Las Vegas’ legendary Mirage Casino closes to make way for 700-foot-tall hard rock hotel shaped like a guitar

The July 17 closure will pave the way for major renovations and construction on the 80-acre (32-hectare) property, which is scheduled to reopen in 2027 as Hard Rock Las Vegas, with a hotel tower shaped like guitar rising almost 700 feet (about 210 meters) above the heart of the Strip.

“We want to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after 34 years at the Mirage,” Jim Allen, president of Hard Rock International, said Wednesday in a statement announcing the closure .

This will be the second time this year that a Strip casino has closed its doors. The Tropicana Las Vegas closed its doors in April after 67 years to make way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium, planned to become the future home of the Oakland A’s that is currently being relocated.

Developed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Polynesian-themed Mirage opened as the Strip’s first megaresort in 1989, sparking a building boom on the famous boulevard in the 1990s.

Its volcanic fountain was one of the first sidewalk attractions, preceding the Venetian canals and dancing fountains of the Bellagio. It was known as a place where tourists could see Siegfried and Roy taming white tigers or a Cirque du Soleil act set to a Beatles soundtrack.

The final curtain for the Beatles-themed show, which brought Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr together for public appearances throughout its 18-year run, will also fall in July.

Hard Rock International announced Wednesday that more than 3,000 employees would be laid off and that it expects to pay $80 million in severance payments.

The Culinary Workers Union, which has represented about 1,700 Mirage employees since it opened, said in a statement that the contract it won last year guarantees laid-off workers will receive $2,000 for each year of service. The contract also gives them the opportunity to be called back to work and retain their seniority when the hotel reopens.

“Culinary Union will continue to ensure that workers are protected and focused on the future of the property,” the statement said.

The Mirage became the first property on the Strip to be managed by a Native American tribe in 2022, after Hard Rock International, which is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, purchased it from MGM Resorts in an all-cash deal worth nearly $1.1 billion.

Hard Rock said at the time that the property would remain open and operate under the Mirage brand for several years while renovation plans were finalized.

The Mirage is not accepting any reservations after July 14 and has stated that any reservations after this date will be canceled and refunded.