iHEARTRADIO FESTIVAL: THE CONCLUSION

Saturday’s daytime show at the iHeartRadio Village was highlighted by the crowd singing along with Kacey Musgraves, a throng at the lip of the stage for Childish Gambino’s high-energy set, followed immediately by 5 Seconds of Summer, who elicited delighted screams. Other performers braving the 100-degree heat included Magic!, Meghan Trainor, Lil Jon and closer Iggy Azalea.

One Direction opened Saturday night’s festivities at the MGM Arena, and the decibel level was overwhelming—not from the band, but from their screaming fans. Even the people outside the venue who couldn’t get in were screaming. Insane.

Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, had no trouble being heard—with only his acoustic he owned the place. Macklemore joined him onstage for a stripped-down “Same Love.”

iHeartMedia's John Sykes and Tom Poleman flank One Direction's Harry Styles. Later, the two iHeartRadio Music Festival presenters stopped screaming.

Weezer and Eric Church brought the rock, both delivering killer mini-sets. Then Lorde came out and proved she’s fully blossomed as a superstar live act. The audience was on its feet and rapt throughout her performance.

Train (who assayed Aerosmith's "Dream On" in addition to material from their new Bulletproof Picasso set) and 50 Cent both turned in solid but decidedly different sets, after which it was the girls’ turn. Meghan Trainor took the stage for what was only the sixth performance of her career, and first in an arena—and she acquitted herself with aplomb. Next came Iggy Azalea and her retinue of black-and-white-clad backup dancers, followed by Paramore, who cranked up the volume.


iHeartMedia SVP Jon Zellner and wife Patty pose with Train. A spirited Aerosmith sing-along ensued.

Lil Jon made a surprise appearance on the big stage, performing “Turn Down for What,” whipping the crowd into a froth. Calvin Harris closed the show, surrounded by a pyramid of lights; he’s clearly not just an EDM superstar but a Pop superstar.

The crowd then headed for the official afterparty at Aria, where they drank enough to lose all feeling in their extremities.