Entertaining the Masses at The Mirage

The Mirage Hotel & Casino opened on November 22, 1989, with Siegfried & Roy present at the property’s opening ceremonies. In fact, two of the duo’s tiger cubs were technically the first VIP guests to ever check into the property; they arrived by limousine and were personally escorted to the check-in counter by Siegfried & Roy themselves. Their show, titled Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage, was slated to open the following month, on December 26, but technical issues and production setbacks resulted in a delay which fueled further speculation and gave rise to rumors that Roy had died under mysterious circumstances. The team’s publicists were pressured to release a public statement denouncing these rumors, and even the Clark County coroner’s office felt compelled to clarify that “no death certificate had [ever] been issued.” The show—boasting a $30 million price tag, revamped illusions and set-pieces, and a custom-built theatre—finally premiered on February 1, 1990, with tickets going on sale that morning. Crowds of eager fans began to form, all trying to get their hands on one of the show’s $60.80 tickets, the price of which was unprecedented at the time. Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage premiered to rave reviews, grossing over $300 million in revenue during its first decade at the property. The show ran until October 2003, after Roy was brutally attacked by a tiger during a performance.

By October 2004, Cirque du Soleil announced its intention to bring a Beatles-themed show to the Siegfried & Roy Theatre at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, which had been largely vacant since the abrupt closure of Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage the previous year. The production, titled The Beatles LOVE, opened on June 30, 2006, during a period of renovation for The Mirage Hotel & Casino which saw the property offer new shows, open new restaurants, and overhaul the famous volcano attraction. This new Cirque du Soleil production was a return to the property that is directly responsible for establishing Cirque du Soleil’s now decades-long relationship with Las Vegas. Cirque du Soleil’s inaugural Las Vegas production, Nouvelle Experience, was staged behind The Mirage Hotel & Casino from November 1992 until November 1993, in a custom-built tent behind the property. The show was a financial success and resulted in Mystère opening at the neighboring Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in December 1993, the company’s first-ever non-touring show. The Beatles LOVE closed on July 7, 2024, as The Mirage Hotel & Casino began to wind down its operations; the show was seen by over 11.5 million people throughout its 18-year run.

Many other entertainment offerings were available at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, with live boxing being among the most prominent in the first decade of the property. To celebrate The Mirage Hotel & Casino’s first month, boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran faced off at the property in a widely seen match-up which ultimately saw Leonard emerge victorious. This fight grossed an estimated $70 million and set a high standard for subsequent boxing matches at the property. On February 22, 1990, owner Steve Wynn announced that he had controversially signed boxer James “Buster” Douglas to a limited contract at the property, resulting in litigation from promoter Don King and businessman Donald Trump, each of whom claimed unlawful interference between Wynn and their respective business negotiations with Douglas. By June 1990, these issues were resolved and The Mirage Hotel & Casino was officially granted its bid to host a match between Douglas and Evander Holyfield. The two faced off before a crowd of 16,000 attendees on October 26, 1990, with Holyfield ultimately defeating Douglas. Legendary boxer Mike Tyson faced off against Donovan “Razor” Ruddock on two separate occasions at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, once in March 1991 and again in June 1991. Later that year, in recognition of Mexican Independence Day, boxer Julio Cesar Chavez defeated Julian Jackson in a fight staged in an outdoor arena erected on the property’s grounds. Chavez would return in September 1995 to face off against David Kamau, ultimately defeating his opponent via unanimous decision, just months before he was defeated by Oscar De La Hoya in June 1996 at the Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino, in a now-famous match billed as the “Ultimate Glory.”