Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Opening Celebration Headlined by Christina Aguilera

Posted on: June 8, 2021, 02:24h. 

Last updated on: June 30, 2021, 10:35h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, opened in March to little fanfare because of ongoing limitations caused by the pandemic. But with most restrictions now lifted, and Las Vegas returning to its typical Vegas ways, Virgin is ready to properly celebrate the off-Strip casino resort’s reincarnation.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas casino resort Aguilera
Christina Aguilera is seen at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The pop star is headlining this weekend’s bash at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. (Image: Getty)

Beginning this Thursday, June 10, and running through the weekend, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is reveling in what it’s calling an “Unstopped Weekend Celebration.” The four-day party kicks off with Christina Aguilera headlining a concert that will include performances by Flo Rida and Mix Master Mike. 

Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire business magnate who founded the Virgin Group in the 1970s, is also set to be on hand. Richard Bosworth, president and CEO of the casino resort’s ownership group — JC Hospitality — says such a party couldn’t have been held in March. 

We wanted vibrancy. We wanted a party. And we wanted it to be safe,” Bosworth told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We felt it would have been irresponsible to have that level of a party when you had to have anywhere from three- to six-foot social distancing, or 75 percent capacity, or no dancing.”

Bosworth says Branson will make a grand entrance. “That’s his surprise. He doesn’t even share it with me,” Bosworth explained.

Weekend Lineup

Tickets for the Aguilera-headlined concert start at $49, plus taxes and fees. For floor admission with a complimentary bar package, the rate is $99. 

Friday, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will unveil its Elia Beach Club. The Mykonos-themed beach venue will debut with Sofi Tukker and Sam Blacky. General admission is $40, with cabanas running up to $5,000. 

On Saturday night, Virgin will host a Top Rank boxing match between 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson against challenger Jeremiah Nakathila. Stevenson is the heavy favorite, DraftKings, Unibet, and BetRivers all having him at -5000. On those odds, a winning $100 bet nets just $2. 

Virgin’s “Unstoppable Weekend” stops Sunday night with a celebratory “shutdown party” at Money, Baby!, which the casino dubs as “Vegas’s newest adult playground.” The venue features sports betting and interactive games. 

Room rates aren’t cheap at Virgin this weekend. For a standard room for this Friday to Sunday, the two-night stay will cost $873.03. The rate is inclusive of taxes. Virgin Las Vegas is one of the rare casinos in town that does not impose a resort fee on hotel guests. 

Property on Market?

Though it only recently opened as Virgin, a leading blogger is reporting that the casino resort might already be up for sale. Scott Roeben, who runs Vital Vegas, reported on the rumblings this week.

Roeben said that while the resort’s makeover was well done, the property’s location obviously wasn’t something that could be changed. Virgin Las Vegas is located east of the Strip along Harmon Avenue. 

Few pedestrians are willing to make the nearly one-mile trek in the Nevada desert from the Strip to Virgin.