I'm visiting Las Vegas later this year and I'm doing research since I haven't been in a decade and I can't believe how many new changes there are! After I return I'll post a full trip report of where I ate and what shows I saw. Also, I have a friend going to Vegas after me for the Formula 1 race so that piqued my interest too and I had to research that as well. I have learned so much super interesting info about what's new in Vegas that I wanted to share with you in case you're planning a trip there too.
In a 10-year period, Las Vegas will have added:
A brand new baseball team (the A's Oakland's baseball team) for which the Tropicana hotel is closing down in 2 years to make room the baseball stadium. Here's a rending of what it will look like. Looks like a 3/4 covered dome oriented to block the sun on the north and west. Most games are afternoon/evening so they should be in the shade the majority of the time.
The Aces basketball team (formally Utah Starzz)
The Raiders (moved from Oakland)
The Desert Dogs lacrosse
The Golden Knights hockey
The Pro Bowl - The National Football League All-Star Gam
The Super Bowl on February 11, 2024
They are building a Bullet Train connecting Vegas to SoCA in 2 hours and is expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027. Megabus started a LA-Vegas route for $8 each way but it's a 6 hour drive and people say it's more comfortable to fly because of the traffic.
A Hard Rock Hotel will replace the Mirage Volcano (this is the last year you will be able to see the volcano erupt) so look out for a new guitar in the Vegas skyline, AI rendering:
The MSG Sphere was just build for immersive shows and concerts. The first feature is a documentary movie called Postcard from Earth and U2 will be the first main headliner this fall.
Formula 1 Grand Prix will be in Las Vegas on November 16-18, 2023. They sold out a year in advance even thought tickets were $2000. A 6.12km, 14-turn street circuit is being built in the heart of downtown Las Vegas as it winds its way past Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian. The F1 construction has been causing a ton of chaos and traffic issues on the strip as the paving schedule is from April to August.
Caesars Palace is demolishing their rotunda for Formula 1. It was empty inside as it closed in 2013. Other casinos and hotels along the Strip have already announced retrofits and new construction for viewing space to see the F1 race. The Cosmopolitan will be closing all of its balconies.
Biden Takes On Hotel Industry to End Resort Fees. This is relevant to Vegas because in addition to the advertised room rate, all the major hotels in Vegas have resort fees which average about $50 per night, this is in additional to taxes on the room. This is probably in response to 3rd party bookings sites getting 15 to 20% commissions from their bookings. Resort fees aren’t subject to the 3rd party bookings commission. When you ask what the resort fees are for:
Pool (even though they charge for chairs). Even when the pool is closed in the winter.
Wifi that isn't great.
Exercise room that hardly anyone uses since you're on vacation.
And you can print out your plane ticket there that is already on your phone.
Daily newspaper and local phone calls.
Complimentary shoe shine lol
Real Housewife Erika Jayne announced a special residency from Aug. 25 through Dec. 16. The show — titled "
Bet It All On Blonde: The Las Vegas Residency" — will be at the Mandalay Bay's House of Blues Music Hall a 1800 seat venue.
Resort World was the newest hotel on the strip that opened in 2021.
The Plaza Hotel is opening on June 10, outside is the Carousel Bar and well as Pinkbox donuts. The Plaza will have a smoke free section in their casino. The Park MGM is a smoke free casino, as well as the NoMad Las Vegas, the Venetian has limited smoking in their casino.
Taco Bell Cantina has their Flagship fast casual restaurant in Las Vegas. It's a two story restaurant with a DJ and sells 8 different twisted freezes that you can customize with liquor. It's open 24 hours.
Grasshoppers are invading Vegas every May.
Last year the Princess Diana exhibit opened in the Aria Resort. It includes 700 artifacts, including several of Diana’s evening gown and fashion garments, artist installations, historic royal textiles and a collection of correspondence, gifts and personal items of Diana and the royals.
Stranger Things opened a pop-up store at the Showcase Mall on the Strip with an exhibit filled with some of the show’s most iconic set pieces.
Omega Mart and Area 15 opened during the pandemic. It's open from 12pm-12am and you need tickets. Area15 is an experiential retail and entertainment complex one mile west of the Las Vegas Strip. Omega Mart is an interactive art installation located in the Area15 complex.
Transfix is the largest touring immersive art experience that features over 50 interactive, kinetic, illuminated, and fire-breathing artworks that opened up in April in Resort World and will be there until the end of June.
Music
The Weekends With Adele residency at Caesars Palace was supposed to start January 21, 2022 but she cancelled it on Jan 20 saying she wasn't ready which caused a lot of controversary as some fans had already flown in. So then the show didn't start until November 2022 until March 2023 and then she announced more dates and she will be performing again from June 16, 2023 through Nov. 4, 2023 but tickets have long been sold out.
If you want to hear Latin music go to the Sahara's
Mala Vida Latin Nights on Fridays, it's an outdoor party poolside. And Thursday nights go to
Noches Azul at the Blue Martini Lounge off the strip.
Maroon 5 will be performing at the Park MGM from July 28, 2023 thru August 12, 2023.
Bruno Mars will be performing at the MGM on August 25 and 26 and then he returns in December.
Beyonce will be performing at Allegiant Stadium for two nights August 26 and 27. Tickets are as low as $150 for section 400. Section 100 is in the $300s.
Usher has a residency at the Park MGM which started in 2022 and continues this year through July then starting again in October. Tickets range from $400 to $2300. Some people have luck buying tickets the day of from SeatGeek or Stubhub as you never know someone's plane was cancelled and they couldn't make it to Vegas and won't make the concert.
Katy Perry previously had a two year residency in Vegas but said she would come back in October 2023 for 10 more performances at Resorts World.
U2 will be performing at the Sphere from September to December 2023. It is the world’s largest spherical structure and can seat 17,600 people. Tickets range from $200-$4000.
Kylie Minogue announced a residency starting in November at the Venetian.
Loud Luxury, a Canadian electronic music group and DJ
have a bunch of sets in Vegas over the summer at various locations, check their
website. I love their mixes!
Comedy Shows
Ali Wong at Virgin Hotels Sept 29 and 30
Deon Cole at Virgin Hotels August 19
Chris Tucker at the Wynn July 14 & 15
Kevin Hart at Resorts World July 7 & 8
Heather McDonald at Venetian on November 4
Hyprov is a show that combines hypnosis and improv. They welcome 20 volunteers on stage to be hypnotized who then join the show perform the rest of the show, while fully under hypnosis. The reviews call it a hilarious and mesmerizing evening.
Bravocon
The annual
conference where you meet all your favorite Real Housewives is in Las Vegas this year November 3-5 at Caesars. It's a celebration of all things Bravo, features personalities from the channel's various shows, interactive experiences, live performances, and panels promising inside information on all the Bravo programming.
NBA Summer League is in Las Vegas July 7-17, you can buy your tickets here. There are 8 games total each day spread across two venues (they are right next door to each other), and you can watch as many as you want but can't leave the venue. Tickets are inexpensive so for some it's cool to be that close up front. It's a great opportunity to see some up-and-coming basketball players and to see who might make it to the big leagues.
A lot of new things in Vegas! What are you most excited about?
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