Hard Rock’s plans for Mirage move forward with ‘Beatles’ closure

Hard Rock International will begin putting its touch on The Mirage, more than two years after the Seminole Tribe-owned gaming and hospitality company announced its plans to change the iconic Strip resort.

Operators will close the Cirque Du Soleil residency, the Beatles LOVE, in July to begin development of its planned renovations and rebrand to Hard Rock Las Vegas.

The last show is July 7, according to the Canadian entertainment company. A Tuesday internal memo from Mirage President Joe Lupo said that construction will only impact the Love Theatre “at this time.” He said the construction activity follows demolition work removing the property’s former animal habitat, which began in December.

“While I understand this will come as sad news to many, it marks another step in the transformation of our property to the new Hard Rock Las Vegas Hotel and Casino,” Lupo in the memo.

It’s unclear when construction will start — and to what extent. An internal memo sent to Cirque du Soleil workers said the entire property was expected to close for a renovation, but later a spokesperson said that information was inaccurate.

“There has not been a confirmed date of when renovation will start, nor if or when the property will close ahead of the renovation plans,” spokesperson said.

Hard Rock acquired The Mirage’s operations from casino giant MGM Resorts International in December 2022 for more than $1 billion in cash. (But plans were announced a year before that.) Casino landlord Vici Properties owns The Mirage’s real estate and has said its lease with Hard Rock calls for initial annual rent of $90 million.

Hard Rock International officials want to change the Strip skyline with a guitar-shaped hotel tower. The 660–foot-tall. all-suite tower, with a podium below it, received planning approval from Clark County officials during a March 2023 meeting. The proposed tower is designed to resemble back-to-back guitars with “brightly lit strings” and would feature floor-to-ceiling glass panes, Hard Rock attorneys told county officials in planning documents at the time. The concept emulates a smaller guitar-shaped hotel tower in Florida.

Mirage’s volcano, one of the last free shows on the Strip, will be nixed at the Hard Rock property. The new guitar tower is expected to be built on the same spot, close to Las Vegas Boulevard.

Planning documents submitted to the county show the renovations planned in the Mirage’s existing footprint. Operators are expected to add 70,000 square feet to the existing live theater, 6,500 square feet of retail and 60,000 square feet of ballroom space, along with renovations to the pool deck and north valet. Lastly, the design plans call for a 111,000-square-foot, low-rise expansion along the south side of the property.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.