In 2019, we did 9,000 shows and sold more than 9 million tickets,” Kliavkoff said. “MGM Resorts is one of the top live entertainment companies in the world. The Cirque shows will be by far the largest productions to reappear on the Strip. They chose to come to Vegas to celebrate their newfound freedom.”īecause of social distancing regulations, MGM has eight shows open at 50% capacity, including the David Copperfield and Jabbawockeez shows at MGM Grand, Carrot Top at Luxor and Thunder From Down Under at Excalibur. “That’s been particularly the case over the last couple of months as people have opted more so to drive, and as people have had fewer entertainment options in Southern California. Southern California is the largest feeder market for Las Vegas and therefore the largest buyer of tickets for most of the Vegas shows, Kliavkoff said. Kliavkoff said no adjustments were necessary in the theaters because of the advanced ventilation systems already in place in the casinos, but other safety measures, such as paperless ticketing and heightened cleaning protocols, will be added. George Kliavkoff, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International, said the MGM hotels were running at about 90% occupancy on weekends and lower during the weekdays.įood and drink concessions will be available to Cirque du Soleil audiences. The numbers are beginning to creep up as more people are vaccinated and the state opens more fully. Hotel occupancy was down about 45% during that period, and the airport passenger count was down about 58% compared with the same period in 2020. The number of visitors to the city was down by about 54% in February compared with a year earlier, according to the latest figures from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. And its motorcycle-action-thriller “R.U.N,” written by Robert Rodriguez, closed on March 7, 2020, after a brief, accident-prone five-month run at Luxor.Ĭirque’s relaunch represents optimism that Las Vegas entertainment can return to its pre-pandemic glory, but challenges remain. Cirque’s Elvis Presley-themed show, “Viva Elvis,” closed in 2012 after a 2½-year run at Aria Resort and Casino. Not all of its Vegas shows have been as successful. Since Cirque opened “Mystère” in 1993 with its combination of acrobatics, contortionists, trapeze artists and clowns, the company has been credited with elevating the quality of entertainment in Las Vegas and helping to redefine the gambling mecca as a family-friendly vacation hub. “The good news is, all our cast and crew in Las Vegas live there, so it was easier to keep them and stay in communication with them,” he said, adding that Cirque covered their medical insurance and workers’ compensation during the shutdown. (Bellagio is owned by the Blackstone Group but operated by MGM.) Cirque received a $375-million infusion to help jump-start the company.Ībout 300 cast and crew members will return to work on the Vegas Strip when the three shows resume rehearsals, Lamarre said.
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One of Cirque’s two new board members is a former executive at MGM Resorts, where four of the five remaining Cirque shows are housed. It emerged from bankruptcy protection in November with new owners led by Catalyst Capital Group, a Canadian private equity investment firm. The Montreal-based company filed for bankruptcy protection in June last year and laid off about 95% of its workforce, or about 3,500 employees worldwide. The reopening of “O” and “Mystère” also will mark Cirque du Soleil’s return to Las Vegas under new ownership. Once 60% of eligible residents 16 and older have been vaccinated, events can proceed with no social distancing, provided the rate of positive coronavirus tests remains below 5%. Beginning May 1, counties will assume authority in overseeing coronavirus mitigation measures, and on Tuesday, Clark County (of which Vegas is a part) approved plans to operate at 80% capacity with three feet of social distance. Steve Sisolak that entertainment venues will be allowed to open at 100% capacity by June 1.
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Blue Man Group, which Cirque acquired in 2017, is scheduled to return to Luxor on June 24.Ĭirque’s move comes on the heels of an announcement by Nevada Gov. “Mystère,” Cirque’s oldest show in Las Vegas, will resume performances at Treasure Island on June 28, and “O” will return to the Bellagio on July 1. We are Vegas, and Vegas is Cirque du Soleil.” “I think our opening becomes the symbol that entertainment is back,” said Cirque Chief Executive Daniel Lamarre. Cirque du Soleil announced Wednesday that it will relaunch its two longest-running live shows in Las Vegas, “Mystère” and “O,” in time for the July Fourth weekend, signaling the company’s return to its biggest and most lucrative market and its first steps back onto the world stage since the COVID-19 pandemic hit more than a year ago.