Fontainebleau Snags Justin Timberlake for Grand Opening

By Scott Roeben, on December 09 2023
3 min read 13 comments
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We were in the middle of writing a story about how our recent tour of Fontainebleau Las Vegas has reignited our love of Las Vegas. We’ll post that soon, but in the meantime, scoop!

We’ve learned Fontainebleau has booked none other than A-lister triple threat Justin Timberlake for its grand opening. He was named “Sexiest Man Alive” at one point, so it’s probably “quadruple threat.” And isn’t he married to Jessica Biel, who was named “Sexiest Woman Alive”? Make that quintuple. He’s also a  philanthropist, so “sextuple threat” it is. That actually seems like a better fit, anyway, what with all the sexy involved.

There’s been no official announcement or confirmation of this news yet, but when has that ever stopped us?

Timberlake (A.I.’s version of him, anyway) brought “sexy” back. Fontainebleau is bringing “OMFG” back. Trust us on this one.

If you want to make a splash at a casino opening, having Justin Timberlake perform is a great way to do it.

During our tour of the $3.7 billion Fontainebleau (pronounced “fountain-blue”), we were struck by the fact no expense has been spared, and those deep pockets appear to extend to the resort’s grand opening party.

We’d put the over/under for Timberlake’s payday for this private show at $2 million. (Note: They could’ve gotten Elton John for a million.)

The official opening date of Fontainebleau, after decades of drama, is Dec. 13, 2023. However, Dec. 13 is invite-only, so the opening date for regular people is Dec. 14, 2023. (Or just before midnight on Dec. 13.)

Which means most of us won’t be able to see Justin Timberlake, but that’s how the world works, and hopefully there will be lots of video shared during and after his performance.

If Fontainebleau is smart, they’ll also let Timberlake do the ceremonial first dice roll at the craps table. It should be us, honestly, but it’s flipping Justin Timberlake.

Justin Timberlake’s show at the Fontainebleau’s grand opening could explain why the resort is being so stingy (sorry, discerning) with invitations to the private event.

Another reason the party is so exclusive: Dec. 13 is the birthday of Jeffrey Soffer, Chairman and CEO of Fontainebleau Development. He broke ground on Fontainebleau Las Vegas back in 2007. The economy tanked and the project sat idle through various owners, now Soffer is at the helm again, with financial backing from Koch Industries. Long and fascinating story.

Timberlake’s appearance is sure to make international news, which is a really good thing for Fontainebleau, as it has leaned heavily on its brand (rather than P.R. or marketing), which may not be as well-known as they believe it is. See SLS for another example of a casino assuming people would flock to its hotel based upon brand recognition, an imagined scenario that never transpired.

Still, Fontainebleau’s resort is stunning, and people are going to lose their minds when they finally get inside.

The resort is going to raise the bar for over-the-top extravagance and luxury, and it’s clear Fontainebleau is looking to show the world they belong in Vegas and will be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

More on the gloriousness that is Fontainebleau soon, but we wanted to get this scoop on the record so Johnny Kleptometes at the Las Vegas Review-Journal knows who’s boss when he “breaks” this story next week.

Fontainebleau has some business challenges ahead, but it can’t hurt to shake the pillars of Vegas for its grand opening, and Justin Timberlake is just the kind of powerhouse superstar to help make that happen.

Update (12/9/23): After our story went live, we were informed this rumor was first reported by The Sun. Timberlake is reportedly being paid $6.3 million. Kats won’t give them credit, either.