The iconic Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip will shut its doors this summer, marking the end of an era for a landmark credited with helping transform Sin City into an ultra-luxury resort destination.
The July 17 closure will clear the way for major renovations and construction on the 80-acre property, which is to reopen in 2027 as the Hard Rock Las Vegas, featuring a hotel tower in the shape of a guitar soaring nearly 700 feet above the heart of the Strip.
“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” said Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, in a statement announcing the closure.
Developed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Mirage opened with a Polynesian theme as the Strip’s first megaresort in 1989, spurring a building boom on the famous boulevard through the 1990s.
Its volcano fountain was one of the first sidewalk attractions, predating the Venetian’s canals and the Bellagio’s dancing fountains. It was known as a venue where tourists could see Siegfried and Roy taming white tigers or a Cirque du Soleil act set to a Beatles soundtrack.
The final curtain on the Beatles-themed show, which brought Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr back together for public appearances throughout its 18-year run, also comes down in July.
Hard Rock International said more than 3,000 employees will be laid off, and it expects to pay out $80 million in severance.
The Mirage became the first Strip property to be run by a Native American tribe in 2022, after Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, purchased it from MGM Resorts in a cash deal worth nearly $1.1 billion.
The Mirage is accepting no bookings for after July 14, and any reservations past that date will be canceled and refunded.