(A rendering of the reimagined Bally’s Las Vegas resort and casino, which will anchor the mixed-use development surrounding the new Athletics stadium. The project includes two hotel towers, a casino, spa, convention space, rooftop experiences and more. Image courtesy of Bally’s Corporation.)
Major expos like RE+, G2E, and IMEX America bring tens of thousands to the Strip, while international travel, airlift, and visitor volume continue to slip
RE+ 2025 Draws 37,000 Clean Energy Professionals to Las Vegas
RE+ 2025 brought 37,000 attendees and 1,325 exhibitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center, down slightly from 40,000 in 2024. The event highlighted global collaboration with Denmark as the spotlight country and featured pavilions from Germany, Canada, Austria, Türkiye, and South Korea. On-site programs included the Agrivoltaics Showcase, a clean energy job fair, and sessions on global PV and storage markets. RE+ returns to Las Vegas in November 2026.
Coverings to Return to Las Vegas in 2026
Coverings, North America’s largest tile and stone event, will return to Las Vegas March 30–April 2, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show was last held in Las Vegas in 2014. Organizers have also opened submissions for the 2026 Installation & Design Awards and Rock Star program.
October Tradeshows Highlight Gaming, Meetings, Insurance, and Supply Chain
Las Vegas opens October with two of the month’s largest expos: Global Gaming Expo (G2E) runs October 6–9 at The Venetian Expo, drawing nearly 25,000 attendees and 329 exhibitors from across the casino gaming industry. IMEX America follows October 7–9 at Mandalay Bay with 15,800 attendees and a massive 3,537 exhibitors, making it the month’s largest show by exhibitor count.
NBAA-BACE (October 14–16, Las Vegas Convention Center) welcomes 17,500 aviation professionals and 839 exhibitors, while ITC Vegas (October 14–16, Mandalay Bay) brings together 9,000 attendees and 700 exhibitors focused on insurance innovation. SupplySide Global (October 27–30, Mandalay Bay) rounds out the month with 18,000 attendees and 1,566 exhibitors in health and nutrition.
Additional events include HLTH (October 19–22, The Venetian), MWC Las Vegas (October 14–15, Fontainbleau), and a cluster of co-located shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center October 15–16, including White Label World Expo and The Business Show.
Las Vegas Tourism Slips as Costs Climb, Policies Tighten
Las Vegas drew 3.17 million visitors in August 2025, down from 3.4 million a year earlier. Hotel occupancy, air travel, and drive-in traffic from California are all down. Rising travel costs, high resort fees, and steep prices on the Strip have drawn growing criticism from both tourists and locals.
International tourism is also falling, driven by a strong U.S. dollar and stricter immigration and visa policies. The drop is part of a national trend hitting cities like Orlando, Miami, San Francisco, and New York. Las Vegas, heavily dependent on discretionary spending and international travel, is feeling the impact more than most.
Local resorts and convention officials are now pushing promotions, cutting fees, and shifting focus to domestic travelers in hopes of reversing the trend. Without major policy or economic shifts, the decline is expected to continue through the end of 2025.
Las Vegas Casino Revenue Climbs Despite Drop in Visitors
Las Vegas casinos continued to outperform visitor trends in August, with the Strip posting $679.4 million in gaming win — up 5.5% year-over-year — despite a decline in overall tourism. It marked the 54th consecutive month that Nevada’s gaming revenue topped $1 billion, according to the state Gaming Control Board.
Downtown Las Vegas saw an even stronger gain at 8.4%, while statewide gaming revenue reached $1.23 billion, a 5.5% increase. Analysts credited the rise to favorable calendar shifts, including an extra Sunday and an earlier Labor Day weekend, plus strong casino hold percentages, particularly in games like baccarat.
Meanwhile, visitation to Las Vegas dropped to 3.17 million in August, down from 3.4 million the year before, continuing a downward trend that began earlier this summer.
Vegas Loop Expands, Eyes Full Strip Connectivity
Elon Musk’s Boring Company crossed Las Vegas Boulevard for the second time, advancing its underground Vegas Loop project. The system has moved over 3 million passengers to date and now includes eight stations. Approved plans call for 68 miles of tunnel and 104 stops, connecting Harry Reid Airport, Allegiant Stadium, and the Strip with rides as short as two minutes.
Bally’s Unveils Massive Mixed-Use Project Around A’s Stadium Site
Bally’s Corp. will break ground in 2026 on a phased, mixed-use development surrounding the future Athletics ballpark on the former Tropicana site. Plans include 3,000 hotel rooms, a 2,500-seat theater, a 500,000-square-foot retail and dining district, and 104,000 square feet of casino space. A Vegas Loop station and 5,000 parking spaces are also planned. The first phase will open alongside the $2 billion stadium in 2028.
Dolly Parton Postpones Colosseum Residency to Fall 2026
Dolly Parton has postponed her upcoming Las Vegas shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace due to health-related procedures. The residency, originally set for December 2025 and her first in the city in more than 30 years, will now take place in fall 2026. In a message to fans, Parton said she wants to be fully ready to deliver “the show that you deserve to see.”
Las Vegas Hosts Inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards
Las Vegas hosted the debut of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants on September 25, drawing top chefs and restaurateurs from across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. The invite-only gala recognized Atomix in New York as the No. 1 restaurant, with Canada landing 11 spots on the list.
Ringo Starr Ends Venetian Residency Amid Strip Music Shuffle
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band closed out their six-show run at the Venetian Theatre on Sept. 27, wrapping the former Beatle’s latest Vegas stint. The residency featured Beatles classics like “Yellow Submarine” and “With a Little Help From My Friends,” alongside hits from fellow bandmates’ catalogs. The lineup included members of Toto, Men at Work, and Average White Band.
Starr joins a wave of artists ending runs on the Strip this fall, including Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Joan Jett, and Scorpions. No word yet on whether Starr will return for another engagement.
Drai’s Leaves Rooftop, Returns to Original Basement Club
Drai’s will shut down its rooftop nightclub at The Cromwell after Halloween and relaunch in its original basement space November 2. Club president Dustin Drai says the move reflects a shift away from mega-clubs toward more intimate nightlife. The rooftop will become a pool and private event space ahead of the hotel’s rebrand to Vanderpump Hotel.
