Las Vegas is deep in the heart of summer. Be safe and stay cool while the temperatures continue to stay above 100 degrees for the next month or so. Monsoon season is still in effect this month so don’t be surprised if the skies open up for a quick heavy blast of rain.
The entertainment calendar is loaded in August with returning music and comedy residencies. Additionally, some huge summer tours will have stops in Las Vegas this month.
There are new rumors every day in Las Vegas. Some of them come true. The Venetian will be home to an artist that has been rumored to have a Las Vegas residency for years.
Football fans don’t get too excited about preseason games. However, the Raiders only home exhibition game takes place this month and that means regular season NFL games are right around the corner.
Speaking of football, Las Vegas casinos will soon see the first NFL slot machines. Visitors to a couple of casinos will also notice large areas featuring around 50 Buffalo slot machines.
As the opening date of Fontainebleau nears we’re starting to learn more about the casino that is set to open in Dec. There’s also news about Rio under new ownership and MGM Resorts has a new national hotel partner.
Las Vegas residencies and limited engagements in August
Las Vegas residencies and limited engagements usually occupy the majority of the monthly entertainment calendar. Even though there are a couple of new resident artists performing, that’s not the case this month.
The group of mostly returning artists are just highlights of what’s happening in Las Vegas in August.
- Katy Perry at Resorts World: Aug. 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12
- Kelly Clarkson at Planet Hollywood: Aug. 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 18, 19
- Maroon 5 at Park MGM: Aug. 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12
- Adele at Caesars Palace: Aug. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
- Maxwell at Wynn: Aug. 9,11,12
- Steel Panther at Mandalay Bay: Aug. 12, 19
- B-52’s at The Venetian: Aug. 25-26
- Erika Jayne at Mandalay Bay: Aug. 25, 26
- Luke Bryan at Resorts World: Aug. 30
- Lady Gaga (Jazz & Piano) at Park MGM: Aug. 31
The long-rumored Kylie Minogue residency will that place in the new 1,000-capacity Voltaire Belle de Nuit at The Venetian. Shows begin in November. Keep up on show information here.
Dita Von Teese will begin a burlesque show residency at Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s) in October.
Major Las Vegas concerts
The entertainment calendar in August is a little different than usual. Some of the biggest tours in the world descend upon Las Vegas this month.
- Great Van Fleet at T-Mobile Arena: Aug. 12
- Beck & Phoenix at Mandalay Bay: Aug. 12
- BLACKPINK at Allegiant Stadium: Aug. 18
- Zach Bryan at T-Mobile Arena: Aug. 19
- Beyonce at Allegiant Stadium: Aug. 26, 27
- Duran Duran at T-Mobile Arena: Aug. 26
Standup comedy in Las Vegas
The rise of standup comedy in Las Vegas over the past few years hasn’t gone unnoticed. There are touring comedians as well as resident performers every month.
One of the perks of seeing some standup comedians in Las Vegas is that they sometimes perform in smaller venues than elsewhere around the country. The month opens and closes with two of those comedians performing at a venue a quarter the size of some arenas he’s been to on his recent tour.
- Sebastian Maniscalco at Wynn: Aug. 4, 5
- Heather McMahan at Wynn: Aug. 19
- Deon Cole at Virgin: Aug. 19
- Jim Gaffigan at Wynn: Aug. 25, 26
- Nicole Byer at The Cosmopolitan: Aug. 26
- Tom Segura at The Cosmopolitan: Aug. 31
Caesars Palace announced that Jerry Seinfeld will be returning for six shows next year. He’ll be in Las Vegas April 12-13, Aug. 9-10, and Friday and Sept. 6-7.
NFL returns to Las Vegas this month… and other sports
Sports events taking place in Las Vegas this month start on Aug 1 with a friendly between FC Barcelona Vs. AC Milan.
The NFL preseason kicks off this month. The Las Vegas Raiders only home exhibition game is Aug. 13 versus the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.
In September Allegiant Stadium will see more NFL and college football games.
The Las Vegas Aces have home games at Mandalay Bay on Aug. 1, 11, 13, 17, 19, 31. The WNBA Commission Cup final will take place on Aug. 15.
Mandalay Bay will also host a major esports event this month. The EVO Championship series will take place on Aug. 6.
Team USA takes on Puerto Rico in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena on Aug. 8.
Las Vegas news and rumors
The long-awaited NFL slot machine from Aristocrat will soon be in Las Vegas casinos.
Aristocrat also makes the popular Buffalo slot machines. New Buffalo Zones are featuring numerous versions of the slot game at Aria and Palms. Are you ready for 50 or so people yelling BUFFALOOOOOO at the same time?
At the end of July, MGM Resorts announced Swingers was building a three-story adult mini-golf complex at Mandalay Bay. The venue is slated to open next fall and will have five mini-golf courses, a bar, a restaurant, DJs, and more.
For the first time, Fontainebleau shared some insight into what the new casino will offer. One of the highlights of the property is the six-acre pool complex will have space for gambling. The company didn’t list what games will be available but blackjack will probably be in the mix.
This hasn’t been officially announced but there’s a rumor that Tom Brady will be behind a sports memorabilia shop at Fontainebleau. He currently has a TB 12 location down the street from Fontainebleau at Wynn Las Vegas.
There was a small six-minute fire on the roof of Fontainebleau in July. The property remains on schedule to open in December.
Here’s another rumor coming true. Marriott has been the hotel partner of The Cosmopolitan since the property opened. There was plenty of chatter as to whether or not this would extend to the rest of MGM Resorts properties after the company purchased The Cosmopolitan. Well, it finally happened. Hyatt is out and beginning Oct. 1 Marriott and MGM will be partners.
Speaking of The Cosmopolitan, there have been countless rumors about when the property will become part of MGM Rewards. This was supposed to be completed by this summer. I’ve heard various dates but a February 2024 changeover seems to be the most popular date currently in the rumor mill.
The Las Vegas rumor mill continues
Hyatt will no longer be the hotel partner of MGM Resorts beginning Oct. 1. That’s when the company will become the hotel partner with Rio. The new owners have a multi-year renovation plan in the works. Work is already underway on updating the hotel rooms. They should become available in the first quarter of 2024.
The Sphere behind The Venetian is slated to open in September but is already dazzling visitors with the world’s largest LED screen.
Will look rad during the #LVGP 🏎️
— Marc (@MeltzVegas) July 5, 2023
The Sphere is about a half mile behind The Venetian and the view from the Vegas Strip will be obstructed unless you’re in a high hotel room. That said, it looks rad and will look great on TV at night during the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
F1 released its 2024 race calendar. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place from Nov. 21-23 next year.
It’s no surprise that The Venetian (and The Palazzo) will begin charging for self-parking when The Sphere opens. Rumor has it that Wynn will also begin charging for self-parking too. No word yet if Treasure Island will join the paid parking parade of casinos near The Sphere.
Caesars is turning Napoleon’s Lounge inside Paris Las Vegas into a new outlet of Montecristo Cigar Bar. This will be similar to the Caesars Palace location and include eight cigar-friendly bartop gaming machines.
The casino carpet inside New York-New York might look different the next time you visit.
Whataburger is returning to Las Vegas this fall. A 24/7 location will be opening at Waldorf Astoria outside of Aria.
A few new places to grab a bite in Las Vegas opened in July:
- Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Kitchen is now open at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
- Cafe Lola with its delicious cold brew is now open at the Caesars Palace Forum Shops.
- HaSalon took over the Majordomo space at The Palazzo. The restaurant is described by Eater as “a clubstaurant, where customers are invited to dance on the tables, DJs blare high-tempo music, and the house lights give way to strobes and fire.”
