Friday morning, Neon Desert Music Festival officials unveiled their full music lineup for the eighth annual event, which will again take place across two days on Memorial Day weekend in the heart of downtown El Paso.
The West Texas festival is set to return this year on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, with GA, VIP, and Platinum VIP tickets on sale now online.
Via a news release, Neon Desert officials stated, “NDMF prides itself on being one of the first major US music festivals to emphasize booking not only mainstream American acts, but acclaimed international and Latin performers, as well.”
This year’s lineup continues that tradition with an eclectic mix of world-renowned headliners, like the El Paso-born rock icons At the Drive-In, who continue to perform in support of the band’s reunion last year after a long-awaited hiatus since 2001, and Dutch EDM superstar Martin Garrix, who is currently ranked the No. 1 DJ in the world on DJ Mag‘s annual Top 100 DJs Poll.
Other headliners include Atlanta trap rapper and New York Times best-selling author Gucci Mane, who is prepping for the release of his next project, The Evil Genius, this spring which will serve as a follow up to the four notable albums that he dropped in 2017, as well as the debut of Glacier Boyz, his rumored collaborative super-group project with Migos and Lil Yachty; and American DJ/producer Dillon Francis, who is best known for bringing the moombahton dance scene to the national spotlight and is currently prepping for the release of his next album which is said to heavily feature Latin and Spanish-language music.
Neon Desert will also bring to West Texas some of the biggest names in Latin music today, which include the rock group Café Tacvba, who hail from Ciudad Satélite, Mexico, and continue to perform in support of their recent album, Jei Beibi, released last May; the Puerto Rican-born reggaeton singer and songwriter Farruko; Bomba Estéreo, who are best known for their psychedelic-cumbia style of music and who just released their latest album, Ayo, last fall to praise from critics and fans alike; and Mexican singer and songwriter Caloncho. All of these performers have either been nominated for or have won a Grammy or Latin Grammy Award.
Additional performers include a highly curated mix of nationally recognized performers alongside exciting up-and-comers, like Bronx-born Cardi B, who continues to dominate the radio charts after debuting her No. 1 smash hit, “Bodak Yellow,” in late 2017, the song that made her the first woman rapper to score an unassisted No. 1 hit on the Billboard 100 charts since Lauryn Hill did the same nearly two decades ago.
Indie rock darlings Third Eye Blind, who are set to perform a variety of their greatest hits, including “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper”; rapper Playboi Carti, who continues to ride high from the success of last year’s debut mixtape that included the viral hit “Magnolia”; New York-based indie-pop band The Drums; electronic music duo GTA; and the mysterious masked DJ and producer Malaa, many fans of whom suspect is the collaborative secret project of Parisian producers DJ Snake, Tchami, and Mercer.
In addition to the music performances throughout the weekend, fans at the 2018 festival will experience a unique urban festival environment that literally transforms historic downtown El Paso into a festival playscape for attendees of all ages.
Key features of the festival, which regularly covers over 15 city blocks in the heart of downtown El Paso, include 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 will also curate a full slate of local merchants, food vendors, and live visual artists for the two-day event in a continued effort to provide ticket buyers with an authentic West Texas festival experience unlike any other.
Weekend passes are on sale now at www.neondesert.com. GA two-day tickets are priced at just $119, while J&K VIP tickets are $275, and J&K Platinum VIP tickets cost $550. 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. These lucky Platinum VIP 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.
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 is also once again offering a discount-priced two-day GA tickets for all US military members and local veterans at Fort Bliss. Weekend GA passes of Neon Desert Music Festival are available now for purchase for just $99 specifically at the LTS on East Bliss, BLDG 20732 and the Freedom Crossing LTS Kiosk. Interested ticket buyers must present an official military ID in order to purchase tickets to this event.
In total, more than 40 music performers from El Paso and across the globe are set to take the stage at Neon Desert Music Festival 2018, with the full lineup listed below:
Martin Garrix – At the Drive-In – Gucci Mane – Dillon Francis
Cardi B – Café Tacvba – Third Eye Blind – Farruko
Playboi Carti – GTA – Malaa – The Drums – Bomba Estéreo
LANY – Lecrae – Caloncho – Cuco – Nao – Cults – Little Jesus
J.I.D – Earthgang – Boogie – Buddy – The Garden
Nick Hirsch – The Swell Kids – Great Shapes – Dulce Mal
Sick.Life – A. Billi Free – Space Captains Collective – Pilots of Venus
Gila Monster – Medvedi – Divine Kegel – Soul Parade – Fat Camp
Sleepspent – Young Deluxe – Wildsters – Mikey Cloud – Mountain Vibes
The Fifth Estate – Cry Baby – Stangus – Matt U Johnson – The Sandy Ohms
El Paso Herald-Post El Paso News & Opinion
