Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Virgin Las Vegas captures the spotlight again with Unstoppable Weekend celebration

Richard Branson

Kabik Photo Group

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson celebrates onstage with Flo Rida at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas during the resort’s grand opening weekend celebration.

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Christina Aguilera performs at the Theater at Virgin during the resort's grand opening weekend celebration.

Superstar singer Christina Aguilera rechristened the 4,500-seat Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas with a quick tour through some of her biggest hits Thursday night, but the true stars of the resort’s Unstoppable Weekend grand opening celebration were the newly completed venues completing its entertainment and hospitality offerings.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson was on hand for the Thursday night kickoff concert also featuring rapper Flo Rida and DJ Mix Master Mike in the renovated theater, as well as an earlier press conference and welcome event at the new Élia Beach Club. Over the weekend, the public got its first look at the club and adjacent resort pool as well as the indoor-outdoor sports bar and nightlife venue Money, Baby!

Virgin Las Vegas opened on March 25 and at that time, Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of JC Hospitality, owner of the resort, said a full-on grand opening party to celebrate the renovation and reopening of the former Hard Rock Hotel property would follow when COVID restrictions had eased.

“Because of covid we’ve all been locked away while all the hard work’s been going on … and now I think the life has been breathed back into this [property],” Branson said from the stage at Élia Beach Club. “There are so many magical moments here now, wherever you go at this hotel.”

The Mediterranean-inspired dayclub hosted performances from big name DJ acts including Deadmau5 and Sofi Tukker over its opening weekend. It takes up a considerable chunk of the completely renovated outdoor pool complex, one of the most striking changes from Hard Rock to Virgin. The tropical resort pool is nearby, surrounded by the restaurant patio spaces of Money, Baby!, Kassi Beach House (which opened over Memorial Day weekend) and Casa Calavera. Nearby, Todd English’s Olives restaurant is the last remaining restaurant still yet to open at Virgin, and that’s where the outdoor space is completed with the Event Lawn, designed to host private events as well as concerts, food festivals and more.

The entertainment offerings at Virgin are expanding quickly as a handful of concerts are already planned for the Event Lawn and the smaller indoor theater, 24 Oxford, while a new slate of bigger shows at the Theater are expected to be announced this week.