Psycho Las Vegas Celebrates Triumphant Return to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino

The fifth edition of the only casino and resort-wide music festival in the world rocked the Las Vegas Strip with exclusive performances, immersive festival experiences and more

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS, known by fans and artists as “America’s Rock n’ Roll Bacchanal” and the wildest ride in the music business, marked the return of live music festivals to Las Vegas when it took over Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino this past weekend, August 20 – 22, 2021.

More than 80 bands took over four stages across Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for three days full of exclusive performances that won’t be seen anywhere else this year – or possibly ever. Now in its fifth year, PSYCHO LAS VEGAS offered audiences an unrivaled immersive festival experience that put fans in the same confines as their favorite artists and let the spirt and fever of Sin City do the rest to create a once-in-a-lifetime festival experience year after year.

PSYCHO SWIM, the only official pre-party for PSYCHO LAS VEGAS, kicked off the festivities on Thursday, Aug. 19 at DAYLIGHT Beach Club at Mandalay Bay. Fans were quick to get in on the action at the famed open-air beach club with Old Man Gloom, Bongzilla, Death Valley Girls, Polyrhythmics, Blackwater Holylight and Here Lies Man. Plus, DJ Nate Carson spun at Rhythm & Riffs Lounge.

The weekend started off strong on Friday, Aug. 20 with performances from founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA, who performed his debut solo album Liquid Swords in its entirety, with a live band, to commemorate its 25th anniversary; EXHORDER, who commemorated the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Slaughter in the Vatican, by performing it in its entirety; and Cephalic Carnage took to the stage with a one-of-a-kind performance.

Capping off the night, HEALTH rocked House of Blues with a heavy sensory-overload show and Mastadon performed an epic set inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Additionally, DocMcGhee, longtime manager of KISS, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Scorpions, provided fans with a rare opportunity to ask him about his life as a legend in the industry during an exclusive “Ask Doc” Q&A. During his Q&A, Doc McGhee shared he is now a partner in PSYCHO LAS VEGAS and PSYCHO UNLIMITED.

The weekend-long takeover of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino continued on Saturday, Aug. 21 with epic performances from ThieveryCorporation, TheFlamingLips and Danzig, who performed Danzig II: Lucifuge in its entirety, exclusively for PSYCHO LAS VEGAS.

Other highlights include Cannibal Corpse’s poolside set at Mandalay Bay Beach and a special Bruce Lamont interview with PhilAnselmo.

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS ended on a high note on Sunday, Aug. 22. Notable performances included: Down, who performed their debut album NOLA in its entirety to commemorate the record’s 25th anniversary; a rip-roaring set by one of the pioneers of the thrash metal genre, Exodus; and GRAMMY-Award winning California-based heavy metal band High on Fire.

Following the festival weekend, PSYCHO took to the glorious greens of Las Vegas’ famous Bali Hai Golf Club on Monday, Aug. 23 for the inaugural PSYCHO Classic Golf Tournament. Over 120 golfers participated in the inaugural event, which included a long drive competition, $100,000 hole-in-one challenge, and closest to the pin contest. Danielle Kang, professional golfer and one of the top women’s players in the game, played in the tournament, along with fans, bands and local Las Vegas golfing pros. 

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS is already gearing up for next year’s festival by announcing the first round of acts for their 2022 lineup. Announced performers include: Mercyful Fate, Emperor, Mayhem, Satryicon, Watain, Katatonia, Ulver, Elder, Crippled Black Phoenix, Wolves in the Throne Room, Samael, Boris, MGLA, Cirith Ungol, King Woman, Marissa Nadler, Bombers and Year of No Light. Additional acts to be announced in the future. Tickets are available now at VivaPsycho.com.

The founders of PSYCHO LAS VEGAS also recently announced the launch of PSYCHO WAXX, an in-house record label with all the bombast, attitude, and fan-oriented curation as the festival. The boutique label will offer up exclusive live albums, special releases, and studio records from a loaded roster of PSYCHO-approved artists.

PSYCHO WAXX’s inaugural release will be Löve Me Förever: A Tribute To Motörhead. Motörhead was a dream headliner for the very first PSYCHO LAS VEGAS in 2016, and when the world lost the legendary Lemmy Kilmister, his band became an essential part of PSYCHO’s DNA. In commemoration of Lemmy’s legacy, PSYCHO WAXX is unleashing a double album of Motörhead tracks by some of the festival’s biggest performers and was cut throughout the fest at National Southwestern Recording in downtown Vegas. Preorders for the exclusive, limited-edition Löve Me Förever LP are available now at psychowaxx.com.

For more information, please visit VivaPsycho.com and stay connected on Facebook and Instagram.

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