Las Vegas builds on its momentum as the 'Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World' with new openings, culinary hotspots, and highly anticipated events 

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LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas is poised for a big year in 2026 – driven by major resort transformations, expanding attractions and landmark anniversaries. This follows a standout year of unforgettable performances, extraordinary sporting moments and exciting culinary news.  

Events 

In 2026, Las Vegas will return fan-favorite experiences and new sporting and championship events. 

• Matchroom Boxing returns to Fontainebleau Las Vegas with the IBF World Lightweight crown on the line featuring Muratalla vs. Cruz in a blockbuster Las Vegas showdown on Saturday, Jan. 24.   

• The International Fireworks Championship is coming to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 21, and will light up the desert sky in an event uniting pyrotechnic displays, elite firework artisans, cutting-edge technology and fans. 

• Rugby League is back at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 28, with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs taking on the St. George Illawarra Dragons, the Newcastle Knights taking on the North Queensland Cowboys, and the UK's Super League with Hull KR going up against the Leeds Rhinos. 

• The MGM Slam at T-Mobile Arena brings an elite group of eight men's professional tennis players taking the court to vie for a $1 million prize pool. The MGM Slam Presented by Capital One takes place on Sunday, March 1.  

• Big League Weekend will give fans the opportunity to catch Major League Baseball Spring Training games at the Las Vegas Ballpark when the Athletics face the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8. 

• Allegiant Stadium will welcome back WrestleMania on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 after a historic WrestleMania 41 this past April in Las Vegas, which became the most successful and highest grossing event in WWE history. 

• HallowScreamCon, the world's first global entertainment convention inspired by the spirit of Halloween, is coming to the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 4 and will feature film, gaming, comics, art, live attractions, paranormal adventures and more.  

• The Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix Experience will race back to the Las Vegas Strip with a weekend of lights, speed and glamour from Thursday, Nov. 19 through Saturday, Nov. 21. 

• The 2026 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo returns from Thursday, Dec. 3 - Saturday, Dec. 12 with 10 straight days of competition at the Thomas & Mack Center. 

Entertainment 

Las Vegas' entertainment calendar is packed with superstar residencies, unforgettable performances for the new year, and shows destined to sell out.   

• Allegiant Stadium will feature Bruno Mars, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses and Foo Fighters.  

• The Colosseum at Caesars Palace will feature Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Lopez.  

• BleauLive at Fontainebleau Las Vegas will feature Marc Anthony, Yellowcard and Derek Hough's Symphony of Dance. 

• Dolby Live at Park MGM will feature Zayn, Chris Stapleton and New Kids on the Block.  

• Sphere will feature Backstreet Boys, Eagles, No Doubt, Carín León, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Phish and ILLENIUM. 

• The Palazzo Theatre at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas will feature Sal Vulcano, Bunnie XO, Jim Jefferies and Charlie Berens.   

• The Venetian Theatre at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas will feature Goo Goo Dolls, Collective Soul, Cheap Trick and the B-52's. 

• Voltaire at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas will feature Ashlee Simpson, Dita Von Teese and Hilary Duff.  

• Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas features Keyshia Cole, Chris Tucker, Sebastian Maniscalo, Diana Ross and Nate Bargatze.   

Accommodations 

In the coming year, resorts along the Strip and throughout the destination will unveil major upgrades, fresh debuts and hotel rebrands. 

• Caesars Palace is undergoing an extensive upgrade now through 2027, with full-scale tower renovations and new amenities including nearly 1,000 suites in the Augustus Tower. 

• The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas' Chelsea Tower debuted a new vision for its 24 penthouse suites and 14 entourage rooms spanning two dedicated floors. 

• Flamingo Las Vegas will celebrate its 80th anniversary, with fresh enhancements including a pod-style front desk and eye-catching decor, an upgraded VIP check-in area, refreshed spaces, and a full revamp of Bugsy's Bar on the casino floor.  

• Green Valley Ranch in Henderson is undergoing a $200 million renovation that will reimagine its room, suite, meeting and convention spaces – all as the property approaches its 25th anniversary in December. 

• The M Resort Spa Casino welcomed its new East Tower to the Las Vegas skyline and celebrated its expansion in December 2025, which included 375 new guest rooms, expanded convention space and enhancements to the casino floor. 

• The Reserve at Park MGM opened in early 2026, marking the rebranding of NoMad Las Vegas into a newly reimagined luxury experience. 

• Rio Hotel & Casino has undergone extensive renovations including 1,500 newly remodelled suites in the Ipanema Tower, a reimagined 117,000-square-foot casino floor, and an evolving lineup of dining and nightlife options including the new additions of High Steaks Vegas by acclaimed Chef James Trees and Eggslut, the cult-favorite Los Angeles concept known for egg sandwiches.  

• The Vanderpump Hotel is set to open early this year after The Cromwell, a standalone boutique hotel, undergoes a complete renovation and transition in partnership with Caesars Entertainment and Lisa Vanderpump.  

• The Venetian Resort Las Vegas has entered the final stretch of a multi-year, $1.5 billion reimagination that has redefined the resort experience including a complete transformation of the all-suite accommodations, upgrades to gaming and entertainment offerings, and the introduction of innovative chef-led dining concepts like COTE Korean Steakhouse, Gjelina, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and the resort's first food hall, Via Via.

2026 has several resorts and casinos celebrating major anniversaries including:  

• Golden Gate Hotel & Casino – 120th anniversary, January 16, 2026 

• Green Valley Ranch Resort – 25th anniversary – December 18, 2026 

• Flamingo Las Vegas – 80th anniversary – 2026 

• Caesars Palace – 60th anniversary – 2026  

The $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center's (LVCC) legacy campus was also completed this year. Key design highlights of the reimagined campus include a modernized Central Hall Grand Lobby; large-scale digital screens for branding opportunities; a new climate-controlled interior concourse between North and South Halls; a redesigned South Hall; and the extension of the West Hall's signature exterior ribbon roof. 

Attractions  

Las Vegas takes it to the next level in 2026, unveiling expanded attractions and a slate of new immersive experiences. 

• The Museum of Ice Cream is set to open at AREA15 and will take guests on a sensory journey through 14 immersive experiences inspired by the unique flavors of Las Vegas. 

• Café on the Strip debuted one of the city's newest experiential daytime offerings in December 2025 – an elevated high tea aboard a luxury double-decker coach with diamond-inspired accents, floral details and 360-degree views down the Las Vegas Strip in a 90-minute journey with a curated menu of teas, coffees, and sweet and savory favorites. 

• The Malibu Barbie Café recently made its colourful debut and brings a burst of 1970s Malibu sunshine to Las Vegas, blending retro flair with vibrant Barbiecore style in a playful, family-friendly pop-up destination with a groovy roller rink, an all-day fast-casual menu and whimsical décor.   

• Rooftop Pickleball at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is now open for play. The Court – Fueled by BODYARMOR, is the first-of-its-kind sports experience on the Strip, offering both pickleball and tennis courts with unbeatable Strip views.  

• Grand Prix Plaza, North America's largest Formula 1 attraction, reopens Friday, Jan. 30, and will welcome back fans with newly upgraded activations including an improved 4D theater experience and an upgraded F1 DRIVE track layout with a wider track. 

• Spiegelworld's circus party Bang Out returns to the Atomic Saloon on Saturday, Jan. 24, and will be a late-night clown acrobat party with local performers and their friends getting together after shows to try out new act ideas for the public to enjoy.  

Food & Beverage  

This year, Las Vegas will debut more buzzed-about restaurants by award-winning chefs, following the MICHELIN Guide announcement of the first ever Southwest edition, marking a long-awaited return to Las Vegas.   

• Cantina Contramar will open early 2026 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas and will unite, for the first time in the United States, two of the most recognized and celebrated women in Mexico's culinary and creative realms: Chef Gabriela Cámara and award-winning architect Frida Escobedo. Every detail will reflect the authenticity, warmth, and celebratory spirit of Mexico. 

• Maroon, the Caribbean Steakhouse by James Beard Award-winning Chef Kwame, is set to make its buzzed-about debut early this year at Sahara Las Vegas. 

• Zero Bond at Wynn Las Vegas, the exclusive private members club, is set to open March of 2026, and will feature amenities such as The Fairway Grill with fine-dining menus curated by three-time James Beard Award-winner Alfred Portale, private wine lockers, a curated collection of rare cigars, a sculpture garden and more with membership being offered in two tiers.  

Several noteworthy restaurants and bars also made their debuts in 2025, along with several long-standing favorites remodeling and refreshing their dining experience for guests. 

• Downtown Las Vegas welcomed several new cocktail lounges over the year, including White Whale, featuring an obsessive dedication to craft; Dark Sister, bringing witchy vibes and an immersive atmosphere; Dustland, showcasing the retro spirit of vintage Las Vegas; and more.  

• Project BBQ, Circa Resort & Casino's permanent backyard barbeque truck, recently rolled out an all-new menu and a reimagined design which includes patio seating, bold signage, vibrant wall finishes and state-of-the-art ordering kiosks. 

• The Tiki Bar recently opened at Excalibur Hotel & Casino, offering a tropical escape within Las Vegas' most famous castle with tropical drinks like scorpion bowls and flaming tiki cocktails.  

• Gymkhana, the acclaimed two Michelin-starred London restaurant, debuted at ARIA Resort & Casino recently, making this its first location in the United States and the first Indian restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. 

• The Venetian Resort Las Vegas welcomed several new restaurants to property in 2025, including Cote Vegas' first West Coast location in October, and Bazaar Meat, the acclaimed culinary experience from José Andrés Group in September. 

• CARBONE Riviera opened in November 2025 at Bellagio Resort & Casino and is a new expression of the CARBONE brand devoted to the art of seafood at the highest level, where select guests will be able to board a yacht and cruise the lake as the world-famous Fountains of Bellagio dance around them. 

 

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ABOUT THE LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with positioning Southern Nevada as the undisputed global destination for leisure and business travel and operates the 4.6 million square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). With 150,000 hotel rooms and nearly 15 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space in Las Vegas, the LVCVA's mission emphasizes attracting visitors to the area. The LVCVA also owns the Vegas Loop at Las Vegas Convention Center, designed and operated by The Boring Company, and also owns the Las Vegas Monorail, an elevated 3.9-mile system with seven stops throughout the resort corridor. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com, www.visitlasvegas.com or www.vegasmeansbusiness.com.