Nothing lasts forever on the Las Vegas Strip even though the city has built part of its acclaim around nostalgia. While the city has not been the home for acts that have passed their prime that it once was, there is no shortage of opportunities on the Strip to celebrate bands and solo performers whose best days are behind them.
That's true whether it's only-in-Law Vegas performers like Donny Osmond and Wayne Newton, but it's also true of some of Sin City's biggest performers. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, who have residencies at MGM Resorts International (MGM) -) properties likely still have hits ahead of them. The same might be true for Adele at Caesars Entertainment's Coliseum.
Related: Las Vegas Strip losing 'last of the old-style casinos'
But, many of the biggest acts — Garth Brooks, Rod Stewart, and Sting, who all play the same room as Adele — and even U2 at the Las Vegas Sphere may have passed their popular radio hit-making days. Las Vegas may now bring you the best and brightest nostalgia, but it's still trading on the fact that its visitors have money and they can afford to see the acts of their youth like Boys II Men or the Backstreet Boys.
And while land on the Las Vegas Strip has become incredibly expensive and valuable, it remains a tough place to build anything. That's why big changes rarely happen but two major Las Vegas Strips casinos and one iconic Strip attraction will likely be no more at some point next year.
Image source: Shutterstock
Two long-tenured Las Vegas Strip casinos closing
The Tropicana, the second-oldest casino on the Las Vegas Strip has had a ticking time clock over it since Ballys Corp. (BALY) -) bought it in Sept. 2022. While the company planned to step back and assess its options, perhaps for a few years, it was always either going to knock down the existing casino to build a new Ballys-branded property or make a deal with the Oakland Athletics to build a baseball stadium on the site.
That has, of course, happened and most impediments to the stadium construction have been removed. Major League Baseball approved the team moving to Las Vegas from Oakland, and Nevada, as well as Clark County officials, have approved the projects.
Now, aside from a nuisance lawsuit filed by a state teacher's union, the project appears set to move forward. Ballys has been cagey about its plans or timeline as it wants people booking the hotel through the CES show and February's Super Bowl, but some (or all) of it could be demolished not long after that.
Las Vegas also losing a lesser-known casino
In addition to Las Vegas losing the Tropicana, it's also going to see the closure of the lesser-known Casino Royale. That's a smaller property located directly on the Strip between various Caesars resorts and the Venetian. It's famous for offering free play to all who walk by and it's perhaps best-known offering air conditioning as you make the often slow walk between those big players.
The small property, which was built in 1964, will soon be knocked down (or perhaps imploded) in order for something much more impressive to take its place. It's a quaint piece of Las Vegas history that really no longer belongs in the world of mega-resorts and high-end boutique hotels catering to the wealthy.
"A representative of Casino Royale submitted a request to the FAA to evaluate the impact of a potential new structure for the site," KTNV reported back in August. "The 11-page report from the FAA shows a proposal to build or operate a building that’s 699 feet tall. That would qualify the building as a skyscraper and would be taller than many resorts on the Las Vegas Strip."
That project also does not have a start date, likely for the same reason as the small Best Western hotel located onsite will sell its modest rooms for high prices during the Strip's upcoming major events due to their excellent location.
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