While this performer could sell out a residency in a huge venue, he’s opting for something very different.
Every big star comes to Las Vegas (eventually).
Sin City makes it easy and cheap to make a lot of money without having to travel while getting to stay in a luxurious hotel with world-class dining around every corner. And while Las Vegas used to be mostly for cheesy performers well past their prime, that reputation has gone away as huge, current acts including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Elton John, and soon enough U2, have taken up residency in the city for an extended period.
The Las Vegas Strip has also become home to pretty much every major DJ with the various Caesars Entertainment CZR and MGM Resorts International MGM venues hosting the top talent in its clubs at night and at its pools/day clubs during the day.
For some stars, however, simply playing a residency isn’t enough. A number of big names — Kimmy Kimmel, Brad Garrett, and Lisa Vanderpump to name a few — have launched signature venues in Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. These locations (comedy clubs for Kimmel and Garrett, multiple bar lounges for Vanderpump) follow the celebrity restaurant trend in the city.
Now, an even bigger star — really one of the biggest in the world — reportedly has his sites set on the Las Vegas Strip.
Celebrities Bring Attention to Las Vegas
Some celebrity chefs in Las Vegas actually deliver incredible dining experiences. Gordon Ramsay, for example, may be famous, but his signature steakhouse at Caesars Paris Las Vegas delivers a top-tier culinary experience. The same can be said of eateries like Bobby Flay’s Amalfi, and eateries owned by Wolfgang Puck.
It’s not as universally true of the venues Food Network personality Guy Fieri has put his name on. Unlike his fellow TV stars, Fieri’s restaurants seem a bit more like a crass play to use a famous name to draw in tourists.
That’s not a bad strategy as Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Strip most of all, has an incredible density of choices. It’s not easy to lure in customers and putting Fieri’s name on the marquee works to get people in the door.
So, when a new venue with a big-name celebrity behind it gets announced you never know if you’re getting a passion project the star truly cares about or a money-grab rent-a-name situation.
Bruno Mars Lounge Heading to Bellagio
Already a multi-time Las Vegas performer both as a solo act and with his Silk Sonic duo, Bruno Mars appears to be opening a venue on the Las Vegas Strip, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
“The global superstar could have chosen anywhere in the world to open a namesake bar and lounge, but he chose the Las Vegas Strip,” the paper reported. “The spot will be called The Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars, and it’s going into the space in Bellagio currently occupied by Lily Bar & Lounge, according to two food and beverage industry insiders familiar with the project but not authorized to speak about it publicly.”
Mars may be the perfect person to open a Las Vegas venue as he has a timeless quality and appeals to all ages. The singer is currently performing with Anderson Paak, his partner in Silk Sonic in a residency at Park MGM that has dates through August.
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This story was originally published July 31, 2022 9:45 AM.
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