Metalheads, anime, video game lovers coexist on Las Vegas Strip during simultaneous events
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It’s a both colorful and colorless divide on the Las Vegas Strip: heavy metal fans dressed in all black against colorful cosplayers and gamers sharing close-by spaces.
Nearly 100,000 attendees filled the north end of the Strip for Sick New World – a heavy metal music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds – and LVL UP EXPO – a gathering of video game, anime, and cosplay enthusiasts at the Las Vegas Convention Center – each in 2023, though not on the same weekend. This year, both were scheduled at the same time, but attendees had different reactions than expected.
“You’ll see the little ears and tails, and we’re like, ‘Where are you going?’” Elizabeth Lattanzio-Battle said with a laugh while leaving the music festival Saturday afternoon.
“It’s a bunch of two different groups that are super dressed up. They see each other and go, ‘yeah!’ And then we just high five on the street and walk by each other,” John Hensley said outside the convention center Saturday afternoon, dressed as his favorite video game character.
Though the head-to-toe black wardrobe and rainbow wigs are cultures apart, they have at least one thing in common: embracing what they call “their weird.”
“Honestly, I just feel welcomed and I welcome everybody else,” Brian Viegas said while leaving the music festival Saturday afternoon.
“It’s been just all positivity, all great, and everyone’s just trying to have a good time and enjoy life,” Hensley said.
Sick New World was a one-night-only festival on Saturday. LVL UP EXPO began on Friday and runs until Sunday.
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