Las Vegas is a global entertainment capital - but how did it get that way? Here's a whirlwind tour through the years showing how Vegas became a show biz magnet.
Las Vegas is one of the world's landmark entertainment capitals, and home to the biggest casino industry in North America. But exciting slots and table games aren't the only attractions that the jewel of the Nevada desert has to offer.
The city has been associated with some of the biggest names in show business, with millions of fans visiting each year to take in some of the most popular music, circus, and acrobatics acts on earth.
As Vegas celebrates a century of great entertainment which continues to this day, let's trace the evolution of entertainment in America's gaming capital over the decades. Join us on a trip down memory lane as we remember some of the big names that have appeared in lights on the Vegas strip.
How Vegas became an entertainment capital
There has been a long line of glamorous gaming and luxury accommodation offerings putting Vegas on the map internationally for almost a century. But the city’s fantastic entertainment that still draws millions of visitors today had small beginnings.
Las Vegas was founded in 1905 but the city really put itself on the entertainment map in the 1930s and 40s when the first of its famous casinos, the Northern Club, opened its doors to the public. At first, Vegas was a great escape for Casino players from the state of California and the surrounding region - not only because the city allowed gambling but also because it was relatively easy to get divorced there at a time when separation proceedings were extremely difficult in other states.
Casino owners soon realized that players didn't only want to bet big and win big, but also wanted a reason to stay longer in the city. Before long, the strip’s luxury hotels became landmarks in the rapidly expanding desert strip for their accommodation and dining options.
When Las Vegas hotels saw their occupancy rates skyrocketing as a result of enhanced dining options and comfortable rooms, they decided to invest heavily in entertainment, and the famous Vegas show was born.
Frank Sinatra: the King of Vegas
After Las Vegas casinos decided to host the best entertainment on earth, musicians and singers from across the United States found themselves being booked in the city. One of the most famous examples was the Chairman himself, Frank Sinatra.
In the 1950s, the famous crooner Frank Sinatra found himself becoming more and more popular, as his smooth jazz vocals and acting ability made him a sought after performer and movie actor. He had appeared many times in Vegas during the decade and by 1960 he decided to make it his permanent artistic home. Sinatra became the central entertainment figure on the strip and helped to build its international show biz reputation.
Celebrities descend on the Vegas Strip
In the 1960s and 70s, Vegas hosted singing sensations including Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, and perhaps most famously the king of rock 'n' roll Elvis Presley. Having just completed a successful Hollywood career, Elvis came to Vegas to reinvent himself once again as a successful lounge singer.
The rock 'n' roll icon Performed hundreds of times in Vegas in the 1970s until his untimely death in 1977 and was famous for his rhinestone-studded jumpsuits and ability to breathe new life into many different genres of music.
Other big names like Liberace - another fan of rhinestone and larger-than-life stagecraft - graced the stages of Vegas during this era with sporting legends like Muhammad Ali and famous Circus acts including Siegfried and Roy adding variety and excitement to the city’s entertainment offering.
Modern-day Vegas: a must-see city for top-draw entertainment
The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas lives on to this day, with the city appearing in numerous movies and hosting international conventions and concerts that attract passionate gamblers and ordinary fans alike. Vegas-themed slot machines have become popular around the world, both at land-based casinos and online. Players can enjoy Vegas-inspired slots like 10 Times Vegas from the comfort of their homes or on-the-go, thanks to mobile accessibility that makes online casinos available 24/7.
As modern-day Las Vegas continues to reign as a premium entertainment capital, famous acts including Adele, Rod Steward, and other well-known singers still appear regularly in the city along with famous circus and magic acts which have become incredibly popular with casino audiences in recent years.
Conclusion
As Las Vegas approaches its hundred year anniversary, casino fans can look forward to many more decades of riveting entertainment from the best music and life performance act of of the day.
Throughout its history, Vegas has always stood for top-quality entertainment, for audience members of every age, culture, and background. We may not know for sure who will be on stage in Las Vegas another hundred years from now, but one thing that one thing for sure one thing we know for sure is that the city will never lose its commitment to putting a smile on the face of every patron.
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