Fremont Street Adds Safety After Fans Fainted in Heat

The trouble started July 11, when Sleeping With Sirens headlined the same 3rd Street Stage as part of Downtown Rocks. Triple digit heat and a crowd bigger than the space was built for combined into a rough night. 8 News Now reported that fans were pushed up against nearby casino doors as the crowd swelled, and several people needed medical attention after fainting.

One concertgoer told 8 News Now, "I don't think they were equipped for the crowd that was going to be there, and by the time they realized it, it was too late."

For the August 8 show, Fremont Street Experience had its security team actively working the crowd, a visible shift from July. FOX5 Vegas and 8 News Now both covered the series' return under the added precautions, and there were no reports of the fainting or crowd crush that marked the Sleeping With Sirens night.

Downtown Rocks is a free, all ages series at the 3rd Street Stage, 425 Fremont Street, which is exactly why it draws a crowd that is hard to predict from one week to the next. A big enough headliner on a hot enough night can overwhelm a space that handles a normal Fremont Street evening just fine.

Fremont Street Experience's canopy provides shade over the pedestrian mall during the day, but Downtown Rocks shows start at 9 p.m., after sunset, when a Las Vegas August night can still be sitting well above 90 degrees. That is a different kind of heat risk than daytime sun exposure. It is less obvious you are overheating when the sky is dark, which is part of why a packed, no shade crowd right at the stage can turn into a problem faster than people expect.

The series keeps going. Story of the Year headlines the 3rd Street Stage on Saturday, August 22, with more dates and acts, including The Used, Protoje, Lauren Alaina and Carly Pearce, still being announced for later in the season.

Vegas heat does not ease up just because a concert is free and outdoors. Show up with water, keep away from the tightest pinch points near the casino entrances, and remember these shows can fill in faster than the space is built for. If you start feeling overheated or the crowd gets too tight, head for the edges early instead of waiting it out.

Downtown hotels like the Plaza, Golden Nugget and Circa all sit within a short walk of the 3rd Street Stage, so staying downtown for one of these shows means you can retreat to air conditioning fast if you need to, rather than being stuck on a Strip-bound rideshare during the worst of it.