How to kick off the New Year in Las Vegas.
It’s been a long year and just one night to blow off steam is not enough, especially when Las Vegas likes to make a weekend of it. You may already have your New Year’s Eve plans in place but what are you doing tonight? Or Saturday? Or Sunday?
If you’ve missed these New Year’s Eve features, here’s what we’ve already covered:
NIGHTLIFE: Find Me In the Club: Your Guide to Vegas New Year’s Eve Nightlife
DINING: Start Your New Year’s Eve at These Vegas Steakhouses
EXPERIENCE: Special New Year’s Eve Package at SPEEDVEGAS Motorsports Park
But again, what about the rest of the weekend? Here’s all the places you’ll go, starting tonight.
thursday, december 30
EXPERIENCE: If your 2021 resolution was to party all night long with the Weasel, Pauly Shore, you can finally cross it off your list – just in the nick of time – when the comedian hosts Pauly Palooza at the Plaza Hotel and Casino showroom. There will be go-go dancers, drinks, DJ Kneix and Mike Tran, and a performance by the man himself alongside his band, Pauly Shore and the Crustys. 9 p.m., FREE, plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/pauly-shore
DANCE: What would those Hangover movies have been without Flo Rida over the end credits? He’s the under-the-radar hero of that trilogy, and tonight he’s going to spin your head right round at Jewel Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $30-$50, hakkasangroup.com
It’s going to be a stacked weekend at Drai’s Nightclub on the roof of The Cromwell. Get the party started tonight with Jay Wayne Jenkins – his friends call him Jeezy. 10 p.m., $40-$60, draisgroup.com
Meanwhile, Zouk Nightclub, which kicks off its New Year’s celebration with Madison Beer on Wednesday, is back with Tiësto, Charly Jordan, and Luis Torres. Zouk will follow that up with Zedd on the 31st, and DJ Snake on the 1st. 10:30 p.m., $50-$75, zoukgrouplv.com
friday, december 31
DRINK: You can get the evening started early at Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas[JL1] , where they’ll be celebrating with a balloon drop at 12 a.m. Munich time (3 p.m. for Las Vegas) and welcoming special guests Murray SawChuck, Ricardo Laguna, and cast members from iLuminate and Raiding the Rock Vault, among others. Of course there will be German food specials, raffle prizes, and plenty of beer. 1 p.m., hofbrauhauslasvegas.com
Mandalay Bay and SBE will open S Bar[JL2] on New Year’s Eve with music by BYNX and a tasty looking cocktail menu. Wear something nice. 5 p.m., sbe.com/nightlife/s-bar/las-vegas
If you’re the fancy, cigar-smoking type and want to ring in 2022 at the place where celebrities keep their stogies, Resorts World’s Eight Cigar Lounge is hosting a New Year’s celebration with a hosted bar and performers Mecca and Peter Love. 9 p.m., $150, eightloungelv.com
Around the corner from Eight, Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge will have a hosted bar from 9 p.m. until midnight, with DJ Mike Oz and deejay/saxophone duo Roger and Roco providing the tunes throughout the evening. 8 p.m., $150, gatsbysvegas.com/nye
The Venetian’s Cocktail Collective – The Dorsey, Electra, and Rosina – is offering table packages for thirsty revelers that all include a choice of Patron Silver Tequila or a Belvedere Vodka bottle for you and your friends, plus a lot more. $575-$1,495, Reserve at CocktailCollectiveVIP@VenetianLasVegas.com
Down at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, you’ve got your pick of New Year’s parties at The Chelsea, the Ice Rink, Marquee, and more. Need a recommendation? Dress fancy and celebrate inside The Chandelier, where you can enjoy an open bar, party favors, music, and a midnight fireworks display. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., $125, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
At Caesars Palace, Absinthe will open its Green Fairy Garden to the public following its 10 p.m. show, so you can count down to 2022 with drinks, a DJ, and the show’s 35-foot sculpted holiday tree. spiegelworld.com/absinthe
Or spend New Year’s Eve on the rooftop at downtown’s Commonwealth. Reserve The venue’s speakeasy, The Laundry Room, will also host a celebration of its own. Reservations are required for both parties. Reserve
EXPERIENCE: If you’re in the mood for something completely different, AREA15 will host its first-ever Playa Playground New Year’s Eve Music & Art Festival, an immersive, three-venue experience featuring food trucks, carnival rides, interactive art installations, six art car stages, and five “playa-style Sound Camps.” 8 p.m., area15.com/events/playa-playground-nye
HEAR: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is making a statement on its first New Year’s Eve, and there are still tickets available for Lizzo (with special guest DJ Sophia Eris). 10 p.m., $99+, virginhotelslv.com
We can’t forget about Katy Perry, who debuts her PLAY show at Resorts World Las Vegas this week. 9 p.m., rwlasvegas.com/entertainment/katy-perry
And there’s always room for more under the Fremont Street canopy. If this is the year you decide to brave the crowds, the cold, and COVID, you can hump around with Bobby Brown, chill with Vanilla Ice, join the Navy with the Village People, sing a Space Age Love Song with A Flock of Seagulls, and do the wild thing with Tone Loc. $50, vegasexperience.com
saturday, january 1
RECOVER: A friendly reminder that January 1 is National Hangover Day, and PT’s Taverns will celebrate with its hangover cures; $5 Bloody Mary’s all day and $13 PT’s Pub Classic burgers. ptstaverns.com
EXPERIENCE: Sahara Las Vegas debuts its new nightlife experience, AZILO Ultra Lounge[JL4] , on New Year’s Day, with DJ Flowfly and Chris Garcia, collectively known as The Frenchies. The best part? No cover. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., azilolasvegas.com
HEAR: The GOAT David Lee Roth has promised to wrap up his performing career after his residency at House of Blues Las Vegas. You better get there before it’s all over. 8 p.m., $63.50+, houseofblues.com
And if you did not feel like splurging for Usher at The Colosseum on New Year’s Eve, he’s back on Saturday night. Or maybe that was your plan all along? 9 p.m., caesars.com/caesars-palace/shows/usher
DANCE: Here’s where you really have to give credit to the men and women that spend all day cleaning up Hakkasan Nightclub after New Year’s Eve, just so it can get wrecked again when Mustard takes over on New Year’s Day (night). 10:30 p.m., $30-$50, hakkasangroup.com
Drai’s Nightclub will follow up its New Year’s Eve Rick Ross concert with resident artist 2 Chainz. 10:30 p.m., $50-$100, draisgroup.com
Meanwhile, The Cosmopolitan’s Marquee Nightclub is back open for another year, with DJ Pauly D set to become 2022’s first headliner. 10 p.m., $20-$30, marqueelvnc.taogroup.com
And Marshmello, who just followed up the single “Preached” with a new golden helmet drop in Fortnite, returns to familiar stomping grounds at Wynn’s XS Nightclub. 10 p.m., $40-$60, wynnsocial.com
sunday, january 2
CHEER: Assuming Omicron hasn’t thrown a monkey wrench into the game plan, your Vegas Golden Knights will be back on the ice to throw the Winnipeg Jets a beating. 1 p.m., t-mobilearena.com
DANCE: Drai’s Nightclub is still going big post-New Year’s with a live concert starring rapper Tory Lanez. 10:30 p.m., $40-$60, draisgroup.com
Or, if you prefer a soundtrack by Afrojack, you can join him at OMNIA. 10:30 p.m., $30-$50, hakkasangroup.com
