The iconic Mirage Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, US, will close its doors on 17 July 2024, marking the end of an era for a property that helped transform the city into a luxury resort destination.
The Mirage, which opened in 1989 as the first megaresort on the strip, ushered in a wave of development throughout the 1990s.
Its Polynesian theme and signature volcano fountain became major tourist attractions, inspiring competitors such as the Bellagio and Venetian to create their own iconic water features.
The Mirage was also known for its entertainment offerings, hosting the popular Siegfried and Roy tiger show and a Cirque du Soleil production set to Beatles music.
New owner Hard Rock International (HRI), which purchased the Mirage from MGM Resorts in 2022, plans a major overhaul of the property.
The 80-acre site will be transformed into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, featuring a new 700ft-tall guitar-shaped hotel tower similar to Hard Rock's Hollywood, Florida, location.
The resort is expected to reopen in 2027.
The closure will result in the layoff of more than 3,000 Mirage employees.
However, HRI has reportedly committed to providing $80m in severance pay and expects to create more than 6,000 new jobs once the revamped resort opens.
The construction phase itself is estimated to generate an additional 2,500 jobs.
The Culinary Workers Union, which represents hospitality workers in Las Vegas, reportedly negotiated a severance package that offers affected Mirage employees $2,000 per year of service with the option to return to the resort upon its reopening and retain seniority.
The Mirage closure marks the second major casino shutdown on the strip this year, following the closure of the Tropicana Las Vegas resort in April to make way for a new baseball stadium.
