Fremont Street Experience Shares Line-Up for NYE Party

By Scott Roeben, on November 12 2024
3 min read 3 comments
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Yes, it’s too soon to be thinking about New Year’s Eve.

Still, Fremont Street Experience shared its New Year’s Eve line-up, so just bookmark this story until you feel like hearing about New Year’s Eve.

We’ll wait.

Too soon! You’ll survive.

This year’s NYE party will feature live performances by Flo Rida, LoCash, Bow Wow, 3OH!3, Dylan Marlowe, Trick Daddy and Mike Jones.

While that line-up may or may not knock your socks off, we’re sharing the news for a couple of reasons, one awkward, one not.

First, the not awkward reason: Fremont Street Experience’s NYE party is freaking cheap. Early bird pricing is $50. It bumps up closer to the event, but even then it’s really cheap compared to anything on The Strip on New Year’s Eve.

The other reason we’re highlighting this line-up is it features a lot of diversity, in fact, it’s the most diverse line-up in the history of Fremont Street Experience’s New Year’s Eve celebration. By a lot.

Here’s how the genres shake out: Flo Rida (hip-hop/rap), LoCash (country), Bow Wow (hip-hop), 3OH!3 (hip-hop/rap, pronounced “three-oh-three”), Dylan Marlowe (country), Trick Daddy (hip-hop/rap), Mike Jones (hip-hop/rap).

Full disclosure: We worked at Fremont Street Experience in digital marketing for six years and have been visiting the venue for more than two decades.

For many years, Fremont Street Experience took heat for the lack of diversity in its bookings. There were a lot of reasons for that lack of diversity, but mostly it had to do with a perception certain artists drew crowds that could be problematic, but more significantly, the belief seemed to be those guests weren’t the best casino customers.

Fremont Street Experience is the marketing arm of the casinos along Fremont Street. The organization’s job is to bring folks downtown who will patronize the casinos.

This year’s line-up is a dramatic departure from the usual band line-up at Fremont Street Experience, New Year’s Eve or otherwise.

For example, you’re not going to find hip-hop or rap artists among the venue’s collection of house bands. Ditto Tejano or banda, despite the fact Latino-friendly dance parties spontaneously happen on Fremont Street nightly thanks to street performers with amps.

Anyway, nobody talks about all this, as it is, in fact, awkward. But it’s worth mentioning, because something’s obviously changed. (And not just because the folks booking talent have changed, although, that’s the case. They were following guidance from the casinos and higher-ups.)

We trust concerns, warranted or not, are mitigated by the fact the acts involved aren’t exactly current or edgy, so they’re likely to draw a more mature crowd. The NYE party at Fremont Street isn’t like the venue’s other free concerts, it’s a controlled footprint and ticketed event.

The NYE party has the most security of any Fremont Street Experience event, and can include metal detectors, bag searches and I.D. checks (that’s mostly done at casino doors). Anyone without a NYE wristband is given the boot. Yes, Fremont Street is a public street, but not on NYE. It’s considered a private event, so no buskers (a big selling point).

Sorry, no handbag dogs, if that’s still a thing.

The issue of race and culture in entertainment isn’t just limited to Fremont Street Experience, of course. This sensitive subject shapes a lot of decisions in Las Vegas. It’s a whole thing.

Anyway, props to Fremont Street Experience for changing things up for New Year’s Eve and possibly beyond.

Opera lovers are SOL, again.

We’ll let you in on another little insider secret: When it comes to ticket sales for Fremont Street Experience on New Year’s Eve, the entertainment line-up doesn’t make any difference at all. Big acts, cover bands, the ticket sales are about the same (within 5-10%) every year.

It’s not really about the bands, it’s about the party.

Access to the warmth of casinos along Fremont is easy on New Year’s Eve, and Plaza is expected to do a fireworks show along with the virtual one on the Fremont Street Experience light show canopy.

You can find an FAQ and the schedule for who’s playing which stage on New Year’s Eve on the official Fremont Street Experience site.