Friday morning, Neon Desert Music Festival officials unveiled initial details surrounding the 2018 event, which will again take place across two days on Memorial Day weekend in the heart of downtown El Paso, Texas.
The eighth annual installment of the beloved West Texas festival will return this year on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27.
Early-bird weekend passes are now on sale at www.neondesert.com. Early bird General Admission (GA) weekend tickets are $99, while J&K VIP tickets are $275 and J&K Platinum VIP tickets cost $550. Interested patrons are encouraged to act fast as these tickets are in short supply and will increase in price as the event date approaches.
Neon Desert will be announcing the initial music lineup along with additional festival details in the weeks ahead.
J&K VIP ticket holders will receive a variety of perks, including re-entry to the festival, a dedicated VIP-only entrance and exit, complimentary drinks throughout the entirety of the festival, complimentary dinner each night, and official Neon Desert merch.
J&K Platinum VIP passes, which sold out in its debut last year, offer the most elevated experience available to ticket buyers. Attendees will receive all of the regular VIP perks in addition to exclusive access to a main stage viewing deck, special Platinum VIP area, and more.
In the tradition of previous years, Neon Desert 2017 once again proved that it is truly unique to the national festival landscape as it not only showcased national headlining hip-hop, EDM, and indie talent, but it also paid tribute to the local heritage of host town El Paso and its residents with its diverse, Latin-filled lineup.
2017’s festival proudly welcomed performances from a wide variety of acclaimed acts, including Hardwell, Foster the People, J Balvin, Alesso, Logic, Migos, Ghostland Observatory, Nelly, Mon Laferte, Baauer, Thomas Jack, Mija, and El Paso’s own Khalid, along with more than 40 other talented performers.
Now in its eighth year, Neon Desert has cumulatively hosted over 170,000 attendees, with over 40,000 music fans partaking in last year’s two-day celebration (a 25% increase from the year prior). S
ince its inception in 2011, the event has offered attendees an eclectic mix of mainstream American performers alongside acclaimed international acts, with past festival performers including the likes of Tiësto, Future, J. Cole, Kaskade, Daddy Yankee, Passion Pit, Zoé, Ximena Sariñana, Mala Rodríquez, G-Eazy, Zedd, Wiz Khalifa, MGMT, and Moby.
In addition to the music performances throughout the weekend, fans at the 2017 festival experienced an expanded footprint in historic downtown El Paso.
Other key features of the festival which regularly covers over 15 city blocks in the heart of downtown El Paso included a dedicated stage for local artists in the San Jacinto Square, as well as a skate ramp, pro wrestling, numerous live art installations, and more.
Neon Desert also welcomed a full slate of local merchants, food vendors, and live visual artists at last year’s two-day event in a continued effort to provide ticket buyers with a festival experience unlike any other.
Neon Desert would like to thank their 2018 partners who help make the event possible, including presenting sponsor Southwest University and additional partners Dos Equis, Whataburger, and Malibu Rum.
For more information on the festival, please visit to www.neondesert.com. Follow Neon Desert Music Festival on facebook, on Instagram at @ndmf, and on Twitter at @neondesert for updates and special promotions.
The official hashtag of Neon Desert 2018 is #NDMF2018.
Crowds at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival on May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
The Chamanas Rock the Tito’s Vodka Paso Del Norte Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Grammy Award winner Nelly performs on the Franklin Mountain Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
The Chamanas Rock the Tito’s Vodka Paso Del Norte Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Natalia Lafourcade performing on the Franklin Mountains stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Skaters perform tricks and jumps at the Skate Park at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Migos Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Crowds at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival on May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
DADDY YANKEE performing on the Rio Bravo stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
TIESTO performing a that Rio Bravo Stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Dj Mark Farina spinning on the Paso Del Norte Stage Neon Desert Music Festival Day One-
Hardwell Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Artist MIJA perfoms on the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Music festival attendees at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival in El Paso Texas May 27, 2017
Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Hardwell Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Niykee Heaton performing on the Franklin Mountains Stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day One-
Artist “LOGIC” performs on the Franklin Mountains Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Stan Z and Elia Esparza rock the Titl’s Vodka Paso Del Norte Satage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Artist “Alesso” performs on the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Mon Laferte rocks the Tito’s Vodka Paso Del Norte Stage at Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
A$AP FERG + Tony Lanez performing on the Franklin Mountains stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Migos Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Local Artist Evander Griim fills in for Lil Uzi Vert who was unable to attend and performs on the Franklin Mountain Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
TIESTO performing a that Rio Bravo Stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Ghostland Observatory on the Franklin Mountains Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Grammy Award winner Nelly performs on the Franklin Mountain Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Los Visionaries Collective work on a project that involved a model and body paint during day two of NDMF.
Alunageorge performing on the Rio Bravo stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
A$AP FERG + Tony Lanez performing on the Franklin Mountains stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
DADDY YANKEE performing on the Rio Bravo stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Khalid rocks the Franklin Mountain Stage at Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Crowds at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival on May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Artist Trae Tha Truth performs on the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Khalid rocks the Franklin Mountain Stage at Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Artist Trae Tha Truth performs on the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage at the 2017Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
The Silent Disco stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Ghostland Observatory on the Franklin Mountains Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Local Artist Evander Griim fills in for Lil Uzi Vert who was unable to attend and performs on the Franklin Mountain Stage at the 2017Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Wrestlers performing on the Paso Del Norte stage at Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Grammy Award winner Nelly performs on the Franklin Mountain Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Crowds at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Neon Desert Music Festival Day Two
Migos Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
The crowd at the Carnage performance on the Rio Bravo Stage at the Neon Desert Music Festival Day One
Hardwell Rock the Dos XX Rio Bravo Stage Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Mon Laferte rocks the Tito’s Vodka Paso Del Norte Stage at Day Two the Neon Desert Music Festival, May 28, 2017 El Paso Texas
Artist “LOGIC” performs on the Franklin Mountains Stage at the 2017 Neon Desert Music Festival, May 27, 2017 in El Paso Texas
Staff Report
Staff Reports are just that, Staff Reporting the news. No skew, no opinion just the news. We pride ourselves on making sure that we bring you the news as soon as it is published, submitted or sent to us. No need to have a reporter rewrite or give their opinion. The facts or information, nothing more.