I'm perplexed as to why the Wine Amplified festival has received so many negative reviews - I had a great time! I was able to snag a pair of free tickets to this concert for one day (Panic at the Disco headlined with Passion Pit the day I went). Discounted tickets were also available through Groupon. The festival was held at the MGM Resorts Village.
I parked at Mandalay Bay and hoofed it to the Village to avoid parking fees. Entry into the festival was pain free and there weren't any lines to speak of. Once I was fitted with my chipped bracelet, I was able to walk right in after scanning myself in. Plastic wine glasses could be picked up at one of the first booths you see when you walk in. The first glass is free, try not to lose it!
Since this is a "cash-free" festival, funds have to be loaded onto bracelets in increments of 10. I loaded $20 and was able to make it last throughout the night. I had $2 left over, and just gave it as a tip to one on the wine pourers so it didn't go to waste. If you want a refund, there's a $5 processing fee. The cashless thing kind of blows, but it seems likes it's a trend among large festivals....
There was a mix of local food trucks and weird carnival food at the event. I ended up going with Slidin' Thru's caprese sliders. Yummers! Food prices were average concert prices (nothing to be upset about). As a self-procliamed wino, I was in heaven at Wine Amplified. There were rows upon rows of wine vendors at the ready. Each booth carried at least 2-3 wines. Samples started at $2, and glasses started at $6. I liked just about every wine I tried.
While I can't say I'm a fan of the lineup, I still enjoyed the music and overall vibe. Andrew McMahon put on a surprisingly good show. The main stage was amazing and actually better than the stages at Life is Beautiful. Two large screens were placed next to the stage - you could see the concert going on from eons away. I loved that green turf was laid out over the asphalt, allowing concert goers to sit and relax while watching the show.
Besides the main stage, there was also a "Rave Cave" bumping EDM and a "speakeasy" playing live tunes on a more intimate level. The speakeasy was a nice touch because the area was filled with couches, chairs and two bars. The only thing missing was A/C!
My only complaints are that there aren't any 'real' bathrooms available and that the cashless system is not my favorite. Other than that, I'd highly recommend checking out Wine Amplified!
YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #257