The iconic Mirage Hotel-Casino on the Las Vegas Strip will close this summer, marking the end of an era for the property credited with transforming Sin City into an ultra-luxury resort destination.
The July 17 closure paves the way for major renovations and construction on the 80-acre site, which is scheduled to reopen as Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027 and will rise approximately 700 feet above downtown. A towering hotel tower in the shape of a guitar stands there. of the strip.
“After enjoying The Mirage for 34 years, we would like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for welcoming Hard Rock so warmly,” Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen said in a statement Wednesday announcing the closure. Stated.
This is the second time this year that casinos on the Strip have been closed.
Tropicana Las Vegas closed in April after 67 years to make room for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium planned as the future home of the relocating Oakland Athletics.
Developed by former casino magnate Steve Wynn, the Mirage opened in 1989 as the Strip’s first mega-resort with a Polynesian theme, spurring a building boom on the famed boulevard throughout the 1990s.
Its volcanic fountains were one of the first sidewalk attractions, predating the Venetian canals and Bellagio’s dancing fountains.
It was known as a venue where tourists could watch Siegfried and Roy taming a white tiger and Cirque du Soleil acts set to a Beatles soundtrack.
The Beatles-themed show that reunited Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in public after 18 years will come to a close in July.
Hard Rock International announced Wednesday that more than 3,000 employees will be laid off and expected to be paid $80 million in severance pay.
The Culinary Workers Union, which has represented about 1,700 employees at the Mirage since it opened, said in a statement that the contract awarded last year ensures laid-off workers will receive $2,000 for each year of service.
The contract also gives him the option to be called back to work and maintain his seniority when the hotel reopens.
“The Culinary Union remains committed to ensuring our employees are protected and centered on the future of our facilities,” the statement said.
The Mirage became the first property on the Strip to be operated by a Native American tribe in 2022 after Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, purchased it from MGM Resorts in a cash deal worth about $1.1 billion. .
Hard Rock said at the time that the facility would remain open and operated under the Mirage brand for several years until renovation plans are finalized.
Mirage is not accepting reservations after July 14, and any reservations made after that will be canceled and refunded.
