Drone Video Shows Off Rio’s Flashy New Exterior

By Scott Roeben, on August 29 2024
3 min read 7 comments
Las Vegas

One of the most under-reported Las Vegs stories of the year has to be the bedazzling of the Rio’s exterior.

The relatively new owners and operators of Rio, Dreamscape, have invested a metric ass-ton in making the off-Strip resort stunning, including installation of more than three miles of programmable LEDs on its hotel towers.

We finally got our hands on video that shows off some of what Rio can do now, although, it’s just a nibble of the visual feast.

Rio brought its marquees back to their former glory. It remains to be seen if they can make that happen at the entire resort.

For many years, Rio’s exterior was red and blue. Distinctive, but times change, and Dreamscape clearly understood an infusion of color and movement were required to make Rio stand out (and to compete with the palatial casinos on The Strip).

These days, Rio pretty much looks different every time you drive by, with seemingly infinite variations in color combinations and kinetic designs.

Take a look. In honor of Rio letting us use their drone video, we slapped together a song with A.I. to accompany it. Rio hasn’t heard the music or approved it, so oops. We don’t live by society’s rules.


A.I.’s “phoenix rising from the flames” metaphor is fitting, as Rio is attempting to make a comeback following years of neglect by the former operator, Caesars Entertainment. Caesars had a foot out the door, so it didn’t make a lot of sense to invest in the resort. It showed.

Dreamscape dug deep with a $340 million renovation of Rio, expected to be completed this year.

Even the video doesn’t really effectively show what Rio’s exterior lighting can do. It’s wild, and follows in the footsteps of other Las Vegas casinos making their buildings eye-catching.

Circa’s entire tower is covered with undulating, programmable lighting, that can be seen from miles away. Same with Mandalay and Delano (they installed more than six miles of LEDs that can display more than 16 million color hues). The Sphere, of course, is all about the eye candy.

Luxor used to be the standard for lights, but its beam has been reduced in power to save on costs. Still, Luxor’s pyramid has LEDs now, too.

As for Rio’s lighting displays, Dreamscape worked with lighting designers Chris Kuroda and Andrew Giffin. Kuroda was part of the team that created visuals for Phish, a body of work that spans 35 years and nearly 1,800 shows. Phish is a band, by the way. They were popular in the late 1990s, fellow youths.

There are about 60 “looks,” or visual vignettes, on the hotel towers at Rio, most lasting about 10 minutes. Rio says “no two shows will ever be the same.” Still photos just don’t do these mini light shows justice.

We’ve tried to keep you informed about all the changes at Rio, as they are myriad. From the loyalty club (one of the most generous in town) to the excellent new food court and new lounge and restaurant options.

Rio recently opened Lapa Lounge (formerly iBar, adjacent to the hotel registration area) and Luckley Tavern & Grill (formerly All-American Bar & Grill). The Wine Cellar is open again and the pool complex has been given a much-needed facelift. There’s more, but we are not a good writer-downer of things. We’re more a winger. We wing.

Anyway, if you visited Rio again after you gave up on them (you know who you are), you’d know all this from personal experience rather than relying on some dopey blog to keep you in the loop.

We love the Rio’s hotel tower lights so very much. They’re one of the best free shows in Las Vegas.

A.I. sort of nailed it with these song lyrics:
“Skyline so divine
bring back the golden times
feel the rush, feel the sound
it’s the Rio rebound.”

Remember, A.I. is only as good as the one writing the prompts. It’s not the arrow, it’s the archer!

We are so out of work soon. It was fun while it lasted, though.