take $ 3.50 from me if I don’t use all the money on it. What a scam. Still waiting on email to even activate wristband.
Won’t do this again. Who has a Friday and Saturday festival. Way too much money.