The Mirage Bids Farewell: Iconic Resort Announces Permanent Closure

The iconic Mirage volcano’s days are numbered.

The Las Vegas Strip is forever changing and growing. Just weeks after the long-standing Tropicana closed, the Mirage announced it will be lights out for the 30-year-old casino/hotel this summer.

On July 17, the Mirage will shut its doors for the last time to make way for a major renovation. It will reopen in 2027 as the Hard Rock Las Vegas, replacing the well-known and loved volcano with a hotel tower in the shape of a guitar. 

“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International said in a statement.

Resort President Joe Lupo held a town hall-style meeting on Wednesday to inform the hotel’s staff of the plans to close on July 17. Many of the hotel’s 3,300 employees will be laid off, including 140 day-one employees.

“We really are encouraged about not only the future of Las Vegas, but how Hard Rock and Seminole Tribe can play a role in helping to develop that and grow the market,” Lupo said. “But today is a tough day for a lot of people. Our priority is the well being of those individuals.” 

While plans for the new Hard Rock are still in the rendering stage, it’s been said it will include 25 restaurants and a 5,000 seat theater. 

The standout feature of the new Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas will be a 660-foot-tall tower designed to resemble two guitars standing back-to-back. This design mirrors the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The tower will take over the spot on the Strip where the iconic volcano currently is.

The Mirage, developed by Steve Wynn, opened in November 1989. It began the new era of megaresorts on the Strip. MGM acquired the resort in May 2020 when it bought Wynn’s Mirage Resorts for $4.4 billion. 

The Mirage was known for being the home of Siegfried & Roy from 1990 until 2003, the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat until 2022, as well as the free volcano show on the Strip. Many would line up on the sidewalk to watch the volcano erupt. It surely stopped people walking up and down the Strip in their tracks.

Another part of the Mirage that’s ending is Cirque du Soleil-Beatles production “Love” after an 18-year run. The show will permanently go dark on July 7. The theater that the popular show performed in was formerly where Siegfried & Roy performed their legendary show and another iconic part of the resort's history. 

Popular Vegas-based TikToker, @VegasStarfish, shared a video of The Mirage explaining that the doors will soon close forever.

"It was just announced unexpectedly that a major resort on the Las Vegas Strip will be closing permanently on July 17. Today, during a town hall addressing all of the employees, Mirage announced that after 34 years, they would be closing forever," she said. "Earlier in the year, Cirque announced that Beatles "Love" was closing permanently. And some considered this foreshadowing for what might come."

She also explained that it's been understood for a while that The Mirage would begin transitioning into the Hard Rock Hotel, but until now, it was never revealed that they would close to make the transition happen.

"Until today, the belief was that everything would remain operational and the transition would be done in phases," she continued. "Hard Rock is expected to open in spring of 2027."

The TikTok video quickly grabbed tons of attention with more than 2 million views in a few hours.

"This hurts my heart. The Mirage and their volcano is a Vegas icon," one viewer wrote in the comments. Another said, "So sad. One of the highlights of my first visit to Las Vegas was The Mirage volcano. The Strip will never be the same."

And many others shared the same thoughts and sentiments as they near saying goodbye to the popular casino and iconic volcano show.

The Mirage is not the first hotel/casino on the Strip to close permanently this year.

In early April, the Tropicana Las Vegas closed its doors for good after an impressive 67-year run. The hotel holds tons of history and memories in its walls and locals and visitors alike were sad to see it close.

The hotel was a frequent stomping ground of the legendary Rat Pack and has mob history to share.

At its height, the hotel hosted many A-list performers and was featured in the 1971 film "Diamonds Are Forever," when James Bond stayed in a suite in the hotel. The Tropicana was home to the city's longest-running show, "Folies Bergere." The topless review had a nearly 50-year run before going dark.

Las Vegas is ever-changing and growing. In recent years, Vegas has welcomed many new attractions and hotels.

In late 2023, the Fontainebleau opened, 16 years after breaking ground. The 67-story, 3,644-room hotel broke ground in 2007 and in the 16 years until opening, the property changed ownership and names and started and stopped development. The hotel boasts 36 bars and restaurants, convention space, and six pools spread over a six-and-a-half-acre pool deck.

Also in 2023, the Sphere opened. While it entertains everyone with its exterior LED display that changes constantly, the inside is a unique venue where visitors can enjoy the feature film, "Postcard from Earth" or a concert. U2 was the first to have a residency at the Sphere.

2023 also began 10 years of F1 racing excitement on and around the Strip each November.