Fest for Beatles Fans Festival Comes to Las Vegas

It's been a long and winding road for The Fest for Beatles Fans but it is finally making its way back to the West Coast for the inaugural Las Vegas Fest. The three-day festival will be held July 1-3,
The Fest for Beatles Fans is coming to Las Vegas  2007 at The Mirage and will feature live music, art, memorabilia, special guests, contests and much more. Thousands of Beatles fans from all over the world will converge for a giant three-day party to celebrate all things Beatles.

The Fest for Beatles Fans first began in 1974 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in the United States. Creator Mark Lapidos met with John Lennon about his desire to produce a Beatles fan fest, and to his excitement, Lennon said, “I'm all for it. I'm a Beatles fan, too,” and donated a signed guitar. He also got his fellow band mates to donate items for a charity raffle. That year, The Fest landed the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and the wheels were set in motion for what will now be the 105th national fest with its Las Vegas arrival. Lapidos, along with his wife Carol, remains the driving force behind the festival.

The Fest for Beatles Fans 2007: Las Vegas Fest will feature headline concerts from Peter & Gordon, one of the most successful duos in rock history whose repertoire includes songs written by Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney. Also performing will be former Beatles drummer Pete Best and his band; three members of McCartney's former rock supergroup, Wings – founding member Denny Laine, plus Denny Seiwell and Laurence Juber and Beatles tribute band and Fest favorite, Liverpool. Additionally, Victor Spinetti, world-renowned actor and co-star in three Beatles movies, is making a rare visit to the United States for this event. Ringo Starr’s former producer Mark Hudson and broadcaster Larry Kane who toured with the Beatles in 1964 and 1965 also will be making appearances.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be leading Beatles scholar, humorist, writer and producer Martin Lewis. Other announcers include Dennis Mitchell host of radio show “Breakfast with The Beatles,” Tony Perkins formerly from “Good Morning America,” and Joe Johnson from the nationally syndicated radio show “Beatle Brunch.”

Additional highlights include the Giant International Beatles Marketplace comprised of more than 75 tables of memorabilia; photography from Paul Saltzman who took photos of the Beatles in India and produced a corresponding book; Bruce Spizer, the leading expert on Beatles U.S. recordings; a Battle of the Beatles Bands, sound-alike, trivia, art and “Name That Tune” contests, among other activities. The first ever live/online Beatles auction takes place on Tuesday, July 3 by itsonlyrocknroll.com at The Fest.

The Fest will celebrate four major Beatles anniversaries.

    * The 40th anniversary of the band's landmark “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, with Liverpool performing the album in its entirety on Monday, July 2
    * The 50th anniversary of the birth of the Beatles, honoring the day in July 1957 when Lennon and McCartney first met
    * The 40th anniversary of the first-ever global TV satellite link-up in which the Beatles gave a live performance of their new Summer of Love anthem "All You Need is Love" to 400 million TV viewers
    * The one-year anniversary of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. Numerous cast members of LOVE will be joining in The Fest’s celebration.

“We’re so excited to bring The Fest to Las Vegas and have already had an amazing response from The Fest's followers,” said Lapidos. “When we first looked at Vegas as a venue, we knew we had to go to The Mirage. The hotel exudes the Beatles with The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil to The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge. Everything’s ‘Come Together’ perfectly!”

The Las Vegas Fest will be held in the Grand Ballroom complex at The Mirage Sunday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 3. Show hours will be from 2 p.m. to midnight on Sunday and noon to midnight Monday and Tuesday. Advance tickets are priced at $45 per day. Special combination advance prices are available until June 15, at $80 for two days or $100 for all three days. Tickets purchased at the door cost $55 per day. Tickets are half price for children 12 years and younger and entrance is free for children 5 years and younger. The Fest has partnered with American Airlines for 2007 which is offering a five percent discount to attendees flying to and from The Fest.

For more details on The Fest for Beatles Fans 2007: Las Vegas Fest, including activities, ticketing and special rates, please visit www.thefestforbeatlesfans.com.