Nevada and Las Vegas are known for gambling. But it’s non-gaming activities— entertainment especially — that are driving a lot of the growth in the state’s hospitality industry.
Casinoreviews.net reported last month that the Strip last year raked in a record $20.5 billion in gaming revenue, but non-gaming revenue set a new high at $15 billion.
Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John Katsilometes keeps track of all the trends and moves in the Vegas entertainment landscape, and here are some of the notable developments he's reported on or observed on the Strip:
ABBA may be coming: Sort of. The four members of the Swedish pop titans may never perform again, but they've used innovative technology to create avatars of themselves for a show complemented by live musicians. ABBA Voyage is drawing sell-out crowds in London, and Katsilometes reports that the spectacle is likely to come here — specifically, Resorts World — next. "ABBA has a track record not only internationally with all their wonderful hits, and they're one of the top acts of all time, they [also] have a track record in Las Vegas with Mamma Mia, which is one of the few Broadway-style productions to succeed in Las Vegas, when it was at Mandalay Bay for about six years. So with that as a backdrop, producers and properties are interested in bringing that show to Las Vegas."
The 2024 Sphere calendar is finally filling up: Not only are jam acts Phish and Dead & Company due for extended engagements this spring, classic rock warhorse band The Eagles are all but confirmed for the fall. But Katsilometes is hearing other prospective headliners for the box-office-gold venue. "I would love to see these Beyonce talks lead to something; Harry Styles is always out there. ... There are big names like Coldplay out there, there's an EDC-type show that they're talking about for New Year's Eve in the Sphere. I would love to see a lineup of superstar DJs [play] there."
R&B and hip-hop are drawing fans big time: Katsilometes notes that hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and boy-band innovators New Edition are doing huge business at the Theater at Virgin and Encore Theater, respectively, and 1990s R&B favorite Jodeci is returning to Hosue of Blues. "These shows are not only selling out, but selling out with fans who are energized — real fans of these bands. And [crooner/songwriter and former LVA student] Ne-Yo, who lives in Las Vegas, is also coming into Encore Theater. So that's one thing ... that is really working."
Speaking of Encore Theater: Billboard reported it was the highest-grossing theater with under 2500 capacity, and a top 10 grossing venue in the world that's under 5000 capacity. How? "Volume, volume, volume," says Katsilometes. "They run a busy schedule in the shows that they bring and they sell out. And they do a lot of variety: We had mentioned the New Edition show [that] wiped the place out. You have comedians [like] Jim Gaffigan this weekend; Sebastian Maniscalco was involved in the lineup there, and he sells out. Duran Duran, an arena sell-out internationally, is playing Encore Theater. [That's] 1480 seats. It's astonishing."
Guest: John Katsilometes, entertainment columnist, Las Vegas Review-Journal
