I attended the last day of this three-day festival in 2025. I had a fun time. Overall, this festival is more laid back and spiritual than a traditional music festival like Lollapalooza. In the first part of the day a DJ is performing in a small central booth. Most attendees were vibing, having drinks, and chilling. Once the sun sets everyone does the lantern release which was honestly magical. Then the bands start performing on the main stage. After the last act there is a fireworks show that is probably the most aesthetically pleasing fireworks display I've seen. This is a smaller festival that is not strictly music focused so there was quite a bit of down time in the day in between events. For example, after the first act performed on the main stage the crowd hung out for 30 minutes while the crew swapped out instruments and equipment for the second artist. We paid extra for the first premium level (Gold) which got us access to an area with couches, tents, and tables. This was well worth the price because otherwise there would be nowhere to sit other than the sandy desert. The desert gets quite cold at night and this event is entirely outside with no indoor areas so if you plan to stay for the headliners dress warmly! We drove to and from the festival which I highly recommend. The "venue" is a good 35 minutes outside of Las Vegas even when there's no traffic. To be clear, this event takes place in the middle of the desert where there are no buildings, amenities, towns, or services of any kind other than what the event staff build. There is limited or no cell service in the desert and Uber/Lyft don't serve the venue. The event ended at midnight and I was grateful not to have to wait on a shuttle at the end of a long day. read more

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Irresponsible, no integrity, scam. We traveled there from California with my 73 year old mother and a 4 year old son. Bought our tickets months in advance. No communication the day before or along to being masks, canceled main act, rearranged the schedule, rude staff and lack of communication afterwards. No lanterns, no mats we paid for, no emails back. Only offered a credit for next year. No thanks. We're not coming back. Btw all they offered at the door after we found out that they cancelled the lanterns is a handwritten note (see the picture) stating "for refunds email here" but they refuse to give us a refund for the service they did not deliver and the lanterns we paid for. Karma is real Rise. read more

Rise Festival - The handwritten note offered by their "customer service" after we also arrived there and we're told that they cancelled the lanterns. - Festivals Near Me

My daughter and I traveled from Canada to Las Vegas specifically for the lantern launch. On October 3, 2025, after arriving at the MGM Grand shuttle pickup location, RISE staff informed guests that the Sky Lantern Launch had been cancelled due to weather. Because the lantern launch was the main experience we purchased tickets for, staff instructed us to contact RISE by email to request a refund. Based on this instruction, we did not board the shuttle transportation, did not attend the festival, and our tickets were never scanned or used. I contacted RISE that same day as directed. Over the following months, I sent multiple follow-up emails but received only generic responses asking me to "have patience." After more than five months of repeated follow-ups, RISE finally responded on March 9, 2026--only after another email from me--denying my request and citing a "no refunds" policy. Being told to request a refund, then strung along for months before being denied with no real explanation, is incredibly misleading and reflects extremely poor customer service. This was not a small expense -- we traveled internationally for this event -- and the way this was handled is unacceptable. This was a very expensive and disappointing lesson. I would strongly caution anyone from trusting this event. read more

As everyone else, I was looking forward to the rise lantern festival for Friday 10/3. The tickets were sold out and I spent nearly a thousand to grab tickets. Understandably, the lantern ceremony was cancelled due to high winds and dust storms, however, it was a HUGE disappointment and the chaos of the festival only contributed to that let down. First, they pushed the bus times which just allowed for increasing lines at the bus stops. My friends had a horrendous experience, waiting 3-4 hours in line at MGM but yet my wait at resorts world was nothing! It just didn't make sense. As a result of the shuttles being sold out, myself and another friend I made, was separated from our group and left stranded without our friends upon arrival due to no service. The shuttle there was 2 hours and I don't think the "20minutes" outside Vegas prepared anyone for that. The one shuttle didn't have a restroom and we were stopping and picking up people from side of road from the other shuttle to come on ours to use the restroom. The music in our shuttle didn't work either but made for an experience of the riders to work with the driver to try to figure it out. It was remote location and the wind was terrible, it was absolutely freezing, and there was no shelter except for the tents serving food for gold ticket holders. There is no priority lanes or access for the shuttles, we just sat in same traffic everyone else did. I couldn't imagine why the million police officers couldn't help traffic, maybe blocking the lane from outbound traffic because who was actually leaving and allowing shuttles to ride in that lane. We finally arrive and the art was pretty but I felt like I was at a state fairground in a remote location.. everything was so spread out and no clear signs of where the restrooms were. We ended up going into gold section and thankfully got food before it sold out. Our friends were redirected to the platinum section to not pay for food and waited 45 mins to be told there was no food. The lines were long for food and I was told I got "one of the last pizzas". I'm not sure where the gourmet food came in-- the menu had pizza, pretzels, turkey sliders, and fruit cups. The pizza also took 25 mins to prepare. We sat under the tent the entire night until Rufus came on. The VIP restrooms were decent but also far. I'm not sure if 1/2 the people didn't show up that seemed this didn't need to be so spread out. Even exiting, we had to walk all the way out and around instead of having the exit that goes right to the shuttles. Overall, a lot of things did not make sense or add up. I saw some mentioning food trucks so maybe that was the issue of them not showing that caused the food-- not sure but why, as a paying consumer, am I guessing and there's no transparency? Somehow- they didn't run out of merchandise though! I didn't expect a refund with the lantern ceremony being cancelled but I honestly feel they should be more accommodating. I'm sure they are inundated with emails but I've gotten no reply. Of course, Saturday looked absolutely stunning with perfect weather and they were providing more helpful updates. This festival was very poorly organized and the lack of acknowledgment isn't helping. The artwork, the sense of community, and people experiencing this chaos together definitely made for an experience but I do feel they were ill prepared to proactively handle inclement weather and these types of issues. read more

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I've been looking forward to RISE Festival for years and even brought friends from out of state, but this turned out to be one of the worst event experiences I've ever had. What was advertised as a magical lantern festival filled with art, installations, and unity was nothing close to reality. The event was completely disorganized and unsafe. A sandstorm combined with freezing temperatures made it miserable and even dangerous. My girlfriend had trouble breathing from all the dust, and we had to take her to the ER later that night where she was tested for dust pneumonia. Getting her there was made worse by the traffic leaving the venue it took us over two hours just to get out of the parking lot. Food and drinks were gone within the first hour. With around 60,000 people in attendance, all they had left were small fruit cups, which is totally unacceptable for an event of this scale. Even staff admitted they had no real training for handling such a crowd. On top of that, nothing they advertised was actually there. No artwork, no installations, no magical experiences just hours of standing in the cold with sand constantly blowing. The whole thing felt like false advertising. And when people tried to share honest feedback on social media, comments were deleted instead of acknowledged. This event was stressful, unsafe, and left a lot of people feeling scammed. Instead of the serenity, unity, and beauty they promote in their mission, what we got was chaos, frustration, and disappointment. Save your money--this is not the uplifting experience they claim it to be. read more

Long lines and understaffing led to a debacle causing people to wait over 5 hours to get in the festival. No only that but no lanterns, no seats cancelled artists etc.... These are all things people paid for... no remorse from the organizers or any attempt to rectify the situation. read more

Rise Festival - Is there a stage behind the dust? - Festivals Near Me

WHY ONLY ONE LAUNCH??? There always used to be 2 LAUNCHES!!! One at 7 and one at 9. The most beautiful part of the festival is when everyone launches their lanterns TOGETHER!!! What is the point of the 2 lanterns if there are NOT 2 separate launches??? I was too busy helping out all my friends who were there for the first time and I missed the beauty of the launch. I was ok with waiting to enjoy the SECOND launch for myself but it never came!!!!! Very disappointed. FOR THE MONEY WE PAY there should ABSOLUTELY be 2 SEPARATE LAUNCHES as it always used to be. We will not be returning!!! read more

Awful experience. Paid $489 each for platinum tickets, which were supposed to include food and drinks and upfront views of the main stage (promised at time of ticket purchase) After waiting 2.5 hours just to get into parking, we arrived about 3 hours after doors opened and there was no food, nothing, and it was never restocked. Just a bunch of empty tables with signs for the food we paid for but never received Most drinks had already run out and lines were 30 min plus waits RISE also changed platinum viewing areas to the back of the stage area, so it was worse than just going to general admission So after paying for parking and two tickets, it ended up costing over $1,000 to be left hungry, cold, and pummeled by sandstorms all night long (wore a mask and lungs are still burning from all the dust) RISE can't control the weather, but they should have been looking out for attendees and cancelled Friday due to the severity of the wind and dust, and there's no excuse for not providing food and drinks (among other amenities) to people who paid so much for them to be included read more

"Sold out" of shuttle passes for the Friday festival, even for festival pass holders. Individual/ride-share pick-ups and drop-offs are "not available" for this festival. According to Todd (the RISE representative who emailed me), the only alternative is to hire a private driver to stay in the parking lot from the time the festival opens until the festival concludes (approx. 8+ hours). Todd also mentioned that temperatures are typically in the mid-90s, "so it is not ideal for anyone to remain in a vehicle under those conditions." If Todd or anyone else at RISE has a recommendation as to private drivers who meet this (seemingly impossible to meet) qualification, that would be most helpful. No shuttle, but no pick-ups or drop-offs, and yes you can purchase a parking pass and hire a private driver, but because reentry into the parking lot is not permitted, your driver will have to stay in the parking lot under circumstances Todd/RISE deems "not ideal for anyone to remain in." Sounds like a plan! read more

Absolutely horrible and disorganized. It's been 4 months and have not had an appropriate communication about the 2025 cancellations. I do not recommend as the food was scare and trash. 100$ for a hoodie and an he wait in line wtf !! read more

So let me start by saying I've attended rise 6 years in a row. It's been a large part of our lives. Originally I would have given it 5 plus stars but I think that designation is based on a running a business / event that is honorable. This year we purchased Rise tickets at just about $400 each - we understood the price hike. They used to be $99 for presale the year prior. But they were adding some musical acts that are larger names. The day of Rise we get an alert that they are monitoring the weather. The wind guests were in excess of 40 mph most of the day. With the prediction they would start to reduce around 10pm. So they decided to open gates at 5instead of earlier. The wait to get into the venue was over an hour and a half long for us. With most people waiting over 2 hours. We arrived to a massive dust storm. Massive. Our eyes were pelted with sand and we were breathing sand in. We couldn't stay. They didn't suggest we bring masks, nor did they tell us they were canceling the lantern release (thus the word rise), nor did they tell us they would no longer be providing a mat to sit on. Hey if you wanted to stand for several hours in the middle of a dust storm why not. As we tried to go into the venue the parking lot had blue strings draped to denote parking rows. Due to the dust they were impossible to see and everyone in our group tripped on them at least once if not more. It was a disaster. An absolute disaster. The main musical act was pushed back to an 11:30 start time. And yes you will see some magical insta videos most likely taken during the one hour the event wasn't covered in wind blown dust. So we asked for a refund of our tickets. Seems fair. We had paid money for tickets, hotels, travel, parking... and they offered a $125 credit toward next years ticket. Only if you fill out a form for each ticket and include pictures of your original tickets etc... No not the amount we paid. Just a portion- oh and that's after you complete your third form (original email, second survey, refund request form). That is incredibly poor customer service. Save your money and do not go. As you can see from my review history I very rarely like to post negative reviews. This one is well deserved. DONT GO. TRUST ME. read more

Hello, I attended the Rise Festival on Friday night after flying in from Seattle specifically for the lantern release, and I brought my 8-month-old daughter with me. When the lantern ceremony was canceled and with limited shelter or accommodations on site, the evening became extremely difficult and fell well short of my expectations for comfort and safety -- especially for my child. I understand weather can be unpredictable, but given the cost of tickets and the circumstances, I believe proper accommodation is warranted. To make up for the lost experience, I emailed them as suggested on social media but didn't get a response at all. If it was marketed as an EDM event only I would understand and not have come, but the marketing was completely misleading. I urge others to reconsider if they want to attend this, or at least know it's a huge rave party. read more

The Rise Festival lantern release was wonderful with very kind and considerate workers. This was part of my friends bucket list as she has Stage 4 cancer. However, she was treated very rudely in the disability section. Practically, bullied out of her seat by the disability area attendants, and lost her chair. This is very sad and true. The food was disgusting and not the way it was described to be (bring your own) that's all for now. read more

The lantern release was incredible! Will return next year Rufus du Sol Friday was amazing and Calvin Harris

Worst festival ever. I paid for the diamond ticket and received nothing that was listed. The food and drinks ran out. The seating was covered in dust and the lantern ceremony was canceled. Worst experience ever. read more

Wish I could give negative stars! Worst experience and complete fraud on behalf of this ridiculous company!! Taking the weather out of the equation, which caused the lantern release to be cancelled on Friday, October 3, this company robbed people of thousands of dollars and delivered nothing that was promised! We purchased platinum tickets which promised an elevated experience including unlimited food and drinks, a special viewing platform at the horizon stage, VIP restrooms, cushions, and lanterns. I understand that they had no control over the wind, but the negligence and lack of follow through on what was paid for, particularly for platinum and diamond ticket holders is maddening and plain unacceptable! The delays of entry, running out of food, 45-minute waits in ridiculous lines for drinks/food that we ended up having to pay for (again), enduring unhealthy hours of dirt in the face, not receiving cushions that we paid for requiring us to stand for hours, getting told to leave the platinum viewing area before Rufus even finished their set (supposedly because the area was now closed???), not being allowed back into the VIP restrooms towards the end of the night, hours long chaos trying to exit the parking lot, and feeling trapped all day made for the most disappointing experience. Also, the so called VIP viewing area was so far back that those in general admission actually had a better view of the performers on the Horizon stage though Ride advertised the VIP viewing area as a better experience. Clearly, they were ill prepared for Friday and should have just cancelled the day's event altogether. The lack of sound judgment exercised by this company is downright irresponsible! We traveled and spent thousands of dollars to be at this event and Rise only seems to care about their bottom line. They got paid, so who cares that people didn't get what they paid for! What was meant to be a meaningful evening honoring lost loved ones while enjoying music and comaraderie, turned out to be nothing short of a nightmare. I have written to Rise twice since this experience and finally received the most dismissive, condescending response from them solidifying my belief that they they only care about themselves and couldn't care less about those of us who attended Friday and had a terrible experience. They keep blaming the wind and stating that those who attended Saturday and Sunday had a good time. Well, that's great for them! It doesn't take away MY experience and their negligence and lack of delivery on what we paid for!!! AND we already know that the wind was a factor in canceling the lanterns, but what about everything else?? You CANNOT keep blaming the wind on all of the other shortcomings mentioned that contributed to a terrible time and being completely bamboozled and robbed of what we paid for! This company needs to take responsibility for the part they played in FAILING to deliver and stealing people's hard earned money! Total frauds!! read more

I cannot recommend the Rise Festival and want to share our experience so others know what to expect. We paid for Platinum level tickets and the coach bus from Resorts World, expecting a premium, well-organized experience. Unfortunately, it was the opposite. At 3pm, we received a notification that due to high winds, the first show would be cancelled and times would shift. At 6pm, we boarded the bus--only to sit through a 2.5 hour ride in traffic with no water provided. By the time we finally arrived (8:30pm), there was no music, no food, and no drinks. They had supposedly run out of food at 5pm--ironically the same time the gates opened--so despite paying for an open bar with food included, nothing was available. The sound system kept cutting in and out, and the overall atmosphere was one of frustration. People were angry, hungry, cold, and completely unprepared because of how poorly managed everything was. The most disappointing part? The lantern release was cancelled. That's the entire point of this festival, and the one magical moment everyone looks forward to. After standing around with nothing to eat, drink, or enjoy, we got back on the bus and returned to the hotel without seeing any performance at all. It was a total waste of time and money. The lack of organization, communication, and preparation by the company was shocking, especially for a paid Platinum experience. We left feeling frustrated and extremely let down. If you're considering this festival, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere. read more

This was the worst festival experience of my entire life! Beware, this was basically another Fyre festival! They are extremely understaffed and underprepared, they oversold all the VIP tickets. The food that was included with the VIP ticket was next to nothing. 40-50 People waited in long lines for snacks which they only handed out five at a time every 30 minutes! The snacks included a 2 inch handheld lobster roll or tiny sliders, which was equivalent to one bite. This is not enough food! There was no order to the event, people congregated as large crowds, and when the food came out, people grabbed at them like hungry scavengers. The bars were understaffed.. There were extremely long lines for the free/unlimited Alcohol that comes with the VIP ticket. And apparently the food completely ran out for the general admissions tonight. The lantern part of the festival was canceled due to high winds. Their entry road to the festival was heavily congested, it felt very unsafe. The VIp ticket is 100% not worth it read more

I bought Gold tickets for the 10-year anniversary because my son and I went the 1st year together and it was magical. Since then I've had cancer and he's become an adult and we wanted to go again to celebrate life. Unfortunately, it was an absolutely horrific afternoon and evening due to constant high gusting winds that had dirt and dust blasting us and filling our eyes and mouths like we were in a war zone. Our expensive food and drinks blew away and the lantern ceremony was canceled. I spent a ton of money (non-refundable) and my son even bought a new wheelchair to navigate the dry lake bed so I'm completely broken hearted with disappointment. BUT all the staff were fantastic working in these conditions and the venue would have been so beautiful and perfect if not for Mother Nature which I cant blame on the RISE team who were totally awesome. read more

Fabulous. I am so happy to have attended and been a part of this. People's kindness, the emotions, calming music, all the love was beautiful. You'll see totally mixed reviews - you gotta go into with the right mindset! This is in the desert, what do you expect? Not everything is going to be perfect. Your ticket gets you a bamboo mat, 2 Lanterns, and a pen. None of the pens in my group worked. They were dry, big disappointment, so you have nothing to write on the lanterns with, unless you bring your own pens! Lots of cars coming and leaving. Expect traffic. There are ushers who direct you where to go. Other cars may be impatient and try to cut you but the ushers helped keep cars in order. Happy about that. Leaving the event was a bit frustrating. If you're in the wrong lane, you end up having to make a big detour on the highway to get back to Vegas. Wouldn't have known, wish I could've avoided that. Definitely need two people to get the lanterns going, so best to go with a friend. No light at portapotties at night. Ran out of water to wash hands. Only sealed water bottles allowed, don't bring your own canteens. Security will search all bags and check with metal detectors. Lantern release announcer could've given us more time for the countdown. Countdown started at 10 seconds but i feel like everyone could've used a 20 or 30 second countdown, since it takes forever to light the lanterns. They don't catch the fire so quickly, you just have to wait and be patient. You will get soo dirty and dusty! Just the slight touch of the ground and your clothes will be stained (washes off ok in laundry). My shoes! The dusty footprints followed me everywhere after the event! The car, the mall that I went to afterwards, my garage. Expect to get dirty. remember, that's OK, be kind and have fun! read more

I surprised my bf for his bday with DIAMOND passes for Friday Oct. 3, 2025. At the time of buying those passes they were $1000 EACH and after taxes and a parking pass my total was $2,197. NOTHING from last night made me feel I got my money's worth. We wanted to hit up the tents with the free food for diamond pass holders as soon as we got in because we were starting to get hungry but every hour it kept getting pushed back. We waited for 2 hours When 4pm rolled around it got pushed to 5 so We decided to leave and get food and returned after opening. When we got inside, no staff member knew where anything was. When we found the food tent, everyone was desperate to eat and all food was snatched from trays within (no exaggeration) 5 seconds. My bf got us one lobster roll and we got a cup of mac n cheese. We should've gone to the other lines for sliders but decided not to and 2 hours later, all food was GONE. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, I spent $77 for some sliders and a pizza out of desperation. This was our first time and we thought it was going to be magical. And now i'm finding out that later in the night, people weren't even getting their tickets scanned?? I've read a lot of people are gonna start taking legal action The musical acts were the only highlight. read more

Fyre fest. Absolutely horrible, extreme lack of planning. They are deleting comments on their instagram.

Came from a different state, the lantern ceremony got cancelled. No refund offered. Organization is horrible. Over two hours on the $69 bus, no water offered. Almost no food left when we finally got to the festival. A guy charged us $100 for two tacos, said he made a mistake and didn't know how to fix it, so we had to pay (we were desperate to get some food at that point). Insane that this was their 10th anniversary read more

Could improve on just about everything. This is the worst festival I have ever been to and worst experience I've had. No communication, no organization, no food, no water, no shelter. What a terrible festival. And now they are deleting everyone's experiences on Instagram and refusing to respond to emails with a solution. Just kicking the can down the road hoping we grow tired of asking for our money back. The lanterns were cancelled, the artists were cancelled and cut short, everything was delayed for entry causing a total disaster. Took 5 hours to get into the festival. By the time we got in, festival was almost over and everything was sold out (merch, food, water). DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY read more

This experience was so amazing! Everyone was very helpful, as a first timer Sophia did so amazing with helping and having patience with me! 10/10 definitely recommend. read more

Horrible experience! It was Poorly organized, and they didn't even release the lanterns. They need to offer refunds! There was a sandstorm, and the traffic to get in was an hour not to mention everyone was leaving early and it took an hour to get out! They aren't answering peoples emails and are deleting post on social media ! Beware! read more

An absolute horror show. I've been to six previous Festivals and found this year they've ripped the heart and soul out of the quaint, charming event that it used to be and replaced it with an over-commercialized money grab. Gone are the array of speciality food trucks and fun little (free) side activities, replaced with paid elevated viewing platforms, big name musical acts, and massive over-sold crowding that causes hour-long traffic jams in and out of the venue. R.I.P. first generation Rise Festival, I miss you. read more

FYREFEST in the Mojave. Friday should have been canceled and refunded. What we paid for with platinum ($500 a piece): lanterns, desert cushion, expedited entry, higher tier VIP section, healthy food, free drinks, VIP viewing platform. What we got: 3 hour event delay waiting in line for coaches, lantern cancellation (the entire event should've been cancelled), long waits to get in. dust storms so bad you couldn't see 3 feet in front of you, hacking up dust all day even with masks, people desperate and fighting over 1 tiny quarter sized burger, cold vegetables, and popcorn that just ended up blowing off all the tables- food was gone within the hour of entry leaving everybody waiting for hours starving with no options, nowhere to sit because VIP couches were packed with people desperate to survive and stay warm, no Desert cushion- enjoy sitting on the desert ground, running out of drinks early, Merch sold out immediately because everybody was trying to stay warm - we got laughed at by vendors for looking for blankets that were BANNED from the festival, VIP platform was raised so if you were on it, you were in 50 degree weather with extreme winds, organizers deleting posts instead Of offering any apologies, not handling refunds immediately. Do NOT attend this festival. The lantern cancellation is the least of your concerns. read more

Went to festival last night and it was a complete disaster. Paid for VIP Platinum experience and received NONE of the advertised benefits. Two hours on bus to get to festival. No lanterns. No food! Dust bowl and wind was all I got! read more

Wow! The stars must have aligned or something because this was one of the smoothest and easiest festivals I've ever been to. Parking was really easy with lots of people directing and traffic was great when we left Vegas at 3pm. There were lots of staff at the festival and it didn't feel too crowded at all. We bought the $20 per ticket insurance because we know how unpredictable wind can be and if it's too windy then you can't let off the lanterns. Lucky for us it was almost perfect weather and we let off lanterns at 7pm exactly. Hot tip - bring your own electric lighter with a handle as it makes lighting the paper lantern candle square sooo much easier. We were lucky to be able to borrow one from the person next to us. You get dusty but it's not like Burning Man where you have to have a scarf to cover your mouth from the dust. It was a magical experience with the full moon, live music, fireworks and thousands of paper lanterns going off at once. Yes it's expensive but for me it was a bucket list item fulfilled. Get on the mailing list for presale tickets that are sold in February every year. read more

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In comparing this year's experience to the that of years ago when it was held in a location north of Vegas, though just as remote, I was disappointed. It seems as though experiences differed depending on which night you went. Friends went on Friday and were generally pleased, while I was thoroughly disappointed attending on sat. night. I'll detail my pros/cons below: Pros: - Parking was well organized with signs and police stationed at key areas to ensure traffic was smooth entering the single lane road. - Entrance was clearly marked after a short walk from the parking. Cons: -Torches used to light lanterns would barely stay on as the wicks were not well made and we had issues finding a torch to light our lanterns. Rise employees were nowhere to be found. - not enough restrooms in the sections to accommodate the number of guests in the event - food lines were very long and prices while expectedly high, were still pricey - Lanterns were terrible. Some barely even went up in the sky before crashing back down into the launch area, full of people. We easily walked past 200 lanterns on the ground going back to the parking lot. This is inexcusable as they could not even fly far enough to clear the area. - Need a real emcee/host to keep guests informed of timing and actually stick to schedule when coordinating the group launches versus having the music acts attempt to do so. Overall while it could be a awe inspiring and moving experience, clearly the organizers left a lot to be desired. I cannot recommend spending well over $100/pp on this event unless they actually give you lanterns that can fly for more than a min., such as they used to have. This turned into much more of a social media event rather than something that has true purpose and meaning and leaves you feeling renewed and uplifted. read more

Went on Saturday, took about 1 hour from the strip to being inside of the venue (we had VIP self parking) which wasn't bad at all, People complaining about the wait to get in clearly left too late, we left at 3:30 and were parked inside at 4:30. The lantern release was magical, truly a once in a lifetime experience. My mom actually started crying! Brought my whole family and they had such a great time, it was my parents first music festival. The music wasn't really for them, but the lanterns were amazing. They were able to chill in the Gold area couches to watch the music from afar while my brother and I got in close. The whole thing was done very well. Sounds like people had a poor experience on Friday, but Saturday went off without a hitch in my opinion. We paid for Gold and the air conditioned restrooms + counches to sit on were really worth it. There was food available late into the night. Lines were very manageable if you went during acts ... in between acts the lines got longer... no different than any other festival. I would 100% go again and plan to bring more friends next year. read more

I have wanted to get to this festival for YEARS. We live in the Northeast, so getting there is a bit of a challenge. I decided, as I often do, that it was time. I booked this early in the year, excited to attend. My husband added on the Chandon experience, then surprised me by paying for the tickets. We chose to take the shuttle from MGM, which was a wonderful option considering we chose not to rent a car. Arrival was smooth, getting our lanterns was easy. I appreciated the maps that were handed out at this time! The music was beautiful, the sound bath was perfect. The photo ops were beautiful, especially as the sun set over the lake bed. It was dusty, as mentioned in other peoples reviews, but it's the desert... it's going to be dusty. We didn't mind this at all. As the dark descended, the stars shone magnificently. The lanterns were lit, the music enveloping the crowd that all embraced the opportunity to write personal messages on their lanterns. I spent about an hour manifesting my wishes on a lantern, followed by my husband and I completing the other three with hopes for our future, for our children, for our relationship. As we sent the first lantern up, dreaming of our children's futures, the magic of the evening made me tear up. When we turned around, we discovered that one of our lanterns had been taken by the group behind us. It was my personal lantern with my art, my hopes and dreams.... To be set aflame (apparently they couldn't figure it out, as they had burned all of their lanterns) and stomped out by the matriarch of this group. It was a moment of sadness in an otherwise perfect magical (and it was my birthday) evening. We got more lanterns, but it was disappointing that this kind of crap happened. Otherwise though, the festival was well organized, well planned out, and set up for many more years of success. read more

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Went to the Rise Festival Oct 3, 2025 but they cancelled the lanterns bc of the winds being too high. It felt like a dust tornado, it was terrible. We paid for the VIP experience but without the lanterns happening, the additional supplies and VIP experience was pointless. We emailed and the vendor hasn't responded but I heard they offered free tickets for the following night to other customers so I'm extremely upset about the wasted funds. On top of that, they ran out of food (after standing in 45 min lines) the staff was rude, they couldn't answer any of our questions, the cabanas are limited to just a few and already filled with people so they're aren't enough for the VIP experience and it was overall a bad time. We lined up at 2pm for shuttles at the MGM grand but got to the festival at 5:30pm, the delay in shuttles was disappointing. Half the people were drunk before the festival began so beware of an obnoxious crowd if you're riding shuttles. I'll be contacting my bank to dispute the charges because this was a total waste of money. read more

A truly horrific experience! My friend and I bought Platinum tickets back in May to experience "the world's largest lantern festival". We flew in from Miami and spent money on accommodations to attend. We went to MGM to catch the shuttle that had a line over 2 hours long. My friend had recent knee surgery and was using a cane for assistance. They did not care and let her stand that entire time to get on a shuttle. By the time she sat down her leg was very swollen. I would think seeing her state and/or paying nearly $500 per ticket would put us in a priority line - negative. Once we finally got on the shuttle, another 2 and a half hours went by. When we finally got off, we were advised there was no more food or drinks available which we had already paid for with our "platinum"tickets!! So much for an "elevated experience". The only thing that elevated was my blood pressure from the frustration!! We got into the shuttle to head back as soon as we got there. I didn't want the same ordeal to happen to us going back the hotel. We also did not want to be in the desert freezing, in dust storms, with NO water or food! The issue with the lanterns being cancelled due to weather is understandable but the issue with logistics being so poor is downright unacceptable!! To top things off, they kept deleting all the comments on IG that were discussing the issues for the event Friday, 03-Oct-2025. They were rude, disrespectful and inconsiderate! I am hoping they are going to reimburse our money. We paid for services that were NOT rendered and this was not a favor! It took a lot of planning on our end to get there. They should have been ready with adequate planning on their end. This was their 10th anniversary, not their first. Absolute crap!! read more

I went October 2019 on Friday. Compared to 2018's event, the organization was very bad. --I had to dump out my water bottle at the security check-point, even though it was a sealed water bottle. --I had to ask the guy, manager of the vendors, about where the free water stations were at!! They put it in a corner where no one would even find it!!! I told him that last year it was visible so everyone can get free water. (FYI: don't ask any vendors...just ask the Rise Organizing team...Most of the vendors I asked about water, they said I had to pay for it!) The guy said this is his first time he was organizing it and asked me where the water stations were put last year. --There wasn't much people on the Friday event, therefore, when it was time to fly the lanterns, it wouldn't be covered in the night sky. (however, that isn't rise's fault) --Friday was extremely windy!!! 60% of the lanterns were not able to fly!!! most were tumbling into other people's area, which was dangerous and people were chasing it out to the dessert to try to make it fly. During 2018 event, the emcee taught everyone step by step how to open and what to do to light the lanterns up. 2019, they didn't even announce instructions about how to light the lanterns correctly. --The price is very expensive for the lack of organization. The Rise organizers checks the weather frequently. They could have let us do the lanterns before the wind started to really pick up even though it wasn't totally dark instead of waiting. Each ticket is $100+ and needing to pay for parking ticket $30. I had to buy additional weather protection, which costs more, because of what happened in 2018 on the Saturday event read more

I was a first timer this past Saturday and wow, I can't believe how overpriced this event is for what it is. $120 a person, another $20 for weather protection and $25 for a parking permit. So basically over $150 to fly 2 lanterns? Yup. That's all it was. I read so many reviews about how one day last year was canceled because of the wind, and so we made sure to buy the weather protection. I've attended many festivals and I can't believe how overpriced this is. I was seriously expecting more, and better. You get a marker, a bamboo mat, and two cheap lanterns made of tissue paper. For this price, I was hoping there would at least be the nice port-o-potties, an actual water refill station (not just 4 small water coolers that you find in a doctor's office), a wider selection of food and drinks, shaded areas, and more seating area. This event is completely unsafe. There were many times when lanterns flew next to our faces and people yelled at us to "watch out!" or "duck!!" There were so many lit lanterns that didn't fly away just laying all over the ground. There are small children running around and no supervision. The lanterns are very hard to get up and you need at least 2 people and a lot of patience to do it. I think this is a good one time experience if you are grieving, going through life challenges, or just need some spiritual healing. The music is good and the view of thousands of lit lanterns flying up into the sky simultaneously really is beautiful. I just don't understand why people go to this every year. I'm so glad we made an entire Vegas weekend because had I drove all the way from California JUST for this event, I would've been disappointed. Tips for future goers: Wear clothes and shoes you don't care about because it is dusty! All of our shoes were brown by the end of the night. Bring a light jacket because it's cold at night. Don't arrive too early because there's not much to do during the day time. Don't spend too much time taking photos and try to really enjoy the lantern release for what it is. Be patient and know that it can take some time for your lantern to fly away properly. There is no signal so take a screenshot or print out your ticket. Make this a whole Vegas weekend if you can, don't just attend RiSE festival. Oh, and what was the point in picking sections when purchasing tickets? Choosing North, West, East, South, etc. made absolutely no difference and didn't even matter. Never again, RiSE festival! read more

Rise Festival - Expect lines at these two signs pretty much the entire duration of the festival. - Festivals Near Me

Supposed to be 10 years anniversary and you'd think they would have everything organized and streamlined by now. All their efforts went into advertising and not the actual event. Last minute text messages that shuttle service delayed 90 mins, first performance canceled (due to winds and technical issues), 110 mins pre-paid shuttle ride to venue (was supposed to be 30 mins but rush hour traffic in one lane road), line at MGM to check in for $69 shuttles (sans bathroom) wrapped around MGM hotel and check in and wrist band application were conducted by ONE PERSON each. Lanterns were not given out and CANCELED due to dust storms which was not communicated but by word of mouth by other attendees. I feel sorry for the Diamond ticketed people who paid thousands of dollars for an event that ran out of drinks and limited food for Platinum attendees (2 types of mini sliders with stale buns) at only the HAVEN area. WORST event ever---poor rate of return. DO NOT GO. Deserves minus stars. TAO entertainment group are greedy people. Better to watch a Cirque du Soleil show and have a nice dinner. DO NOT GO. read more

The evening was amazing. Went with my two young boys and they weren't as interested but they loved running in the dirt! When they release the lanterns, it's one of the most amazing experiences! Tips: - Get there around 5-6pm to ensure you get a spot. - Wear clothes you are ok getting very dirty and dusty. - Eat before to avoid the long lines. - Ask someone around you to take your picture. read more

Overall it was awesome. Will probably go back next year with kids. Getting there- we left our hotel by the airport at 5:30, driving there should only take 30 minutes, but it took about 45-60 minutes to get there and park due to the amount of ppl going to this event. It took a while but traffic was consistently moving and part of the way is a little bumpy. Arrival- check in was quick and easy. About a half mile from the parking lot to where you find a spot. You pick any spot next to a tiki torch for your lanterns. You get mats to sit on. You cannot bring blanket or chairs since they can catch on fire. Some people that came early took plastic chairs from the picnic area to their spots, not sure if they allow that but very little event staff to monitor it. The food truck lines did not seem that long, but it was close to lantern time, so that was probably why. Bathroom are portables, it is what you would expect, bring hand sanitizer. Lantern lighting- it was tricky to light them, but easy once you get the hang of it. We let the lanterns go at about 7pm, which was much earlier than expected, so, match sure you plan on getting there in time since it is not super structured time-wise. Overall this was all worth it, the first time everyone let their lanterns go was crazy and beautiful. No videos or pictures do it justice. Just make sure you watch out for rouge lanterns that could light your hair on fire, also kinda fun to watch it almost happen to people. Leaving- we did our lanterns were done at 8:30. Ppl were still releasing some, but it was pretty sparse at that point. There was some traffic when leaving, but it was not that bad, got out quicker than getting in, but we did leave fairly early. It was super dusty and lots of dirt in the car, but not to much. I would suggest leaving a bit early to avoid if you want to skip the mass exodus, lots of cars still when we left, like or any other event. read more