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Summer is unofficially here, and we’re moving into the hottest months of the year in Las Vegas. The 110-degree days are right around the corner.
But regardless, many tourists will be clamoring to come to Las Vegas to enjoy fun in the sun for the next couple of months. There will be A-List entertainment at the dayclubs every weekend for those looking to party by the pool.
While the evenings are cooler when the sun goes down, Vegas nights outside are never chilly. It’s not rare for the temperatures to remain over 100 degrees for hours past sundown.
There are plenty of visitors looking for any excuse to grab some air conditioning indoors at all times of the day. Have no fear, the theaters will be packed with action for those who want to stay indoors this summer.
Before we get into the Vegas news of the month, let’s review June entertainment.
June comedy shows in Las Vegas
The Mirage and Wynn Las Vegas are welcoming a slew of comedians in June. The Venetian even jumps into the comedy game for a couple of nights.
- June 3-4: Ron White at The Mirage
- 8-11: “Weird Al” Yankovic at The Venetian
- 18-19: Russell Peters at Wynn
- 18-19: Wayne Brady at The Mirage
- 24-25: Kathleen Madigan at The Mirage
- 24-25: Steve Martin & Martin Short at Wynn
One of the best dry humorists of all time, Steven Wright, is making a rare Las Vegas appearance off the Vegas Strip at The Orleans on June 25.
Fans of still developing comedians can get laughs at smaller comedy clubs inside MGM Grand, Tropicana, Rio, and The Strat.
Las Vegas show residencies in June
Some of the more popular Las Vegas residency shows return to Las Vegas in June. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jonas Brothers were planning a residency at Park MGM.
Instead, the group will play a handful of shows at Park MGM while their Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, a family-inspired southern restaurant, will open across the street at MGM Grand. Consider this week of shows a limited engagement instead of a full-blown residency for the Jonas Brothers.
- June 1-4: Anita Baker at The Venetian
- 3-11: Katy Perry at Resorts World
- 3-11: Jonas Brothers at Park MGM
- 3-18: Sting at Caesars Palace
- 10-25: Shania Twain at Planet Hollywood
- 15-25: Luke Bryan at Resorts World
Britney Spears has been in Las Vegas a couple of times this year. Rumors were swirling that she might return to Las Vegas for another residency. Unfortunately, TMZ says that won’t be happening.
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is in rehab, so the bands’ residency shows scheduled for June and July at Park MGM are canceled.
The Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas recently updated the list of free shows for its Downtown Rocks series. Keep an eye on the current lineups for the free concerts in downtown Las Vegas here.
MGM Resorts takes over operations of The Cosmopolitan
The big purchase of operations at The Cosmopolitan is now complete. The deal is so fresh that there are very few noticeable changes.
MGM Resorts will begin implementing its systems, but it will take some time. Some changes to the property will happen sooner than others.
For example, the William Hill sportsbook should be replaced by a BetMGM Sportsbook before the summer is over. However, it will take much more time for Cosmopolitan to become part of the MGM Rewards loyalty club and hotel system.
For the time being, Cosmopolitan still uses the Identity Rewards club. It is not linked to MGM Rewards and may not be connected directly until next year.
MGM Resorts plans on adding a couple of new restaurant concepts. This could happen sooner than later as there’s currently an empty restaurant space waiting to be used.
More changes at The Cosmopolitan will continue to roll out throughout the next year or so.
Palms Casino Resort is open again
Palms reopened for the first time since closing for COVID-19 in 2020. The property is under new management but the experience is just about the same as it was just prior to closing.
San Manuel, the new owners, and operators of Palms, didn’t make many changes to the casino floor and restaurants. Some old favorites, including the A.Y.C.E Buffet, are still open.
One big change at Palms is the addition of free entertainment. There are bands, DJs, pianists, and solo acts performing regularly throughout the property. Palms even has music at the sportsbook starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Delays for The Mirage transition to Hard Rock?
Hard Rock International has major plans for The Mirage when the purchase of the property closes later this year. Rumors have been floating for months that renovations might be delayed.
Even if the makeover isn’t officially delayed, it could take more than a year to complete. The most recent rumor is that the Hard Rock won’t make its debut on the Vegas Strip until 2025.
A renovation of 12-18 months beginning sometime in the middle of next year would land during 2024. Even though 2025 sounds like a long time from now, a delay doesn’t seem like much of a big deal.
Renovations could happen quicker if The Mirage is closed entirely. Virgin closed the old Hard Rock and was able to renovate the property quicker than Park MGM, which remained open throughout its renovation.
Personally, I’d rather not have to watch and visit another casino going through a two-year transformation. Visiting Park MGM during renovations was awkward at best.
The new Hard Rock transition could be even more complicated if the company does build a guitar-shaped hotel tower where the volcano sits in front of the property.
More Las Vegas casino news and rumors
There will be renovations taking place at Circus Circus for the next year or so. The updates to the family-friendly property are will keep everything intact. This is essentially freshening up the exterior of the property and hotel rooms inside.
The Venetian sale was approved earlier this year. When representatives from Apollo Global Management were in front of the Nevada Gaming Control Board asking for approval, the company said that it was considering adding rooms to the property.
It appears as though the company might be working on adding suites with a view of the Vegas Strip. If true, there could be an announcement about new suites at The Venetian soon.
While Palms reopened with its old buffet concept, not all are returning. Fremont Casino and Hotel in downtown Las Vegas and Aria on the Vegas Strip are replacing their buffets with food court/food hall concepts.
When Caesars merged with Eldorado Resorts in 2019, the company said it planned to sell a Vegas Strip property. Since the deal was finalized, there have been rumors that Bally’s or Planet Hollywood would be sold. Well, after years of rumors, it appears as though Caesars will be selling Flamingo. Bloomberg was the first to report that Caesars is seeking $1 billion for one of the oldest casino resorts on the Vegas Strip.
The World Series Of Poker is underway
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is underway! This is the first time the world’s largest poker tournament will take place on the Vegas Strip, rather than the off-Strip Rio.
WSOP is taking place at Bally’s and neighboring Paris Las Vegas. Caesars is currently in the process of rebranding Bally’s as Horseshoe Las Vegas.
The Horseshoe rebrand will continue for most of the year. In the meantime, there could be some confusion as new venues continue to open.
For example, Jack Binion’s Steak at Bally’s will be opening this month. Binion’s Steakhouse at Binion’s casino in downtown Las Vegas is still open. Further adding to the confusion might be that the WSOP used to take place at that downtown casino.
WSOP announcers Lon McEachern and Norman Chad offer a little insight into navigating Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas during WSOP this summer.
