Las Vegas has become the place to see big-name headlines in relatively intimate venues.
Many of the biggest names in music -- Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks, Adelle, Sting, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, U2 and others -- have extended residencies scheduled at Las Vegas Strip resorts.
Add in that nearly every DJ and electronic-dance-music artist of any renown regularly plays the Strip's dayclubs and nightclubs, and you can see why people have lost their appetite for some classic Las Vegas entertainment.
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This change has not been good for production shows as even big-budget Broadway-style entertainment gets only short runs. "Bat Out of Hell," a musical based on the work of Meat Loaf, lasted barely a month at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) -) Paris Las Vegas. "Freestyle Love Supreme," a hip-hop musical from "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, ran 2 1/2 months at the Venetian.
The competition for people's time and dollars has become intense, and it's not just big-name stars going after the cash, Las Vegas now also has the National Football League's Las Vegas Raiders. And the National Hockey League's Las Vegas Golden Knights play 41 home games at T-Mobile Arena, in the heart of the Strip amid numerous Caesars and MGM Resorts International (MGM) -) properties.
Las Vegas has become the entertainment capital of the world, and that standing has raised the bar for any event looking to compete for a tourist's time and money. The situation has led two more high-profile attractions on the Las Vegas Strip to shut down.
Resorts World Las Vegas Has a Location Problem
Resorts World Las Vegas represents a huge bet that the North Strip can compete with the crowded south and central sections. That's not something one resort casino -- even a massive one -- can do on its own, but development has picked up around the property.
The problem for Resorts World, unlike the Caesars and MGM properties on the South and Central Strip, is that it lacks foot traffic from people not staying there. It's not impossible to walk from other sections of the Strip to Resorts World, but it's a lot easier to be staying at one South or Central Strip property and attend an event at another one.
That sharpens the challenge of drawing people to Resorts World. The property is competing with a lot of more convenient options when it comes to the time of people not staying at the North Strip property. That has led, at least indirectly, to two high-profile attractions closing.
Resorts World Las Vegas: Two Big Closures
Transfix, which called itself the world’s largest immersive art experience, closed permanently and unexpectedly after a six-week run. The show was supposed to run at least through September.
The gallery closed in May and plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A second major event at Resorts World Las Vegas, Enchant on the Strip, a large outdoor Christmas/winter celebration, won't be returning to the North Strip resort this year.
It won't, however, be following Transfix in going out of business. Instead, it will move back to the off-Strip Las Vegas Ballpark (home to the minor league Las Vegas Aviators, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics).
Last year, Enchant ran in both locations, which led to lackluster crowds at both spots. The Christmas in the desert experience offered the world's largest display of Christmas lights with more than four million. It also has a 100-foot tree, visits from Santa, and an ice skating rink.
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