Las Vegas Unveils Redesigned Rideshare Pickup At Harry Reid International Airport

Las Vegas has debuted the new Fabulous Pickups at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) with a completely reimagined rideshare pickup area at Terminal 1. The unveiling was celebrated in true Las Vegas fashion with showgirls and a DJ welcoming visitors arriving for a weekend of festivities, including Mexican Independence Day concerts and events, and the Canelo vs. Crawford fight at Allegiant Stadium.

The space now features vibrant lighting, additional seating, and a custom neon selfie wall that helps visitors kick off their vacation in a fabulous way. On select dates, the experience will be elevated even further with live music, DJs, and other special activations. The transformed pickup zone is a part of the broader “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” brand campaign. This multifaceted initiative spans broadcast, activations, experiences, special offers, and partnerships highlighting Las Vegas that will continue to roll out in the coming months.

“Las Vegas is a city that sets the standard for excitement and hospitality, and we believe the visitor journey should reflect that from the very beginning,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA. “With Fabulous Pickups, we've created a space that's as vibrant, welcoming, and unforgettable as Las Vegas itself.”

In addition, Terminal 1 is also home to Fabulous photo moments where visitors can share their excitement about being in Las Vegas before they even leave the airport. The larger-than-life installation, located by the A/B checkpoint, will debut tomorrow and features Vegas Vicki with a spot for guests to sit next to her and do their best kick to give everyone back home FOMO.

“Our team at Harry Reid International Airport is dedicated to making every arrival memorable, and this new rideshare area is a testament to that commitment,” said Jim Chrisley, Clark County Director of Aviation. “By partnering with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, we've created a space that's not just functional, but also fun and welcoming. We're proud to offer travelers a first impression that's as distinctive as the destination itself.”

More “Welcome to Fabulous” announcements will be unveiled in the weeks ahead. For more information on “Welcome to Fabulous”, visit www.VisitLasVegas.com.

Las Vegas Strip Sphere Brings Back Legendary Rock Band Residency

Classic rock band signs for more residency shows at the Las Vegas Strip Sphere.

Sphere Las Vegas has entertained hundreds of thousands of music fans since it opened in September 2023 with its spectacular multi-media venue that delivers immersive experiences with the latest audio and video technology including a wraparound LED screen and advanced sound system.

Legendary rock band U2 opened Sphere Entertainment's Sphere Las Vegas on Sept. 29, 2023, with a 40-show U2/UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere residency.

After U2 closed its residency on March 2, 2024, in the 18,600-seat venue which can hold a 20,000-standing capacity, popular jam band Phish followed for a quick mini-residency with four sold-out shows on April 18-21.

Phish might someday return to the Sphere for another four-show engagement, or maybe longer, as the band has booked four-night runs in the past. The band will perform a four-night engagement at New York's Madison Square Garden from Dec. 28 to 31, 2024, for a New Year's Eve holiday run.

Ultimate jam band Grateful Dead spinoff band Dead & Company followed Phish with 30 shows at the Las Vegas Sphere from May 16 through Aug. 10, 2024. The band's predecessor Grateful Dead often performed shows in Las Vegas, and Dead & Co. can be expected to bring its popular residency back to the Sphere possibly after several months.

Since wrapping up their Sphere residency, Dead & Co. has been quiet about their plans. No other limited engagements or residencies have been scheduled in 2024 or 2025.

Dead & Co. frontman Bob Weir, however, is headlining the Dead Ahead music festival Jan. 9-13 at Riviera, Cancun, Mexico.

Finally, popular rock band the Eagles are lengthening their residency at Sphere Las Vegas on the Strip with the addition of four new shows on April 4, 5, 11, and 12, 2025, bringing the total engagement to 32 shows so far, the band revealed on Nov. 26.

The Eagles have not revealed a final ending date for their residency.

Artist, Official Platinum, and VIP Package presales begin Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at Ticketmaster.com. Live Nation and SiriusXM presales start Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. Pacific.

The Eagles have been incrementally adding shows to their residency since June 13 when the band unveiled the original eight shows of the residency for September and October 2024, and then five days later added four more shows on Nov. 1, 2, 8, and 9.

The band on June 26 added another four shows on Dec. 6, 7, 13, and 14, and in July added four more shows on Jan. 17, 18, 24, and 25, 2025.

In October, the Eagles expanded their residency from 20 to 24 shows with the addition of four weekend shows in February and then added four more shows to its engagement on March 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2025, expanding the total run to 28 performances before adding more shows.

It remains a mystery about who will follow the Eagles with the next residency at the Sphere. Rumors in 2023 claimed that One Direction frontman Harry Styles would be next up after U2, but that never happened.

Surveys have revealed that music fans would like to see Lady Gaga, Coldplay, or Beyonce as the next Sphere residency, but Sphere Entertainment has not hinted who the next headliner will be.

https://www.thestreet.com/author/kirk-oneil

Travelore Health Warning: A Record-Breaking Number Of Mosquitoes Are Carrying West Nile Virus Around Las Vegas

Climate change is expanding the reach of insect-borne diseases. Las Vegas' exploding mosquito population offers a case study of what's to come.

A Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito. Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

A record-breaking number of mosquitoes in and around Las Vegas are carrying West Nile virus, sparking warnings from local health officials who say the public should take precautions to avoid getting bit. West Nile virus can cause fever, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea and is fatal in about 1 of 150 cases. There are no vaccines or medications to treat or prevent the mosquito-borne illness.

In recent weeks, 169 of over 24,000 pools of mosquitoes tested for West Nile virus returned positive — meaning at least one insect in the pool carried the disease — across 25 southern Nevada ZIP codes. The number of mosquitoes recorded and the tally of positive pools this early in the season break the area’s records for both metrics, set in 2019.

“These are huge numbers of mosquitoes, and we’ve already identified a concerning number of them carrying the West Nile virus,” said Vivek Raman, an environmental health supervisor for the Southern Nevada Health District.

Health officials have also identified six pools in the Las Vegas area that tested positive for St. Louis encephalitis virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause fatal inflammation of the brain.

For decades, climate scientists and public health officials have warned that climate change could expand the reach of various infectious diseases, especially those spread by mosquitoes. Las Vegas’ exploding mosquito population and the local uptick in West Nile prevalence offers an important case study on how climate could affect human health.

Climate change increases average global temperatures and precipitation levels, fostering conditions that are ideal for mosquitoes, which breed in still, warm water. It also extends the length of warm periods, prolonging the active season for mosquitoes. These changes increase the risk of human exposure to diseases like West Nile virus, even in places that have never recorded cases before.

The first case of West Nile virus in Las Vegas was recorded in 2004 — five years after the United States’ first case was documented in 1999 in New York City. Las Vegas’ most recent West Nile outbreak occurred five years ago, resulting in 43 human cases. District health officials are concerned that this summer could be far worse.In Nevada and much of the Southwest, springtime weather has become warmer and summertime heat waves have grown increasingly extreme over the last few decades. Las Vegas has seen average springtime temperatures rise by 6.2 F since 1970; this month, the city has already experienced a weeklong, record-breaking heat wave. In Nevada and much of the Southwest, springtime weather has become warmer and summertime heat waves have grown increasingly extreme over the last few decades. Las Vegas has seen average springtime temperatures rise by 6.2 F since 1970; this month, the city has already experienced a weeklong, record-breaking heat wave.

In Nevada and much of the Southwest, springtime weather has become warmer and summertime heat waves have grown increasingly extreme over the last few decades. Las Vegas has seen average springtime temperatures rise by 6.2 F since 1970; this month, the city has already experienced a weeklong, record-breaking heat wave.

Southern Nevada’s rising temperatures are creating favorable conditions for mosquitoes, said Nischay Mishra, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. What’s more, ongoing drought conditions in the state, which have led to low water table levels throughout the Colorado River Basin, including in Lake Mead, may also be counterintuitively beneficial for the insects.

“Mosquitoes typically thrive in wet and hot places,” Mishra said. “But in Nevada, as smaller bodies of water dry up, they create shallow waters that are ideal for mosquito breeding.”

Las Vegas’ mosquito surge has been giant: Last year, district health officials measured 6,000 mosquitos in traps across Clark County from April to June. This year, counts have already exceeded 24,000.

The vast majority have been Culex mosquitoes, a primary vector for West Nile virus. But another mosquito species that does not carry the virus, Aedes aegypti, has also become more common in Las Vegas. Aedes was first spotted in the area in 2017, and Raman attributes its spread there to the impacts of climate change, as well.

Along with climate, human behavior plays an important role in the spread of vector-borne diseases. Aedes and Culex mosquitoes both thrive in the backyards of many Las Vegas homes — the former breed in small pools of water such as those left from sprinklers, while the latter often breed along the surface of unmaintained swimming pools.

Raman said the best way to avoid infection is to empty any open containers filled with water outside, maintain swimming pools, wear protective clothing and use bug spray to avoid getting bit.

Louise Ivers, a professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and the director of its Global Health Institute, said situations like the one in Las Vegas will become more common as climate change continues to boost infectious disease globally.

“We should expect to see new infectious diseases, old infectious diseases back again and a change in the patterns of exposure of existing infectious diseases like West Nile virus,” Ivers said. “Things that we used to do freely without worrying as much about protection from vectors like mosquitoes or ticks, we might not be able to do anymore.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/author/nidhi-sharma-ncpn1300138

Think Twice Before Stopping To Take A Photo On A Las Vegas Strip Pedestrian Bridge, Or Risk Jail Time

Standing or stopping is now banned on pedestrian bridges on the Las Vegas Strip where visitors often pause to take photos amid the glittery casino lights or to watch street performers.

Violators of the ordinance that took effect Tuesday could face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Clark County commissioners voted unanimously this month to approve the measure prohibiting people from “stopping, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another person to stop” on Strip pedestrian bridges. That also includes up to 20 feet (6 meters) surrounding connected stairs, elevators and escalators.

The ban doesn’t include standing or stopping if a person is waiting to use an elevator, stairway or escalator.

Clark County said in a statement that its “pedestrian flow zone ordinance” isn’t meant to target street performers or people who stop to take pictures, but rather to increase public safety by ensuring a continuous flow of pedestrian traffic across the bridges.

The measure “will help to ensure our world-class tourism destination remains a safe place for people to visit and transverse,” the statement said.

But opponents say that the ban violates rights protected by the First Amendment.

“That might mean the right to protest. That might mean someone who’s sharing expressions of their faith. That might mean a street performer,” Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said. Those rights, he said, are “protected at their highest level” in public spaces, including pedestrian bridges.

The county said it planned to install signs on the Strip identifying locations where stopping or standing is prohibited.

AP

Tallest Hotel In Las Vegas Finally Opens After Sitting Empty For More Than A Decade

The 67-story hotel-casino tower Fontainebleau has opened to the public after more than a decade of sitting unfinished following the Recession, making it the tallest occupied building in Nevada.

The tallest hotel in Las Vegas is finally ready to swing open its doors after 10 years of building.

The 67-story hotel-casino tower Fontainebleau had became famous for sitting unfinished on the famous strip for more than a decade. Now it is finally open to the public it is the tallest, newest and bluest hotel in southern Nevada’s glittery resort corridor. At $3.7 billion, it’s second in cost to the $4.3 billion, 66-story Resorts World that opened in June 2021 a short walk down Las Vegas Boulevard.

The name of the 3,644-room Fontainebleau recalls Miami Beach’s icon among destination resorts, which owner Jeffrey Soffer’s family acquired in 2005. But the project in the Mojave Desert has its own lore about starts, stops and changing ownership since work began in 2007.

“Bringing Fontainebleau Las Vegas to life has been an extraordinary journey. Opening a resort of this size and scope is a once-in-a-lifetime experience., said Soffer, who started the project, lost it and reacquired it to finish it.

The Miami-based chairman of Fontainebleau Development lost funding for the project during the Recession, leading him to walk away from the project in 2009. At that point the building was about 70% complete. Other plans were tabled about ten years later to finish the project, but they never came about. Occasionally fire fighters would use the large empty shell of a building for high-rise rescue training.

Now that it is finally done, the hotel will fit into Las Vegas's gambling scene thanks to its 1,300 slot machines, 128 gambling tables and more than 36 bars and restaurants - some featuring chefs with Miami roots. Mark Tricano, Fontainebleau Las Vegas president, has said that the resort will employ more than 7,000 workers.

By Milo Boyd

Long-Unfinished Blue Strip Tower Sets Date For Grand Opening In Las Vegas

A soaring blue-glass tower that has sat empty for close to two decades on the Las Vegas Strip — through the Great Recession and an unprecedented pandemic that shut down the famed tourist corridor for months — is set to open its doors to the public in December as the gambling center’s latest resort and casino.

Company executives for Fontainebleau Las Vegas made the announcement Tuesday morning, more than a year after the company publicly set a goal to open before the end of 2023.

Chief operating officer Colleen Birch said in a statement that the long-awaited resort on the north end of the Strip represents “a rich heritage of luxury hospitality, chic elegance and unforgettable experiences.” The announcement marked the beginning of hiring efforts for a 3,700-room resort and casino that is expected to create thousands of jobs.

Named after Miami Beach’s 1950s-era Fontainebleau hotel, the luxury resort is one of the tallest buildings in Nevada.

Construction on the 67-story Fontainebleau Las Vegas began in 2007 amid the U.S. real estate bubble and was expected at the time to open in October 2009, but work stopped when it went bankrupt during the Great Recession. The project stalled for years.

In the decade that followed the original project’s collapse, ownership changed hands several times. In 2018, the resort even got a new name, Drew Las Vegas, after Steven Witkoff and Miami-based investment firm New Valley bought it for $600 million. But the rebranded project was short-lived: Construction was suspended in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic triggered Nevada’s statewide shutdown.

A year later — and more than 15 years since the initial plans for Fontainebleau Las Vegas were unveiled — the project was reacquired by Jeffrey Soffer, one of the original developers. At the time, Soffer estimated the property was 75% complete and said it was in “mint condition.”

In a statement Tuesday, Soffer celebrated the blue tower as a symbol of resilience and determination.

“The arrival of Fontainebleau Las Vegas is a monumental achievement following years of anticipation and brings full circle our vision of hosting the iconic Fontainebleau brand on the Strip,” he said.

By RIO YAMAT

Cirque Du Soleil Plans A New And Hybrid Las Vegas Show

Cirque du Soleil is planning a brand new, eye-popping show on the Las Vegas Strip this spring that appropriately flips its typical script.

“Mad Apple” will feature stand-up comedians, close-up magic and a live band playing pop music onstage alongside Cirque’s famous acrobats in a new hybrid form of live entertainment.

The show — inspired by New York City’s eclectic nightlife of jazz cubs, street buskers, comedy shows and live music — will replace “Zumanity” at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in May on the Las Vegas Strip.

“We really wanted to do something joyous and something celebratory,” veteran producer Simon Painter told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s unveiling. “It’s basically a giant party, the greatest night out in New York.”

“Mad Apple” will be Cirque’s sixth Las Vegas show and the first all-new one since it emerged from bankruptcy protection with new owners. In 2020, it had to suspend its productions around the globe as the pandemic crushed live entertainment.

Visitors enter the performance space before the show to find a massive bar and are greeted by magicians. The bar then transforms into the stage and the show begins, the infamous Cirque clowns replaced by two stand-up veterans — Brad Williams and Chris Turner.

“I’m the first stand-up comedian to be a part of a Cirque show and doing traditional standup,” said Williams. “That’s really exciting to me because I do like doing things that I’ve never done before.”

Usually, a Cirque show means pre-recorded whimsical and atmospheric worldbeat music, but not here. A live band with singers will stay onstage for most of “Mad Apple” performing hits by the likes of Billy Joel and Lady Gaga, including tunes by the Gershwins and notable jazz, culminating in “a big sort of Studio 54 party,” Painter said. “The whole show is set to the soundtrack of New York.”

Unlike many of Cirque’s big-top shows, there will be no narrative. “Given the current state of the world and everything else, we wanted to do a piece that was pure entertainment,” said Painter.

“Mad Apple” won’t skimp on physical stunts, with acrobats tumbling on top of a New York City taxi, an acrobat swinging on a New York street sign and the show closing with an acrobat doing tricks on an aerial pendulum of the Empire State Building.

“You could go see an acrobatic Cirque show. You can go see a live band. You can go see a magician. You can go see a comedian — and that’s four separate shows. Or you can go see ‘Mad Apple’ at New York-New York and all of that will be in one show,” said Williams. “This is a Cirque show that is really trying new things.”

When he was approached by Painter, Williams asked what sort of comedy the creative team was looking for. Would there need to be a theme, topics to avoid or suggested areas? “Simon said the most beautiful thing a performer could ever hear,” said Williams. “He said, ‘All I care is that it’s funny.’”

The show in some ways promises to nod to Cirque’s DIY Canadian roots. The now-global entertainment giant started out humbly with just a couple of buskers in Quebec.

Painter’s company, The Works Entertainment, which Cirque acquired in 2019, has developed several other live shows including “The Illusionists” and “Circus 1903,” which have always had a strong comedic element. Neil Dorward, veteran The Works director, will direct “Mad Apple.”