RISE Festival Ignites Global Call to Artists with New Arts Program

LAS VEGAS, NV – July 14, 2026 – RISE, the organization behind the world's largest sky lantern festival, today announced a significant expansion of its creative mission with the launch of the RISE Arts Program. This new initiative serves as an open invitation for artists of all disciplines globally to submit their work and potentially become part of one of the world's most unique, large-scale collective art projects. Moving beyond its iconic annual gathering in the Mojave Desert, RISE is building a permanent, year-round bridge to the global arts community, reinforcing its identity as a major patron of creative expression.

For over a decade, RISE has curated an ephemeral city of light, where tens of thousands of participants release lanterns inscribed with personal hopes and memories into the desert sky. Now, it aims to weave more enduring artistic threads into its fabric. The program invites qualified artists to submit their portfolios for review by the RISE team, with selected works being considered for inclusion in future festivals. This marks a strategic evolution from a single, participant-driven art moment to a multi-layered platform that champions and integrates professional artistic works.

A Global Canvas Beyond the Desert

The RISE Arts Program fundamentally alters the festival's relationship with the art world. While attendees have always been participants in the creation of the central lantern spectacle, the new program formalizes a pathway for professional artists to contribute to the festival’s ever-expanding aesthetic landscape. This initiative seeks to build upon the core experience, adding new layers of curated art that complement the spontaneous, collective beauty of the lantern release.

“Every time the RISE community gathers in the desert to create the world’s largest sky lantern festival, something magical happens,” said Matt McGuire, RISE Chief Creative Officer, in the announcement. “Our guests become contributing artists to a collective art piece that brings an amazing sense of unity and serenity. We are excited to share this experience with more artists who can be inspired to bring even more light into this world.”

This ambition positions RISE in a unique category. The claim of being “one of the largest collective art projects in the world” is bold. Unlike commercial fairs like Art Basel, which are vast marketplaces, or open-platform festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe, RISE’s core is a single, unified artistic act performed by its audience. The new program doesn't dilute this; it aims to enrich it. By inviting sculptors, painters, digital artists, and performers to add their voices, RISE is building a more complex and immersive environment. The goal is to create a space where a curated art installation might provoke introspection during the day, before the collective release provides a communal catharsis at night.

Beyond the Lanterns: A Multi-Million Dollar Commitment

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the announcement is the tangible support underpinning the initiative. RISE stated that in the past year, it provided over $7 million in financial support to participating artists and donated thousands of festival passes to art students and communities. In an economic climate where arts non-profits face declining revenues and government funding, this level of private-sector patronage is significant.

While the press release attributes the figures directly to the organization, the numbers signal a deep-seated commitment. This financial backing elevates the RISE Arts Program from a simple call for entries to a genuine developmental opportunity for artists. It suggests that RISE is not just seeking content for its festival but is investing in the livelihoods and creative freedom of artists, positioning itself as a powerful patron in the cultural ecosystem.

“It’s a different kind of conversation,” noted one arts administrator familiar with festival grants. “Many events offer exposure, which is valuable but doesn’t pay the bills. When you attach millions of dollars in direct support to that exposure, you change the dynamic entirely. You become a partner in creation, not just a venue.”

This partnership extends to the next generation. By distributing thousands of passes to art colleges and institutes, RISE is not only fostering goodwill but also investing in its future. It's a strategic move to embed the festival within the foundational training grounds of the art world, ensuring a steady flow of fresh ideas and emerging talent who view RISE as a legitimate and desirable platform for their work.

Engineering Hope: Scaling a Mission-Driven Art Experience

At its core, RISE has always been about more than just aesthetics; its stated mission is to deliver “healing, harmony, and hope.” The festival experience is meticulously engineered to foster these feelings. By design, the remote desert location has limited cell service, encouraging participants to be present. The act of writing a message on a lantern—a hope, a dream, a memorial—is deeply personal. The synchronized release, however, transforms millions of individual emotions into one breathtaking, unified spectacle of light and intention.

The new Arts Program is the next logical step in scaling this mission. By incorporating a wider range of art, RISE can create more touchpoints for reflection and connection. A thought-provoking sculpture, an immersive soundscape, or a participatory mural can all serve the same purpose as the lanterns: to pull individuals out of their daily lives and connect them to a shared sense of humanity.

From a strategic standpoint, the program is a brilliant move to expand and solidify the RISE brand. It transitions the organization from the producer of a singular, albeit massive, annual event into a continuous, global arts platform. This deepens engagement, diversifies its offerings, and strengthens its appeal in the booming experiential economy. By becoming a hub for artists, RISE ensures its own creative renewal, guaranteeing that the festival will not only grow in size but also in artistic depth and relevance.

The call has been made. As portfolios begin to arrive from around the world, the quiet desert south of Las Vegas is set to become the epicenter of a new kind of creative collaboration, proving that even the most ephemeral moments can be the foundation for something lasting and profound.