UNLV Students Rally To Bring Up & Up Festival To Las Vegas

Students at University of Nevada Las Vegas, or UNLV, are working hard to bring a popular music festival to the city.

Up & Up Festival, a student-driven, crowd-funded music festival competition, brings rising EDM artists to college campuses across the U.S. The festival is unique because it’s entirely fueled by student demand—schools compete in a ticket presale battle, and the top-selling universities win the chance to host the event.

As the festival has grown in popularity, more schools have joined in on the battle to get the high-energy live music event to their campus.

For UNLV students, securing Up & Up in Las Vegas would be a major win, bringing festival vibes to one of the biggest party cities in the world and you can help!

A group of UNLV students have joined forces to make some magic happen and bring a popular EDM festival to their campus later this year.

"The Up & Up Festival, sponsored by Monster Energy, is a student-driven competition where colleges compete by selling pre-sale tickets. The top five schools win the chance to host a live performance from a major EDM artist," Ramhae Awit, UNLV student, told The Blast exclusively. "Past festivals have featured big-name artists such as Subtronics, Matroda, and Dom Dolla, making it a can't-miss event for electronic music fans."

A group of students have come together to help spread the word on the festival and make sure everyone knows what's going on and what's needed to win this national competition.

"We are spreading the word through social media campaigns, on-campus promotions, and student organization collaborations," Jacob Ahmad, UNLV student, told The Blast. "We are hosting a free rally party and tabling events on campus to engage students and encourage them to purchase presale tickets before the deadline. The goal is to create as much hype as possible and ensure UNLV sells enough tickets to win."

If UNLV wins, the students will shift their efforts to planning the festival.

"Once UNLV wins, the planning phase will begin to determine the venue. At this time, there is no set location, but we are open to potential venues reaching out if they are interested in hosting the festival," Awit said. "The event date will be announced after the winners are confirmed."

According to the festival's website, there are more than 80 colleges competing to be one of the five lucky schools. The competition is fierce and includes Arizona State, Florida State, Gonzaga, LSU, Ohio University, Rutgers, Temple, Texas Tech, USC and many others.

"Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, making it the ultimate destination for a music festival like Up & Up," CJ Martorano, UNLV student said. "With a vibrant nightlife, a strong EDM community, and a student body that thrives on high-energy events, hosting this festival in Vegas would amplify the experience for both students and artists. UNLV's location also allows for a diverse crowd, drawing in fans from across the city and beyond."

To help kick off the ticket presale, the students are hosting a Rally Party on February 23 at Moonlight Lounge in Henderson.

"Join us for a night filled with music & good vibes while we gear up for the Up & Up presale event," the social media caption reads on Up & Up Vegas' Instagram page.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and entry is free. Moonlight Karaoke Lounge offers 18 private karaoke rooms with different themes and an event hall for bigger events, as well as a food and drink menu.

While the students are working hard to get the word out and ensure a win for their school, the general public can also assist in the efforts.

"The best way to help is to buy a presale ticket and encourage others to do the same," Ahmad shared. "Spreading the word on social media, tagging friends, and engaging with promotional content can also make a big impact. The more people who commit early, the better UNLV's chances of securing a spot. Every ticket sale counts toward making Up & Up Festival Vegas a reality."

The presale competition takes place for 48 hours from 1 p.m. PT on February 24 through 1 p.m. PT on February 26. Please note: Tickets purchased during the presale competition will only place a hold on credit cards. The card will only be charged if UNLV wins. Non-winning colleges have their ticket purchase voided immediately.

The Up & Up Festival creates high-energy music festivals by empowering student communities to take charge and win them. Each semester, they host a 48-hour presale competition where students from across the country rally to bring a top-tier headliner to perform at or near their campus.

The Monster Energy Up & Up Festival uses an innovative ticketing system with students building demand on their campuses leading up to the 48-hour competition. Colleges with the highest presale numbers win the chance to host the festival.

Since its launch in 2016 with Cash Cash, the festival has expanded nationwide, featuring artists like Alan Walker, GRYFFIN, Two Friends, Loud Luxury, San Holo, Dom Dolla, Chris Lorenzo, Disco Lines, and Matroda.

When the presale goes live, tickets can be purchased on the website. For more information on how you can support UNLV students in their quest to winning a festival in Vegas, follow them on Instagram.