Cue the neon lights, Life is Beautiful Festival returns to downtown Las Vegas again nearly a year after festival organizers announced the event’s 2021 return. The three-day music and arts festival will reignite an 18-block stretch in the heart of the city this September 17-19. 

Centered around musical creativity and cultural impact, the annually curated lineup features a colorful range of artists and performers including comedians, chefs, and musicians ranging the spectrum of electronic dance to hip hop, rock, pop, and more. The magnetic beauty of this lineup is the aurora of talent set to cascade on to the stages. Alongside headliners Tame Impala, Green Day, and Billie Eilish, the bill features artists stemming from around the globe, many of whom are emerging from pandemic life in the studio and entering the performance arena for the first time. 

To help guide you through the weekend of lights and sounds, we’ve selected our top seven must-see acts to experience at this year’s Life is Beautiful. 

Chiiild

Chiiild is an experimental soul band led by producer and lead vocalist, Yoni Ayal, together with guitarist Pierre-Luc Rioux. Ayal is a Montreal-bred artist who wrote and produced music for Dragonette, Usher, and Jack Ü under his former alias xSDTRK for close to a decade. Striving to build a new identity for his art, Ayal joined efforts with Rioux to form Chiiild. 

The two-piece outfit debuted their first single “Darling'' in 2019 ahead of their inaugural opus Synthetic Soul, the title later used to coin the duo’s signature genre-pushing “synthetic soul” sub-genre. The EP release further laid the groundwork for Chiiild’s growing notoriety as a rising talent in R&B and pop music. 

Chiiild's sunny bedroom textures are warm and spacious. With nostalgic notes of bass guitar, drums, and piano, each instrumental layer is lifted by Ayal’s vocal serenade. Chiiild’s debut album Hope For Sale was released earlier this year with vibes that range from ethereal to funky and psychedelic. Live IsBeautiful is the Vegas stop on their Apocalyptic Optimistic Tour.

CloZee

French producer Chloé Herry, better known as CloZee, is a virtuoso of orchestral electronic bass music dripping in a kaleidoscope of worldly sounds. Her original soundscapes are playful and ominous, building tension through primal loops, galactic basslines, gripping synths, and spine-tingling ASMR. An astral escape into global music exploration, each track maps out a rhythmic landscape of exotic string and woodwind instruments, crisp percussion, and indigenous vocal sampling.

She's brought her adventurous sets to stages from Coachella to Envision, guiding dance floors on a wandering journey through the psyches of her music. CloZee’s new EP Nouvelle Era balances deftly on the narrow cusp between dubby electro and glitch hop. Her unique sound is unmatched by others on the Life Is Beautiful lineup.

ford.

It’s Sunday, you’re powering through day three of Life Is Beautiful and looking for a momentary lapse to recharge yourself while not completely unplugging from the action — enter ford.. The young producer has been shaping his signature cinematic sound since the age of 15. Signed to Odesza’s Foreign Family Collective imprint where he premiered his 2018 debut album (The) Evening. Its reflective and sublime soundscapes still resonate with listeners. Now 21 years old, ford. continues to produce calming electronic music combining notes of hip-hop, jazz, and more into his bedrock of lo-fi soundscapes. His second album The Color of Nothing released last fall, slating Life is Beautiful to be one of ford.’s first live renditions of his sophomore showpiece. Don’t snooze on this act — by the end of his set, you may find yourself asking, “just five more minutes?” 

Remi Wolf

Remi Wolf’s wonderfully melodic compositions glisten brightly like the colorful ‘90s outfits she fashions. Her contagious energy translates in her music, a wholesome blend of alternative electro-pop with funky R&B; her soulful voice setting her apart from other quirky DIY pop artists in her genre bracket. 

The young upstart, former American Idol contestant, and Olympic-trained downhill skier broke through during the pandemic. She’s released nearly a dozen singles since 2019. Her remix compilation We Love Dogs!, features remixes of many of those songs by Nile Rodges, Kimbra, Hot Chip, Polo & Pan, Beck, and more. Saly, her performance at Bonaroo was canceled. So, Life is Beautiful marks her first appearance at a major North American music festival. Remi Wolf’s debut album Juno drops this October, catch her set Friday night to get first listen. 

Yaeji

Time to take a ride on Yaeji’s spaceship. Called “house music’s most exciting new voice” by Pitchfork, the Korean wordsmith’s presence on this lineup is a cosmic blessing. Based in Brooklyn, Yaeji brings individuality and creativity to the stage with her alien synths, heavy basslines, and villainous prose. Her music feels introspective and emotionally driven, even when you don’t understand the lyrics. She writes songs in both English and Korean, expressing the duality of her identity as a multicultural artist that flirts between the lines of hip-hop and pop music. 

Her empowering brand takes many avenues, from the custom clothing often seen in her music videos to her visual art, and of course, her unique sound. Yaeji was recently tapped by international pop sensation Dua Lipa to remix the chart-topping hit, “Don’t Start Now.” And her newest song, “PAC-TIVE” was commissioned by Pac-Man to celebrate the game's 41st anniversary.

DRAMA

Signed to indie label and culture brand Ghostly International, DRAMA has been crooning audiences since first releasing music in 2016 with their debut album Gallows. The cashmere of indie dance music, the Chicago-based duo consists of producer Na'el Shehade and the mesmerizing tenors of lead singer Via Rosa. DRAMA blends sophisticated electronic dance beats with Rosa’s alluring vocals, which floats in the range between soulful R&B and classic house, producing cathartic songs about love and heartbreak that won’t make you cry. Her angelic muse can also be heard in original collaborations with other dance music acts like Flight Facilities and Poolside, as well as the DRAMA’s recent single with fellow Life is Beautiful performers Gorgon City on their hit track “You’ve Done Enough.”

Bob the Drag Queen & Monét X Change: Sibling Rivalry 

Life is Beautiful showcases eclectic music and a diverse comedy lineup. Head over to the Kicker Stage to take a break from the music and get some laughs in with Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change as they deliver a new live episode of their socio-political comedy podcast, Sibling Rivalry. 

We’re excited to see this level of inclusion on this year’s festival lineup, LIB properly mirrors the diversity of its audience on stage. Two leading figures in modern drag culture, Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change have each mastered a type of performance art that in the past only found its applause in the underground. As LGBTQ awareness continues to grow we’re seeing drag and ballroom culture establish its rightful place on the mainstream catwalk. You can expect these two drag sisters to bring an enlightening, fierce, and unapologetic presence to Life is Beautiful and that’s just the kind of positive energy we need to power us through a weekend in Vegas.  

Hailing from sunny Los Angeles, California, Good Society embodies the feelings of warm weather, endless days, and good vibes. The record label and event promoter is renowned for their incredible line-ups, careful curation, and stacked compilations. Their latest project Good Society Volume 3 pushes the future beats sound with standout artists like oshi, capshun, Laxcity, whereisalex, DECAP, Chromonicci, and more. They're a mainstay in LA and have been expanding their shows out of state to Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Austin, for SXSW. 

With Good Society's constant growth we felt it would be the perfect time to connect with Josh Yamini, the brand's founder to get an inside look at what makes them so good. We discuss their origins, the fusion of hip-hop and electronic music, fostering relationships, creating a unique live experience, and much more. 

Starting at the beginning, Josh explains what sparked the birth of his platform saying, "I started Good Society as an expression of my love for the underground and bringing people together. My taste in music was largely influenced by SoundCloud at the time of launch and all of my experiences at Insomniac festivals made me want to put that love of music and people into action." 

One of the core facets of what makes Good Society so special is their ability to bring together the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music. Whether it's future beats, chilled-out lo-fi, or experimental hip-hop and trap, this fusion is central to Good Society's platform.

"My love for these genres initially stemmed from ripping gems off of YouTube and Adult Swim bumps. I listened to lots of Nujabes, Flying Lotus, and Erykah Badu at the time which then evolved into listing to artists like Mr. Carmack, Sam Gellaitry, and Smino. Oftentimes I’ll bring my knowledge of the beat scene together with vocalists that I’m newly discovering to create a blend of genres that’s totally unique. Other times I might just be working with the artists who’ve coined a sound in between the two and are perfectly representing the medium with us," Josh elaborates about bringing together the two sonic worlds. 

In addition to uniting unique sounds, Good Society strives to bring people together. This applies to fans, through the music and events, as well artists. Josh expands on this outlook, "Our goal is to create a space where people can express themselves and find common ground through music. Ultimately we’d like to bring that to scale and create immersive experiences that go beyond traditional club settings while incorporating the songs and artists we’re releasing on our label. We want to create an ecosystem."

The genuine love for connection is what makes the brand so good. While some platforms focus more on numbers, social media following, or ticket sales, Good Society is all about creating an intangible vibe through human connection. Whether it's friendships, business relationships, or something even deeper.

"The good in Good Society stems from all of the constructive relationships this brand has built with artists, fans, and listeners alike. Many of our work relationships extend into personal ones. We’ve seen countless people having become close friends or start dating after having met at Good Society events. One couple is even getting married!"

Relationships are the cornerstone of any great business, but authenticity is what seems to separate Good Society from your typical promoter and label. Their connections are longstanding with many artists and come out of genuine respect and appreciation for their work. The brand is an extension of its founder's life. The friendships and connections along the way aren't just to the benefit of the label but are also about enriching his personal life.

"Much of our early outreach was done through Instagram and led to us doing things like flying out chromonicci for our second show ever, when we were really just learning the ropes and how to refine our events process. I’ve done everything very personally with this brand to the point of hosting artists at my apartment for the week of our shows, such as chromonicci, capshun, zotti, J Kuch, Malik Eliah, and more. Running Good Society is just as much a means to expand on my own life as it is for that of the audience that I curate for. So these relationships I’ve formed with everyone involved are directly tied to my own happiness," Josh tells us.

While Josh is the driving force behind Good Society, he's not doing it alone. Roto and MadBliss serve as the brand's resident DJs. In addition, they have their own videographer, Gavin Banksy, and Arielle Lana LeJarde serves as their publicist and advisor (editors note: Arielle is a writer for Festival Inside but did not take part in writing this feature). Josh handles the majority of the bookings, label releases, promotion, content, and social media while collaborating with different partners on a per-project basis. 

Matching the quality of their label releases, the Good Society events series looks to raise the bar. Josh explains what makes the series special saying, "The vision behind our concerts was initially to throw them in nature. Being that we’re in a big city, it felt natural to build up the foundation of our brand with solidly curated lineups, and uniquely unforgettable nights. More recently we’ve pivoted into renegade shows, different experiences such as the boat party, and are slowly gearing up to diversify the setting of our parties to better fit our initial dream of Good Society. What makes our events special is the fluidity of it all. You might get a live band 420 show with seemingly infinite free cannabis, a massive warehouse party with Alexander Lewis, or cruise on a boat across the ocean with Josh Pan & Luca Lush. We’ve even done insane live shows at a mansion and in a tunnel on the beach. Our diversity of curation and experiences is one of our strongest points."

Good Society has a lot of exciting prospects on the horizon. They will be expanding their events series, working towards an outdoor indie festival, and releasing more thematic compilations pushing the sounds they love. Josh closes our interview fittingly with an invitation to all, "I hope you get to attend one of our shows in the future or are positively charged by the music we release! Moreover, I hope we get to meet someday. Don’t be a stranger!"

Good Society Volume 3

"I curated this project to affirm the belonging of hip-hop & electronic music in a single space. Otherwise known as future beats, this project brings together soulful and jazzy boom bap production riddled with soulful rap vocals and electronic sound design."- Josh Yamini