Free food and open bar, air conditioned, puffs and sofas, group tables, privileged view to the main and secondary stages, luxurious toilets, personal assistants. That's what the people who purchased the VIP pass for Rock in Rio Las Vegas were granted, in addition of a special entry area and security. Each pass cot $498 per day, or £317, more than double than the regular daily pass (£108).
I took a tour at the VIP room during the pop weekend and everything seemed perfect, with lots of people enjoying the amenities. But when I asked a few of them about their thoughts on the area, some complaints kept popping up.
The most common was about the food, even though it was carefully created by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck. Thayga Bueno, who went to the festival especially to see Bruno Mars, told me she didn't like the food. "It's too greasy, and it's the same thing as yesterday," she pointed out. "The only thing I'm really enjoying is the popcorn." She was also dissatisfied about the location of the tent. "In Rock in Rio Brazil, the VIP area is close to the main stage. Here, you see the acts performing from afar."
The tent is a huge infrastructure, able to hold up to 4,000 people, and it is located nearer the secondary stage than the main stage. The view is privileged, but not close to the action.
Ana B.
, who also enjoyed VIP treatment, said she didn't like the food either. And when I asked one of the hostesses about people's feedback, she said many VIPs mentioned the food. "There's a lot of Brazilian-inspired food and people are not very into it," she said, asking not to be named. "One guy asked why we didn't have pizza, which is something you won't obviously see on a VIP area."
Another complaint was about the cloakroom, or the absence thereof.
"People have to carry their coats and purses around and they're not too happy about it," she added. There were also no charging stations for cellphones, which has become a must-have amenity in any festival where people spend most of the day taking pictures and video and posting them online.
It's probable than Rock in Rio USA will take these points up for consideration and make some changes for the next edition, which is scheduled for May 2017.
