Sunset Strip Music Festival set for August

The Third Annual Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) will rock West Hollywood Aug. 26-28, 2010. The three-day event will kick off on Thursday, Aug. 26 at the House of Blues with a tribute to this year’s honoree, Slash, for his contributions to the history of The Strip as well as the music industry. The Sunset Strip, which begins and ends in West Hollywood, is legendary for its rock and roll roots. The culmination of the SSMF is a street festival on Saturday, which will be headlined by the world-famous band, The Smashing Pumpkins.

A weekend-long celebration of the notorious Sunset Strip, the SSMF will feature live performances in all six of its music venues - Cat Club, House of Blues, Key Club, The Roxy Theatre, Viper Room and Whisky A Go-Go. Closing the legendary Strip for the second time in its history, Saturday’s festival includes a street closure from San Vicente Boulevard to Doheny Drive allowing for outdoor stages as well as l ive performances throughout the day and night in the music venues.

HOTEL SPECIALS
At just 1.9 square miles in size, West Hollywood is centrally located and completely walkable. The notorious Sunset Strip starts and ends in West Hollywood and is easily accessed from each of the city’s 14 captivating hotels. These exciting room-and-ticket packages are designed to enhance the SSMF experience, and entice attendees to stay and play throughout the entire weekend.

· The London West Hollywood, located directly behind the Viper Room in the heart of all the action, is offering rates from $269 per night including breakfast for two and two tickets to the Sunset Strip Music Festival on Saturday. (The London West Hollywood, 1020 N. San Vicente Bl., West Hollywood. 310-854-1111. www.thelondonwesthollywood.com)

· Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas, an epicenter of rock and roll history, having served as safe haven for the famous, the infamous and the nearly so, for nearly five decades, is offering a special SSMF rate of $250 per night for the Superior One Bedroom Suite. This rate is inclusive of daily American breakfast and parking, as well as two tickets to the street festival. Rate is valid August 27th and 28th; guests must contact the reservations department directly and mention the SSMF rate. (Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas, 1200 N. Alta Loma Road, West Hollywood. 310-657-1333. www.sunsetmarquis.com)

· Le Parc Suites Hotel is a charming residential style hotel long known as the place where artists, their crews and others connected with the music industry stay when performing and recording at all of L.A.’s renowned venues. The hotel’s SSMF package includes two tickets to the SSMF street festival, complimentary glass of wine following check-in, 15% off lunch or dinner served in Knoll, delivered in- suite, or served al fresco on the Rooftop Sky Deck. Package is $239 single or double occupancy in a Studio King Suite per night. Book online at leparcsuites.com. (Le Parc Suite Hotel, 733 N. West Knoll Dr., West Hollywood, 310-855-8888. www.leparcsuites.com)

· Chamberlain West Hollywood is a newly-redesigned boutique hotel nestled on a tranquil, tree-lined street, just steps from the excitement of the Sunset Strip. The hotel’s Sunset Strip Music Festival Package includes suite accommodations (room rate and tax), two tickets to the Sunset Strip Music Festival’s Saturday street festival, a bottle of Jack Daniels, a bottle of Handbanger Rock N Red Wine, one copy of Slash’s debut solo album, Slash. Two night package (Friday and Saturday) starting at $820, three night package (Thursday Friday and Saturday Night) starting at $1150. Book online at chamberlainwesthollywood.com. Chamberlain is also offering a room+ticket package which includes two nights in a premier one bedroom suite plus two tickets for SSMF for $720 plus tax. (Chamberlain, 1000 Westmount Drive ,West Hollywood. 310-657-7400. www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com).

· Ramada Plaza Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of West Hollywood amongst the outdoor cafes and fine dining of Santa Monica Boulevard. For SSMF the hotel is offering attendees a special SSMF rate of $129.00/night (15% off regular rate) including two tickets to Saturday’s street festival. (Ramada Plaza Hotel, 8585 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. 310-652-6400. www.ramadaweho.com).

SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Smashing Pumpkins will headline the street festival on Saturday, August 28, with a live performance on the legendary Strip, which is being closed to traffic for the second time in its history. The iconic band will wrap up the third annual SSMF, set to include a special tribute event for Slash at House of Blues on August 26; live performances in The Roxy Theatre, the Whisky A Go-Go, Viper Room, Key Club, Cat Club and House of Blues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; plus more than 50 bands, two outdoor stages and a full day of music in the venues on Saturday, August 28.

Street fest tickets will be $49.50 in advance ($65 day of at box office) and VIP street fest tickets, which include access to a private tented area with full no-host bar and seating area, are available for $100 in advance. A limited number of three-day “VIP” passes (which include entrance to Slash’s tribute on August 26, the clubs all three nights + access to VIP tent at street fest) will be $250. There will also be individual ticket sales for The Sunset Strip clubs on Thursday and Friday nights.

Last year’s event brought nearly 10,000 people to The Strip and included performances from Korn, Pepper, Kottonmouth Kings, Shiny Toy Guns, Shwayze, LMFAO, Unwritten Law, The Donnas and Fishbone among others, and was headlined by Ozzy Osbourne, who was also the year’s honoree. Expected to be even bigger this year, the SSMF will undoubtedly become the ultimate end-of-summer music festival experience.A portion of all tickets sold will be donated to the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN), a charity personally selected by honoree Slash. LAYN’s mission is to end homelessness, one kid at a time, by providing shelter, food and counseling for the abused, neglected and abandoned.

For more info and the latest lineup announcements visit
www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com,
www.myspace.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival,
www.facebook.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival,
Twitter: @SunsetStripFest / @TheSunsetStrip.

ABOUT THE WEST HOLLYWOOD MARKETING & VISITORS BUREAU
Located at the foot of the Hollywood Hills in the heart of Los Angeles and just 1.9 square miles in size, the city of West Hollywood rivals the world’s most exciting travel destinations. Visitors can spend their days shopping in the colorful design district, lounging at a rooftop hotel pool, or visiting one of the area’s cultural attractions. And when the sun goes down, West Hollywood really heats up with world-class dining experiences and the legendary nightspots of The Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Blvd. The city’s small size and central location make it a friendly, walkable haven for travelers.

The West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau is a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to marketing the City of West Hollywood as a “living forward” visitor destination to business and leisure travelers by promoting awareness of the city’s unique location, image, businesses and industries and by providing support for the city’s economic development efforts. For more information on West Hollywood’s cutting edge businesses or to plan the ultimate getaway, please visit www.visitwesthollywood.com. For the latest offers and tips on living like a West Hollywood insider, visit www.WHinsiders.com.