RiSE Festival

Twenty miles south of the Las Vegas Strip, the Mojave Desert plays host to RiSE, the world's largest sky lantern release. After taking a year off in 2026, the festival returns October 1 to 3, 2027, at the Jean Dry Lake Bed, with tens of thousands of biodegradable lanterns lifting into the desert night as the weekend's centerpiece moment.

What to expect

Days run long, typically 3 p.m. through 10 p.m., stacked with live music across multiple stages before the crowd turns toward the main event: two synchronized lantern releases as the sun goes down. 2025's tenth anniversary edition leaned harder into the concert side of things, pulling in acts like Rüfüs Du Sol, Calvin Harris, and Disclosure alongside the traditional lantern ceremony, so expect a similar hybrid of festival and ritual rather than a quiet, low-key evening.

History and legacy

RiSE launched in 2014 and built a reputation year over year as the largest coordinated lantern release anywhere, drawing comparisons to Thailand's sky lantern festivals but without the overseas flight. Attendance has grown enough that organizers now cap numbers, and the 2026 hiatus suggests a bigger reset is underway ahead of the 2027 return.

Getting there

The site sits roughly 20 to 45 minutes outside Las Vegas depending on the source, reached via I-15. Rideshares generally don't run this far out, so a parking pass (purchased alongside tickets) or the festival's own shuttle service from Las Vegas hotels are the two realistic ways in. RVs aren't permitted in the lot.

Plan your trip

Tickets have historically sold in tiers, cheaper the earlier you buy, and past editions have sold out well ahead of the date. Given the festival's remote desert setting, staying anywhere in Las Vegas works fine as a base, just plan around the shuttle schedule or the drive itself rather than assuming rideshare will be available on the night.