Now a look at Vegas News for the week ending 4/19/2024.

YIKES! What happened to The Sphere?!

They destroyed the Sphere for the new Civil War movie. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/q8m1mEJzUV

— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) April 18, 2024

Read about the movie ads here.

If you love fireworks, head to the Plaza every Friday this summer. There will be a live fireworks show on Friday nights at 9:15 p.m., from May 24 (Memorial Day weekend) through Aug. 30 (Labor Day weekend). Read more here.

I normally save things like this for the end of the news but there are so few deals on the Vegas Strip that this deserves attention. Ocean Prime in the shopping plaza between Aria and Cosmopolitan has a weekday Happy Hour with 50% off its lounge menu from 3 pm – 6 pm. That means the Prime burger is less than $10. It’s also half off caviar, lamb, and wagyu. I haven’t been here yet but it’s now on my radar. You can find the menu here.

Vegas News QUICK HITS

• The rumor we shared in February about Wrestmania coming to Las Vegas is picking up steam. It’s a good thing you read TravelZork’s Vegas News. 
• Speaking of February rumors, the Bob Marley Experience info we shared from Vital Vegas has been confirmed. You can read the original article here.
• By now you’ve probably heard that the Beatles “Love” show at The Mirage is closing this summer. You can read the press release here.
• As I type this, Phish is in the middle of their limited engagement at the Sphere. You can check out some videos of the show here.
• I shared my mixed feelings about The Mirage becoming the new Hard Rock last week. You might have missed it with the deluge of new content at TravelZork recently. Read about it here.
• Boyz II Men are the latest performers to ditch The Mirage. Their next batch of Las Vegas shows will take place at The Cosmopolitan. Read more here.

It’s outdoor gambling season! Poolside table games are opening throughout Las Vegas. Here’s a quick video of the setup at Red Rock Casino. 

The Masters + poolside blackjack @redrockcasino 🎉⛳️🏌️‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/9tKZs7DmGz

— Marc (@MeltzVegas) April 12, 2024

Unless you’re new, you know all outdoor blackjack games are 6:5. That’s the downside to gambling outside. Some of the casinos that offer outdoor games have player-friendly games inside.

• Wally’s Wine at Resorts World is now open at 8 a.m. I’m not sure how long this has been the case but it stood out in a recent email. Sharing this news because Wally’s is the restaurant that I’ve been to most often at Resorts World.
• The operators of Carbone are opening a quick-serve Italian restaurant called Parm in the Aria food hall. Read more here.
• If you’re sketching out 2025 plans, F1 already released dates for next season. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place from Nov. 20-22. You can see the entire calendar here.
• Fontainebleau will be showing movies on its Oasis pool deck. Entry is free for hotel guests and $5 for visitors. You can find the movie schedule and more info here.
• Las Vegas Restaurant Week returns June 3–June 14. The pre-fixe menus usually offer a few dollars off of a meal and proceeds go to a good cause. You can see all the participating restaurants and their menus here.

Ole Red has been open in front of Horseshoe most of the year but the bar/restaurant/entertainment venue celebrated its grand opening this week. 

Las Vegas Grand Opening Night 1 with @blakeshelton ✔️

Y’all ready to do it again tomorrow?! 🐾 pic.twitter.com/0sVlXPd82E

— Ole Red (@OleRed) April 17, 2024

• The LVCVA puts together useful lists of things to do in Las Vegas. This month the travel organization is sharing things to do outdoors before it gets too hot. See the activities here. 
• Rumors about Life Is Beautiful going kaput appear to be untrue. However, it seems as though the festival will be downsizing and moving to the Plaza. This would drastically reduce the footprint of the festival but should be good business for the Plaza. Read more here.
• This June, Plaza has an all-inclusive deal if you only eat two meals a day. This could be a good deal for drinkers who don’t plan to leave the area. You can find more info here.
• The Federal Trade Commission wants info about the MGM Resorts hack last year. MGM doesn’t want to help. Read more here.
• Palms is hosting a food and booze festival next month. Read more here. 
• Ellis Island is expanding and it appears as though the new sportsbook will be operated by an old brand making a comeback. Read more about BetLeroy here.
• I finally made it to Chickie’s & Pete’s at Sahara. The Philly restaurant was as mediocre as my East Coast peeps prepared me for. You can see a few pics here.
• It was my first time at Sahara this year and I was reminded that there are plenty of good deals around the property. While Chickie’s & Pete’s might be overpriced, you can grab a $5 margarita on Tuesdays at Uno Mas. See the pic here. For those who are price-sensitive and don’t want to leave the Vegas Strip, the casino has happy hour deals throughout the property and low-limits table games. 
• PokerGo will be streaming more than 300 hours of action from WSOP this year. You can find specifics here.   
• Last and least Boyd Gaming kicks off the Las Vegas casino earnings season on April 25. Casino corporations, Boyd, and others use these events to drop news and share details about the recent past. The hour-long calls are entertaining if you’re a Las Vegas fanatic. I listen to the calls for work but you can follow along with your favorite casino corporation as well.