10 reasons to visit Las Vegas right now
There's never been more to see and do in Las Vegas* beyond its casinos, and with a wealth of new experiences and shows launching throughout 2023, now's the time to book your trip.
So, if you don't fancy losing your hard-earned cash (because, let's face it, the house always wins) check out our guide to everything new and exciting in America's capital of fun.
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The Punk Rock Museum
Home to the world's largest collection of punk memorabilia, this museum is the brainchild of NOFX frontman Fat Mike, who's recruited his musical mates (including Noodles from Offspring and Jo Escalante from The Vandals) as tour guides.
Exhibits include clothing, instruments and handwritten lyrics, while there's also a bar, performance space, tattoo parlour and (our favourite) a chapel where weddings and wakes can be held.
Area 15
A new purpose-built arts and entertainment district, Area 15 has it all, ranging from concerts, VR-based attractions and interactive art installations to some of Las Vegas's best bars and restaurants (the tacos at The Beast by Todd English are legendary).
From the moment you step inside this psychedelic playground, just a few minutes from the Strip, it's all about immersive, experiential entertainment for all ages, and some of Las Vegas's top creative geniuses have helped shape the attraction. This includes Blue Man Group founder Chris Wink, who's behind Area 15's weird and wonderful Wink World.
Exciting eats
Granted, new restaurants in Las Vegas aren't exactly a rarity, but Las Vegas's food scene has never been so tempting.
Recent openings include Resorts World Las Vegas's Crossroads Kitchen, which will be the city's first plant-based fine dining restaurant and the Palazzo's Wakuda Las Vegas, the first US restaurant opened by Michelin-starred chef Tetsuya Wakuda.
For French-inspired cuisine and potent cocktails, head to Vanderpump à Paris, which opened in 2022 at the Paris Hotel and Casino.
Meanwhile, further proof that Vegas isn't just about all-you-can-eat buffets can now be found at the Paris's The Bedford by Martha Stewart, where diners can feast on local and seasonal cuisine in a replica of her home. Only in Vegas.
A new New York-New York Hotel & Casino
A £50m facelift, due to be completed in summer 2023, will transform one of Las Vegas's most distinctive hotels. The revamp relates mostly to its 1,830 rooms and 155 suites, which will be given Big Apple-themed design elements such as exposed brick walls and paint jobs inspired by the city (the general use of taxi cab-yellow is our favourite example).
Showtime
As much as we love a Cirque du Soleil show (of which there are several in Las Vegas), there's always room for more acrobatic entertainment, and Awakening, which launched at Wynn Las Vegas in November 2022, is a case in point.
The show's USP is a custom-designed 360-degree set, although we're also rather excited that its narrator is Anthony Hopkins. Other hot tickets include
Calling all adrenaline junkies
In recent years Las Vegas has emerged as an adrenaline junkies' paradise, with more zip lines, rollercoasters and drop rides than you can shake a croupier's stick at.
One of its newest rides is FlyOver, unveiled in 2021. This hi-tech simulator ride's first experience was a simulated flight over Las Vegas (obviously), but the newest experience is Windborne: Call of the Canadian Rockies, which uses footage of Banff National Park and snow-capped peaks to take passengers on a high speed (virtual) flight over the Canadian wilderness.
Acrobatic extravaganzas
The new Cirque du Soleil show Mad Apple plays tribute to New York, combining music and stories about its rich history with gravity-defying acrobatics and stints by comedians.
New York-New York Hotel & Casino's latest show is an adults-only spectacle although there's nothing too shocking, and this is largely due to the odd swear word and a set which features an on-stage bar at which guests can order drinks beforehand.
Then there's The Cosmopolitan's OPM, which is certainly more deserving of its adults-only status. It's wonderfully weird and undeniably raunchy, combining acrobatics, magic and comedy.
The Garden Table at Bellagio
If you're not familiar with Bellagio's conservatory, you should be. A 1,300 square-metre indoor botanical garden filled with plants, sculptures and water features, the space is transformed several times a year to reflect seasons and major events, and it's not just about the visuals, each transformation comes with its own soundtrack and scent.
At the start of 2023, for example, the hotel unveiled a Year of the Rabbit garden, complete with a five-metre statue of Caishen, the Chinese God of Wealth, and a flock of chirping zebra finches.
What we're most excited about, however, is the new Garden Table Experience, which gives visitors the chance to dine at a table positioned amongst the conservatory's greenery.
The Mob Museum
This one's been around for a while, but there are a number of reasons why it should be on your radar right now. There are several new acquisitions on display at the museum, which provides a fascinating (and admittedly often grisly) insight into the world of organised crime in America.
These include items owned by Chicago mobster Al Capone and pieces of evidence from the Valentine's Day Massacre, like the only firearm recovered from the scene of the crime.
Fright nights
Finally, one to bear in mind for future visits. Details are scarce about this particular attraction but Universal Parks & Resorts recently announced a permanent experience estimated to open by 2025 at the latest and inspired by its annual Halloween Horror Nights, which take place across the various parks.
So what do we know for sure? It will be part of the brilliant Area 15 complex, and there will be some seriously spooky bars and restaurants alongside some suitably scary (read terrifying, if Universal's Horror Nights are anything to go by) immersive experiences.
Weather in Las Vegas
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The above guide shows the weather in Las Vegas. Find out more about conditions across the state of Nevada and the wider USA.
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