Deadmau5, Porter Robinson, & more headline debut Jackpot NYE in Las Vegas [Interview + Giveaway]

If you’re still struggling to figure out what to do for New Year’s Eve, Las Vegas has a brand new option for you to sink your teeth into.

Since its inception in 2012, RVLTN has always prioritized giving visibility to emerging artists on the rise – with the intention of continuing to pipeline them into larger opportunities. Over the years RVLTN has helped nurture and expand the local following for a great many electronic acts, who have transitioned from opening tour support to main stage headliner. As a top competitor in the Vegas market, RVLTN seeks to exceed branding expectations when in competition with larger conglomerates in the same or neighboring markets.

Taking place on December 30-31, the inaugural two-day event JACKPOT NYE will be hosted at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The lineup’s heavy-hitters include Deadmau5, Porter Robinson, Rezz, and RL Grime, with additional performances from Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ghostrydr (Ghastly b2b Joyryde), Marauda, Versa + more.

To celebrate this new festival, we’re giving one lucky winner two VIP tickets to Jackpot NYE as well as a meet & greet with Black Tiger Sex Machine and a merch bundle, including items from BTSM’s own collection.

Tickets for JACKPOT NYE 2023 are available now and can be purchased here.

Ahead of the event, we spoke with Marcel Correa, Chief Executive Officer of RVLTN, and Joe Borusiewicz, Partner & Executive Talent Buyer, about what makes their event special in a town that’s so characterized by larger-than-life events and some of the biggest EDM artists in the world year-round.

We know Las Vegas is a year-round destination for events, live music, performances, or otherwise. A lot of the major traffic seems to come during the summer months for obvious reasons. When choosing a destination, why should people think of Las Vegas?

(Marcel) As an entertainment destination Las Vegas is truly in a class of its own. Whatever you’re into can be found here 24/7/365. It hasn’t always been that way for every genre of music though. Over the last decade plus we’ve been fully dedicated to ensuring that all genres of electronic music have a seat at the table and get pushed forward inside of this community. Locals feel the need to travel a lot less frequently to experience their favorite artists since the inception of RVLTN.

(Joe) While you could argue every weekend in Vegas is a party weekend, New Year’s really takes it to a whole other level. You have hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world converging on the city at once and there’s definitely no shortage of entertainment offerings. In adding Jackpot to the fold our aim is to give the city a proper destination event, something significant enough to hold its own in a hypercompetitive space and have the potential to become an annual tradition for travelers and locals alike.

RVLTN has been active in Las Vegas for a decade, set apart from the glitz and glamor of the major hotel properties like Omnia, Hakkasan, and Zouk. With a certain degree of legacy in the city, what are you offering fans that they wouldn’t find in a hotel lobby closer to their room and buffets and slot machines?

(Marcel) We’ve always taken pride in providing an alternative to the typical nightclub experience on The Strip. In our world there are no dress codes, no velvet ropes, and no overzealous doormen that seem to enjoy hassling your group and looking for a way to deny your entry. You don’t need an even ratio of girls to guys, you don’t need to arrive before a certain hour, and you don’t need to break the bank to attend. The nightclubs thrive on promoting a sense of exclusivity, whereas our events are extremely inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcomed. It’s a complete different vibe and atmosphere, although we have created VIP options for those who prefer an elevated experience. Las Vegas has so much to offer beyond the Strip. Jackpot NYE is a great example.

(Joe) With Jackpot specifically, no other event in the city this New Year’s weekend delivers more bang for the buck from a programming perspective. Instead of one artist and one sound you get fourteen world-class performers over two nights. Whether you prefer dubstep, big room, future bass or house music with a Latin twist, you’ll find something on this lineup that you get down with.

The headliners for Jackpot NYE are easily top tier in any market, with deadmau5, Porter Robinson, Rezz, and RL Grime making appearances over the course of the weekend. Was there any sort of haggling behind the scenes to convince them to play Vegas rather than some other event elsewhere?

(Joe) Honestly, not as much as you might think. We had a clear vision of what we wanted Jackpot to be in terms of the caliber of the lineup, the unapologetically Vegas-inspired branding, and the overall experience itself. We pitched the concept to the artist teams and thankfully most of our first choices were completely game for it. Some of this year’s acts play the local nightclub circuit on a regular basis. The opportunity to be a part of something like Jackpot, I think, is more unique.

(Marcel) Las Vegas has always lacked 18+ offerings on NYE weekend. Over the years we’ve watched friends travel out of state, make plans to wander the Strip, attend a house party, or just watch the countdown from home after dinner. It made a lot of sense for us to step up and try to provide an experience for locals and tourists alike. This is our favorite lineup to date and it lands on the biggest party weekend of the year, in the biggest entertainment destination in the country. Everyone who attends Jackpot NYE is in for a major surprise as we’re going all out for this one.

Do you see a type of synergy with the casino-based nightclubs as far as bringing new people to the city? Located off the strip, RVLTN definitely gives travelers and attendees a much different view of the city than what is typically popularized in media.

(Marcel) It’s true, and as you might expect our approach to marketing our events and attracting new attendees is also much different than the strategies of the nightlife industry. The vast majority of the RVLTN team are Vegas locals. We grew up here, went to school here, and we love this city. It’s much different than out-of-towners looking to capitalize on the community. Everything we do is designed to grow the scene and the local community while finding creative ways to attract new people from around the world to experience our events.

(Joe) I think the casino clubs and moreover the Strip as a whole wins by selling the stereotypical image of what Las Vegas has to offer, whereas we win by selling the alternative: that there’s much more to the local landscape than you can find on Las Vegas Blvd. Our marketing model is somewhat of an inside-out approach; we believe that by delivering for the local community and producing a strong portfolio of offerings throughout the year, our events become where locals bring their friends. Nothing beats word-of-mouth.

Apart from the debut of your first NYE festival, is there anything else that RVLTN is looking to innovate in 2023?

(Marcel) 2023 is shaping up to be RVLTN’s biggest year to date. Some things to expect are more large-scale events, new branded experiences, expansion into new markets, and larger shows from our entire family of brands.