Made In America Music Festival Rocks Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Downtown Los Angeles' inaugural outdoor music festival got underway Saturday despite concerns from residents about possible security and traffic issues.
The Budweiser Made in America concert featured three large stages dotting Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall, and food trucks were parked along the city streets the park spans. The event marks the West Coast expansion of the two-day festival that rap mogul Jay Z launched in Philadelphia in 2012.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has championed the Made in America event, fast-tracking it through city approvals.
"There's no question there will be economic benefit" for the city, he told reporters Friday.
The mayor is among the 35,000 people expected to attend the multi-stage show near Los Angeles City Hall — the first time Grand Park is being used for a large, ticketed event. Police will be present in force and several streets in the area are closed to accommodate the concert.
Dozens of acts are set to perform, including Kanye West, who will headline in Philadelphia on Saturday and Los Angeles on Sunday. Other performers scheduled for Los Angeles include Cypress Hill, Iggy Azalea, Weezer, Kendrick Lamar, John Mayer and Imagine Dragons. The event also includes beer gardens, vendors and various food trucks.
Concert promoter Live Nation paid the city $500,000 to cover setup and security costs, said Garcetti spokesman Yusef Robb. It also promised to pay for cleanup and any property damage, he said.
Officials anticipate the festival to be an economic boon for the city, Robb said, citing a reported $10 million infusion in Philadelphia during past Made in America events. This weekend's festival at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway kicked off earlier Saturday with a performance by Young & Sick. Other featured acts include Pharrell Williams, De La Soul, The National, Tiesto and Kings of Leon.
Tickets are still available for all shows.
"The reason why Mayor Garcetti worked so hard to secure this event was ... to boost our economy by activating a space that's otherwise dead over Labor Day weekend," Robb said, "and hopefully attract other live events to our city by showing we can get it done."
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