Paul Szydelko
Amid positive news about the effectiveness of vaccines and reduced Covid-19 infection rates, chart-topping stars are getting ready to shine on Las Vegas stages this summer.
Nevada is eyeing June 1 as the day capacity can return to 100% at entertainment venues, Gov. Steve Sisolak said last month. Decisions about specific event capacities and social distancing measures are being transitioned to the county level.
Concert organizers must still submit safety plans, and approvals still depend on the number of Clark County's Covid-19 cases and tests, test-positivity rate and the percentage of people who have been vaccinated.
Marking the Strip's highly anticipated return to large-scale entertainment over the Fourth of July weekend is Bruno Mars at the 5,200-seat Park Theater. He has shows set for July 3, 4, 9, 10, 23 and 24. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
"The opportunity to relaunch our Las Vegas entertainment offerings with Bruno Mars, one of the music industry's iconic superstars, is a moment we've all been anticipating for more than a year," said George Kliavkoff, MGM Resorts' president of entertainment and sports.
Lady Gaga, Cher, Aerosmith and others are also expected to announce dates at the theater soon.
Although no performance dates have been released, Resorts World, set to open June 24, has announced Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Tiesto and Zedd will be the first residents in its 5,000-capacity venue.
Bruno Mars will perform this summer at the Park MGM.
While Las Vegas has always had a steady array of stars, Dion is widely credited with igniting the residency craze on the Strip with two landmark shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace beginning in 2003.
The 4,300-seat Colosseum itself is getting ready to relaunch with Usher beginning July 16. Because of surging demand, he has added six dates Aug. 4 to 14.
Tickets for Morrissey, who begins a run of shows in August, and Sting, who starts in October, are on sale now. Among the other performers expected to announce dates soon at the Colosseum: Keith Urban; Reba, Brooks & Dunn; Rod Stewart; Jerry Seinfeld; and Jeff Dunham.
In the fall, Styx will perform Sept. 24 to 26 at the Venetian Theatre, and Billy Idol is set for Oct. 16, 17, 22 and 23 at Chelsea in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Among concerts being planned in larger venues, Garth Brooks will perform at Allegiant Stadium on July 10, and Marc Anthony's U.S. tour will land at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Oct. 23.
These events will have primarily fixed seating, and guests will likely still be required to wear masks.
That the figurative stars are coming out is another sign that Las Vegas is returning to prepandemic levels of popularity. However, one large-scale event under the literal stars that has been postponed is Electric Daisy Carnival, which had been tentatively scheduled for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this month but is now set for Oct. 22 to 24.