As the year winds down everywhere else, Las Vegas amps up for another major turn of the calendar page. The city always offers new things as 400,000 people celebrate the New Year, setting the stage for grand reveals. Whether entertaining a last-minute trip or even if you already have plans booked, these are our picks for where to stay, where to party, who to see and what to eat in Las Vegas right now.

Looking for the best deals on last-minute tickets to Vegas shows, concerts and events? At SeatGeek, save $10 off eligible purchases of $250 and up with THR‘s exclusive promo code HOLLYWOOD10; save $20 off at VividSeats with code THR2024; and at Ticket Network, take $150 off orders of $500 or more with code THR150 or $300 off $1,000 or more with code THR300.

Keep reading below for the latest news in the city’s hospitality scene (including W’s arrival at Mandalay Bay), the best new and existing residencies in Las Vegas, where to buy sold-out New Year’s Eve 2025 event tickets online and more.

Las Vegas’ Latest Hotel and Suite “Reinventions”

While late 2023 brought a swell of resort openings, events and venues such as Fontainebleau, Durango, Sphere and Las Vegas Grand Prix, and early 2024 gave Las Vegas its first Super Bowl and the implosion of the Tropicana, there are no hotel openings on the horizon. However, things are constantly changing.

W Hotels returns to the Strip, this time taking over the hotel formerly known as Delano (the tower next to Mandalay Bay). The Marriott brand occupied one of the towers at the former SLS Las Vegas, now Sahara, from 2016 to 2018. This is the newest collaboration in MGM Resort’s partnership with Mariott—MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy—featuring 12 properties, including Bellagio, Aria, The Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino and Mandalay Bay.

At Caesars Palace, the legendary “Rain Main” and “Hangover” suites (from $2,500 per night), depicted in the 1988 and 2009 movies and located in the 24-story Colosseum Tower, recently underwent a makeover. The 10 two-story Flavian Sky Suites span 3,000 square feet and were made for a party. Featuring high contrasts of black and white and emerald accents inspired by the jewelry worn by Cleopatra and splashes of Roman red, the suites offer panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip or the Colosseum. On the lower level, several 75-inch televisions with Bluetooth surround sound systems in the living room amplify the entertainment; a butler’s pantry with a microwave and refrigerator and a dining room with seating for eight allow for lavish meals en-suite; and a pool table keeps the action going late into the evening. A large, curved sofa is near the two-story high window, perfect for gazing out upon the Strip. In front of this window in Rain Man, Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise) taught Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) how to dance.

Upstairs, find the king and two queen bedrooms decked out in Fili D’Oro linens on the beds and black-and-white patterned carpet, and the bathrooms continue the theme with high-contrast black-and-white marble mosaic floors and marble-tiled walls and shower. Your butler’s service ensures every wish is granted, including a Nobu order from in-room dining. “Caesars Palace has been integral to Las Vegas history and embedded in pop culture for decades. Movies like The Hangover and Rain Man put a spotlight on our luxurious suites, inspiring guests from around the world to stay with us,” says Sean McBurney, regional president of Caesars Entertainment. “It’s an iconic resort and continues to be a prime location for various TV shows, movies and commercials, offering a fun backdrop in the heart of The Strip and sometimes serving as a key component in the storyline.”

The Best New Residencies and Shows in Las Vegas

Afterlife Presents Anyma’s “The End of Genesys”
When: Dec. 29 to 31, 2024 and January 1, 10–11, 2025
Where: Sphere, 255 Sands Ave.; (702) 258-6724
What: The inaugural EDM residency at Sphere brings together record label and event producer Afterlife and Anyma, a multidisciplinary music and contemporary art project by Matteo Milleri. Anyma has gained critical acclaim for albums “Genesys” and “Genesys II,” as well as his live shows. This full-scale sensory event will be an intersection between art, technology, and music with art direction by Alessio De Vecchi, executive production by Alexander Wessely, and additional production by animation studio Woodblock. Special guests will highlight the performances of “Genesys,” including Adriatique, Amelie Lens, Camelphat, Charlotte de Witte, Dixon, Mike Dean, Rampa, Sebastian Ingrosso, Tiesto and more.
Tickets: Gametime, SeatGeek, Stubhub, Ticket Network, VividSeats

Janet Jackson
When: Dec. 30–31, 2024; Jan. 3–4, Feb. 5, 7–8, 12, 14–15, 2025 
Where: Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World, 3000 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; (702) 676-7000
Janet Jackson returns to Las Vegas with an all-new residency that kicks off during the New Year’s Eve holiday, which will be a nonstop hit parade. In 2019, she received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside her brothers, and in that same year, her Las Vegas residency, “Metamorphosis,” closed out to record-breaking ticket sales with only 18 dates at the Park MGM’s Park Theater. Jackson has been performing in Las Vegas since she was eight years old.
Tickets: Gametime, SeatGeek, StubHub, Ticket Network, VividSeats

50 Cent: In Da Club
When: Dec. 30; Jan. 3 and 4, 9 p.m.; New Year’s Eve show Dec. 31, 10 p.m.
Where: PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, 3667 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; (866) 919-7472
50 Cent kicks off “50 Cent: In Da Club,” his first Las Vegas residency at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Expect all the hits “In Da Club,” “Candy Shop,” “P.I.M.P.,” and “21 Questions.”
Buy tickets: Gametime, SeatGeek, Stubhub, Ticket Network, VividSeats

Miss Behave’s Mavericks
When: Wed–Sun, 7 p.m.; Sat., 7 and 9:30 p.m.; NYE show, 9:30 p.m.
Where: Plaza Las Vegas, 1 Main Street, Las Vegas
Depart from the typical glossy Strip shows and residencies and head Downtown to Plaza Las Vegas to see one of the city’s best under-the-radar entertainment options. With no ticket fees, free parking and cheap drinks, Miss Behave’s Mavericks brands itself as a “flirty, filthy and fabulous blend of comedy, circus, burlesque and variety—delivered with an irreverent wink and cut-throat wit”—and it delivers. No two shows are the same with a rotating cast of out-of-this-world, odd-ball talents in one of the only remaining classic Las Vegas showrooms. On New Year’s Eve, dine at Oscar’s Steakhouse, take a whirl on the Carousel Bar located under the Plaza’s iconic dome—steps away from the best vantage point to watch the Plaza’s fireworks show—and hit the Sand Dollar Downtown, which welcomes The Moonshiners playing live Great Gatsby/Prohibition Pop from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Buy tickets: Mavericksdtlv.com