The Neon Desert Music Festival is one of the biggest events of the year in the greater El Paso area. The two day music festival attracts some of the top musical acts year after year and 2019 was no exception. The 2019 line up featured Tyga, Steve Aoki, Miguel, Rezz, Dashboard Confessional, Deorro, Wiz Khalifa, Kali Uchi's, Young Thug and Tchami just to name a few.
It's one of my favorite events of the year, especially since the Sun City Music Festival did not take place last year and no word if it will ever return. The venue for the Neon Desert Music Festival was moved from previous years location which had been centered around the San Jacinto Plaza. The festival is still held in downtown El Paso, just two blocks East of the original site. And the move was a good one, the new location was more spacious and spread out but still offered the unique setting of downtown as its backdrop.
The weather this year was sunny and warm, not scorching heat but hot enough to send several dozen festival goers to the first aid tent due to heat exhaustion. Medics and security were busy pulling passed out attendees from the crowd and rushing them off for medical attention, but this is common place during music festivals such as this, especially during the peak heat times of the day.
There's lots of delicious local food to sample as well as murals and live art work displays by local artists. There was even a small retail shop village this year featuring a local second hand store Thrft
Does it stack up to festivals such as Coachella, Ultra or EDC? No, I don't even think that would be possible to pull off in a far off isolated mid-sized metropolis such as El Paso, but the event organizers put on a great music festival and I think it's worth the $100 general admission for a full, two day slate of music on four stages.
Bookmark their web site and stay tuned for the announcement of the line up for the festivals 10 year anniversary https://www.neondesertmusicfestival.com/
Be sure to check out my write up about what it's like to be a music festival photographer CLICK HERE.
Enjoy the photos!
DJ Deorro on the Franklin Mountains Stage, Sunday May 26th
Shoreline Mafia
Tyga
Tyga
Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez
Dashboard Confessional
Paul Wall
Shoreline Mafia
Tyga
Tyga
Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez
Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Miguel
Shoreline Mafia
Professional photographer David Davis shoots a photo of Kickpin sneaker shop phenoms,
Drew and Jaime Frank
Tyga
Tyga
A nice view of the Franklin Mountains Stage
Tory Lanez
Steve Aoki
Dashboard Confessional
Miguel
Tory Lanez
Backstage with Tyga's dance team
Dancer Sylvia Mannova struts her stuff as one of Tyga's dancers
Kali Uchis
Deorro
Local El Paso musician Lavell Jones and his band on the Homegrown Stage
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis
Deorro