• by Tanya Gazdik , May 24, 2024

Both new and classic Volkswagen of America vehicles will be featured in an exhibit in Las Vegas focusing on the Grateful Dead. 

The exhibit is being staged in conjunction with Dead & Company’s Las Vegas residency “Dead Forever – Live at Sphere,” a concert featuring former Grateful Dead members.  

The experience will feature a vintage Volkswagen bus and the latest all-electric model, the ID. Buzz. The Dead Forever Experience is open to the public for the duration of the 24-show residency through July 13.

“Much like the ID. Buzz harks back to the original Volkswagen Microbus, Dead & Company has continued the Grateful Dead’s unparalleled legacy, introducing their music to new audiences,” the automaker says in a release. “As Volkswagen of America celebrates its 75th anniversary in America this year, the brand saw it as a fitting opportunity to connect with the fans who continue to celebrate their relationship.”

The immersive Dead Forever Experience is like a Deadhead museum and offers a variety of immersive exhibitions and interactive activities. The exhibition was curated by Activist Artists Management‘s Kristina “Red” Tanner and Vibee, a new Live Nation company that creates immersive fan experiences.  

Volkswagen and the Grateful Dead became symbols of counterculture in the United States during the 1960s, generating a cultural marriage between the two that continues today. 

In 1995, the Grateful Dead’s founding member and lead guitarist, Jerry Garcia, passed away. Volkswagen honored him by running an ad featuring a Microbus with a tear falling from one headlight. This ad campaign was Volkswagen’s recognition of the influence and impact their relationship had on mainstream culture and society.

The three-row, U.S. version of the ID. Buzz will be available through Volkswagen’s network of over 600 independent U.S. dealers in the fourth quarter, according to a recent announcement from the company.