New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas: More in ‘24

LAS VEGAS (CN) — Christmas morning on the world-famous Strip looks like most any other day of the year in Las Vegas, though a tad more festive. Throngs of people walk north and south on Las Vegas Boulevard, east and west if they dare brave crosswalks, and as usual, a decent-sized crowd gathers in front of the Bellagio Casino as the hotel’s fountains take off for the first time of the day.

On Sunday night, however, 2023 makes way for 2024, and an estimated 350,000 people will usher in the new year as Las Vegas puts on one of the city’s biggest events of the year, according to city officials.

“It’s going to be the biggest party we’ve put on,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority. “It’s going to be the best one we put on. 2023 was a pretty spectacular year in this city that had a Stanley Cup champion with the Golden Knights. We had a second world championship with the (WNBA Las Vegas) Aces. We had the first Grand Prix… and we are going to carry that energy into 2024.”

Gambling aside, there is plenty to do in Las Vegas on Dec. 31.

What locals say

“Let’s bring it in the new year, baby, woo,” said Maria Kupelian.

Kupelian busied herself at the MGM Bet kiosk in Excalibur on Christmas morning, showing guests the ins and outs of sports betting. She has lived in Las Vegas for the past six years and said she is ready for an exciting night, even if she must work that evening.

“New Year’s in Vegas is definitely the place to be,” Kupelian said. “Everybody from all over the world wants to be here to celebrate. Every property has its own unique thing for New Year. It’s a fun, exciting, happening place to be, and you can’t go wrong.”

Malayka Nieth Cornejo said she is usually out of the country — generally Chile with family — for New Year’s Eve, but she will be ushering in 2024 on the Strip this year.

“I’m excited to know that I am going to be on the Strip with no other option but to participate in the festivities,” Cornejo, a former education professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said. “My wish for this new year is that I get to celebrate this trip and that everyone is super safe and loving of themselves. Put in some good energy and healing into our city. There’s a lot of possibilities coming up in 2024 for us, so this is exciting.”

Dining

There is no shortage of restaurants open on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, and OpenTable.com lists nearly 250 eateries ready to entertain you for the night on the Strip, down on Freemont Street, or across the city.

Jamie Pietrafeso is the acting controller at Battista’s Hole in the Wall, voted both the best non-casino and top family-friendly restaurant by the Las Vegas Journal Review in 2023. The Italian restaurant sits across the street from the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel and casino — home of the World Series of Poker.

During the 20 years Pietrafeso has worked on the Strip, she said that New Year’s Eve is not the most profitable night for restaurants on Las Vegas Boulevard because of vehicular traffic being closed off at 6 p.m. Even with that in mind, she said it is best to place a reservation for all restaurants as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

“Because we are a very busy restaurant, we do get a lot of large parties, so people definitely want to make reservations. Otherwise, you might end up hungry,” she said. “With that in mind, we’re sitting at like 300 people on the books right now, and we normally accommodate 600. We take reservations until 9:30 p.m., so come and see us.”

Entertainment

Throw a dart at a map of the Strip, and you will no doubt find something to behold on a stage in Las Vegas on December 31.

Late-night talk show hosts John Oliver and Seth Meyers, stand-up comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, pop star Demi Lovato, and the Time of Your Life Festival are just a few big names in entertainment that will be at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.

Hip-hop artist Post Malone will be the main act at BleauLive Theater, and burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese will be on stage at the Jubilee Theater. Comedians Katt Williams will play at the Pearl Theater, and Derek Hough will play at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Dolby Live will host a performance by Bruno Mars, Bakkt Theater will welcome back Kelly Clarkson, and Resorts World Theatre will continue Luke Bryan’s residency. There will be shows at Myron’s by Seth McFarlane and Liz Gillies and at The Venetian Theatre by Black Eyed Peas.

Transportation

Daniel Kerrigan is the owner of Las Vegas Rickshaw and has been in transportation for the last 20 years. He has motorized pedicabs all over the country, but his largest shop is in Sin City. He said that with the Strip closing so many hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve, he and his employees are in high demand for the night and are happy to be so.

“We stay busy, and we go exactly where people tell us to go,” Kerrigan said. “Come have a good time. Come take a tour. You know, come see, think of us when you want to get from one place to the other, and check out the sphere. There are so many great things to do.”

If public transportation is more your speed, The Las Vegas Monorail will be the only motorized transportation along the Strip on New Year’s Eve, and it will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At customer service booths, a single-ride ticket costs $1, but guests from out of town pay $6. The Monorail also has eTickets that are cheaper for unlimited-ride passes that start at $13.45. People who have tickets can use the “Show Your Ticket & Save” program to get discounts on shows and attractions.

Fireworks

Fireworks will be shot from the top of Las Vegas’ ARIA Resort & Casino, Caesars Palace, Fontainebleau, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World, STRAT, Treasure Island, and Venetian Resort Las Vegas, which will host the night’s fireworks display entitled “America’s Party 2024,” the visitors bureau reports.

“Las Vegas is a category of 1,” Hill, the visitors bureau president, said at a preview of the fireworks show at Fashion Valley last week. “This is an amazing accomplishment, and we do it every year.”

Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson touted the city at the preview as well. “When you get right down to it, there is no better place to celebrate and seek more in ‘24 than Las Vegas,” Gibson said. “No one, and I mean no one, knows how to do a party like Las Vegas. This is going to be the most incredible event we have ever seen.”

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