The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is in town this weekend, returning from last year's debut.
And what did the local entertainment industry learn from that debut? The race comes at a cost, and not just for tickets.
As Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist John Katsilometes reported earlier this week, most Strip shows — indirectly or directly employing thousands — are going dark during the race or changing their schedules altogether.
A big part of the problem is accessibility. With the Strip closed off for the race track, it's very difficult for tourists to get to the various properties.
"What they discovered last year is that the walk-up crowd was — or, the day-of sales were — very, very soft during F1 because of that reason," Katsilometes told "State of Nevada". "And I think that the messaging that's coming out of Las Vegas entering this year's race is, yeah, it's accurate, but it's also damning because people are seeing that it's not going to be a great weekend or week to try and see a lot of shows — or see any show — so [shows are] taking the week off."
Katsilometes says the only time shows tend to go dark due to a groundswell of visitors is during the weekend of Electric Daisy Carnival, as that festival's 175,000 nightly attendees aren't usually here to see shows on the Strip.
Katsilometes specifically spoke to Spiegelworld head Ross Mollison, who is only running one of his three shows — the most successful one, Absinthe — this weekend, having lost some $500,000 during last year's F1 race. Mollison wants the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to get involved to address with show producers like himself how the entertainment industry can avoid taking such a hit during race week.
"Let's get to a point where you have some officials — maybe [Mollison], a Cirque du Soleil representative, people like Adam Steck of SPI Entertainment — involved in these discussions. ... I would say you need a kind of a group of people who assembled sort of organically during COVID to deal with those problems. You could bring that panel back together and say, 'You know what? How can we communicate a way to get out of this and bring the LVCVA into the conversation and, by proxy, Formula One itself?' I do think that there's a possibility there."
"And it's not just these small shows," added Katsilometes. "Adele is the only major headliner on the Strip performing at all this weekend, which is very rare, and she's doing her last shows at the Coliseum. That's it. So, it's pretty widespread."
Katsilometes suggested a subsidy paid by Formula One to offset losses to the shows impacted — however unlikely that is to happen.
"The thing with the shows is they have a business record that's very specific," he said. "They have their books in order. It's not a big lift for Cirque du Soleil to say, 'Look, this is what we used to do the week before [the race], this is what we normally do the week after, this is what we've done during the week of F1 [before the race came to Las Vegas], and this is what it's like now, specifically, because the race has interfered with our business. Can you help us?' I think that's a very sensible approach, but you have to go in [with] a solution-based mentality. You have to be driven by improving this."
This is not say Katsilometes — or even show producers such as Mollison, who calls himself an F1 fan — doesn't want the race in the city. "I would love to see F1 get to the point where it's something that we can celebrate as a city, rather than something that we think we're going to have to get through," said Katsilometes. "We're at the get-through point right now.
"[Seeing cars race on the Strip while being broadcast around the world] is a powerful experience, a powerful visual," he added. "But we have to figure out at what price we're willing to pay for that."
Also discussed:
- The concept of Spiegelworld's latest production, Discoshow, where a standing-room-only crowd is encouraged to dance with — and among — the cast.
- The recent closure of another interactive show, Particle Ink, which previously succeeded with locals in the Arts District but struggled when it moved to the Strip.
Guest: John Katsilometes, entertainment columnist, Las Vegas Review-Journal
