When will the Mirage be demolished and what comes next

ENTERTAINMENT16 Oct 2024

6 min. read

Known as Sin City and the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas is constantly changing its vibrant landscape. Home to luxurious hotels, dozens of casinos, unique dining and entertainment options, the city attracts millions of visitors every year.

Large casino resorts are an inseparable part of Las Vegas and visitors can find such luxury locations all across the Strip. In a city that constantly grows and develops, change is not uncommon, and casino resorts go through renovations or in some cases are closed so that brand-new properties can be built in their place.

This is the case for the Tropicana, which was recently demolished, sparking changes in Las Vegas. Similarly, The Mirage, another iconic property is also going through major redevelopment that will see the delivery of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Amid the redevelopment plans, many people wonder when will the Mirage be demolished.

Millions of people visit the Las Vegas Strip every year.

Image credit: Unsplash.com

The Mirage closed its doors on July 17

The transformation of The Mirage comes after Hard Rock International confirmed a couple of years ago that it is interested in buying the famous property on the Las Vegas Strip. At the time, the leading operator admitted that it wanted to bring a new Hard Rock hotel and casino resort.

In 2021, MGM Resorts, the owner of The Mirage at the time confirmed its intentions to sell the famous resort that was home to the popular volcano attraction. Hard Rock did not hesitate and submitted a bid for the resort. Following relevant regulatory and stakeholder approvals, Hard Rock finalized the acquisition of The Mirage from MGM Resorts back in December 2022 in a deal valued at the mind-blowing sum of $1.075bn.

The completion of the acquisition marked the start of the transformation process. Although The Mirage operated throughout last year, back in May, Hard Rock confirmed that the legendary hotel and casino resort will cease its operations on July 17, 2024. This confirmation helped reaffirm the timeline for when will the Mirage be demolished as this process was initiated shortly after its closure.

Details released in a statement by Hard Rock reveal that the transformed property will deliver a guitar-shaped hotel that will be nearly 700 feet tall. The development of the symbolic guitar-shaped building will mark the arrival of Hard Rock on the Las Vegas Strip. This building will use the space that was previously used by The Mirage's popular attraction, the volcano.

Initially, Hard Rock anticipated the development of a taller guitar-shaped tower, standing nearly 1,000 feet tall. However, this proposal did not receive approval from Clark County, so the operator had to settle on the shorter option.

Similarly, Hard Rock faced pushback from opponents who wanted to keep the popular volcano attraction and protect it from being demolished. Sadly, those efforts did not succeed.

The iconic volcano attraction will remain a part of Sin City's history

After the confirmation of the date The Mirage seized operations, Joe Lupo, the venue's President, explained: "While we pause for the incredible transformation of this iconic property, I'd like to thank all team members at The Mirage for their incredible commitment and helping us provide memorable experiences for our guests."

Jim Allen, Hard Rock International's Chairman, added: "We'd like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage."

As tourists and Las Vegas locals say goodbye to the iconic venue, the question of when will The Mirage will be torn down confirms the inevitable fate of the resort that would lead to its transformation into Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.

Following the closure of The Mirage in July, media outlet KSNV reported in August that the demolition of the iconic volcano attraction was also initiated. This process marks the end of an era, considering that the artificial volcano attraction entertained visitors from across the globe for free at the footsteps of the resort. The volcano became synonymous with the Las Vegas Strip but will now remain a part of the city's vibrant history.

The unique attraction covered 4.5 acres, used natural gas pipes and water pumps to make it appear as if there was a lagoon on fire. The artificial attraction used not only fire and water but also red lights that helped create the effect of lava.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to open in 2027

The closure of The Mirage required thousands of workers to change their employment. This painful but mandatory process impacted more than 3,000 workers. Still, Hard Rock helped the affected workers by organizing job fairs and paying approximately $80 million in severance packages.

Those packages applied to both unionized and non-unionized workers, helping them during this difficult time. While some workers had the option to secure a bigger severance package, others had the ability to pick lower compensation but benefit from guaranteed re-hiring once the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino opens its doors in a few years' time.

With the question of when will the Mirage be demolished now in the past, visitors of Las Vegas are wondering when the transformed property will open its doors. According to Hard Rock, its Las Vegas Strip property is expected to welcome its first visitors in the spring of 2027. The leading operator also confirmed that it is already accepting proposal requests for groups arriving in the fall of the same year.

FAQ

Will The Mirage be demolished?

The transformation of The Mirage into a Hard Rock-branded venue will include remodeling of the hotel rooms, as well as the removal of the famous volcano attraction. In the place of the volcano, a guitar-shaped tower nearly 700 feet tall will be built.

Will The Mirage be open in 2024?

The iconic Las Vegas Strip resort remained operational for 34 years until July 17, 2024. The venue will reopen as a rebranded Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in 2027.