RISE Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary from October 3-5. Returning to Nevada’s Jean Dry Lake Bed, located about 30 miles south of Las Vegas, the nonprofit event is billed as the “world’s largest sky lantern festival.”
In a special ceremony, RISE attendees simultaneously release 30,000 floating paper lanterns into the desert sky. This year’s edition also featured the festival’s first-ever major musical performances, including headline sets from Calvin Harris, Disclosure, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and John Mayer.
High winds prevented Friday attendees from participating in the lantern release, but standout performances from Ben Böhmer and RÜFÜS DU SOL in an intimate desert setting made the trip worthwhile. Friday attendees were also offered complimentary tickets to Sunday’s lantern ceremony, ensuring they didn’t miss out on the event’s key attraction.
Single-day ticket prices started at around $200 and included two complimentary lanterns, a marker to write skyward messages, and a cushion. Combined with the boutique nature of the experience and RISE’s massive musical headliners, these perks made it clear that festival producers put revenue back into the experience and maximized return on investment for ticket holders.
The EDM Maniac team attended both Friday and Saturday of RISE Festival 2025. To capture the full experience, this review primarily focuses on Saturday’s show. Read our full report below.
Vibes: ★★★★★
Immediately upon arriving at RISE, we felt a huge sense of community and belonging. We were greeted with light-up wristbands and a “cushion lantern kit,” which allowed us to sit comfortably on the desert floor while decorating our provided lanterns.
Since there was no cell phone reception, we relied on the compass, a large circular stage layout, to guide us to our meeting spot in the “N” section (where we assumed we would yield the best photos, based on the direction of the wind). Our group set up for the day at a lighting station, with our lanterns, cushions, jackets, and bags. Perhaps due to a combination of the price point, the all-ages, family-friendly atmosphere, and the location, we immediately felt a sense of safety and security for our belongings. This allowed us to immerse ourselves fully in the festival experience without worrying about the usual stresses of big-city events, such as phone or purse theft.
The energy of the lantern ceremony is unlike any festival experience we’ve ever attended. We witnessed couples getting engaged, people saying goodbye to loved ones, and people writing their biggest dreams to send them into the sky.
While this category usually rates the energy of the dancefloor crowd, in this case, we based our rating on the presence and connection we felt throughout the event. At whatever pace you chose to experience RISE, the vibes were unmatched. It was an absolute standout A+.
Production: ★★★★☆
The production of this festival exceeded the standard for a boutique festival in any isolated location. Due to RISE’s location in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the promoter must bring in all equipment, décor, production, port-a-potties, art, and infrastructure to produce the event. Just steps through the entrance, we felt a huge level of immersion, almost as though we were attending a festival in outer space. Moon-like art installations, with LED pathways, vibey atmospheric music, and strategically placed affirmations, created a fantasy-like atmosphere we cannot wait to attend again.
The mainstage featured a massive Stageline build with LED screens similar to those used at most major festivals, like Coachella. The dust, combined with the haze, allowed the stage lights and lasers to shine brightly across the entire festival. Lasers terminated miles away on a mountain. The end of the night featured a massive fireworks spectacular—almost reminiscent of another famous Las Vegas festival that occurs at the motor speedway every May.
While we felt the production was phenomenal, there were small timing elements we would have perhaps changed. We would have loved to experience the fireworks during the headline sets, which would have allowed for both a larger crowd and a dance party feel. We also felt as though the emcee for the lantern ceremony overpowered the musical soundscape of the event, which was perfectly curated in its own right.
Music: ★★★★★
While this year marked RISE Festival’s 10th anniversary, it was the first year the event featured A-list musical acts alongside the lantern ceremony. We saw amazing musical performances from Carrie Keller, Oliver Heldens, Coco & Breezy, Ben Böhmer, Disclosure, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Calvin Harris, as headliners played all their promised classics. We were also treated to a rare RÜFÜS live set—their last in North America for the Year. During the lantern ceremony, RISE featured curated playlists, which provided the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable experience.
While we’re big fans of EDM, we felt as though the line-up leaned slightly more electronic than instrumental. We loved dancing with our friends in the desert, but with sing-alongs from the right rock or pop headliner, RISE could really compete as one of the top musical and human experiences in the world.
Venue: ★★☆☆☆
RISE festival is unique because it must always take place in a remote location. This year’s rendition took place at the Jean Dry Lake Bed in the Mojave Desert. Remote festival locations present their own challenges, such as limited road access, lighting, and poor cell phone reception—and these were all true here.
We left Las Vegas intentionally late, at 6PM on Friday, and arrived inside the venue at 8PM after a 30-mile drive. There was plenty of parking, and it was easy to return to our car, but RISE does not allow re-entry. High desert winds are an unfortunate but unavoidable reality, which ultimately led to the cancellation of Friday’s lantern ceremony.
Saturday was much smoother for us, as we intentionally took Interstate 15 to Jean and entered and exited the festival from the South entrance with no traffic.
The venue is dusty and gets cold at night, which is something we were prepared for. The event implemented a clear bag policy, which allowed for a quick and seamless security process. Blankets were not permitted, but were sold on-site.
Food & Beverage: ★★☆☆☆
The festival did its best to rise to the occasion when it came to food and beverage offerings. PATH brand water was sold for $6 a bottle, but was free for diamond ticket holders and above tiers. At around $12 to $16 per drink, alcohol prices were reasonable, especially in comparison to most city festivals and traditional Las Vegas nightclubs.
Food was sold at the bars, which led to some confusion when finding a bite to eat. It also led to longer wait times, since meals were not available hot and ready, and instead had to be made to order. We waited 20 minutes for a $21 wood-fired margarita pizza that was cold and undercooked. Pretzels with nacho cheese were $9. They also sold sliders, truffle popcorn, and other typical concession food. Vegetarian options were limited.
While we liked the prices, we didn’t like the options, quality, or the wait time. This is one area that could see significant improvement next year.
Overall: ★★★★☆
RISE Festival has emerged as a boutique gem in a sea of legacy festivals that have dominated the U.S. events marketplace. On-site and across festival media, the festival’s focus on communal human experience and maintaining an elevated environment at strategically tiered price points gives RISE serious potential to sell out immediately next year—even without a musical lineup.
Anyone who has attended this event can genuinely tell you—it looks just as good and it feels just as magical as it does on social media. We can’t wait to RISE again.
Find EDM Maniac’s complete Festival Report archive here.
Featured image courtesy: RISE Festival. Credit: Kursza.
