Legendary ‘Beatles LOVE’ Show Bids Farewell to the Las Vegas Strip

Posted on: April 9, 2024, 03:05h. 

Last updated on: April 10, 2024, 11:15h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

As expected, “The Beatles LOVE” won’t survive The Mirage’s transition to the second Hard Rock Las Vegas casino resort next year. The curtain will close on the Cirque du Soleil co-production, which was the only stage show ever mounted by the Beatles, on July 7, a month after its 19th anniversary.

A “Beatles LOVE” wrap has upstaged even The Mirage’s name on the casino resort since the musical opened in 2006. (Image: Getty)

Though the exact timeline is still unknown, The Mirage is about to be gutted and completely remade by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which purchased the operating rights to Steve Wynn’s Strip-shaping casino resort from MGM Resorts in December 2022 for $1.1 billion.

In an internal memo from Cirque obtained by Casino.org’s own Vital Vegas blog, Mike Newquist, president of resident and affiliate shows, said Tuesday that the Seminole Tribe “informed us that they’re planning to close the entire property for major renovations. We expected it to be by the end of 2024, but we now know that the show will close on July 7th, in advance of the property closure, as the renovation process is about to start.”

And in the end, the love it made was probably equal to the money it took. (Image: Cirque du Soleil)

The official press release, from Cirque CEO Stéphane Lefebvre. reads: “‘The Beatles LOVE’ has been seen by more than 11.5 million guests since opening in 2006. It’s been an honor for all of us at Cirque du Soleil to collaborate with The Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. on what can only be described as a masterpiece. We are grateful to the creators, cast, crew, and all involved in bringing this show to life and we know ‘The Beatles LOVE’ will live on long after the final bow.”

“The Beatles LOVE” connected characters from several Beatles songs, including Eleanor Rigby, Mr. Kite, Sgt. Pepper, and the Eggman, via a paper-thin storyline that was more than made up for by dazzling acrobatics, innovative stage mechanics, and a soundtrack that mashed up some of the best songs in the history of recorded music.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr take a curtain call with cast members during the show’s 10th anniversary in 2016. (Image: L.A. Times)

Opening night, on June 30, 2006, was attended by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows and children of John Lennon and George Harrison. (Talk about pressure on the performers!)

It was Harrison himself who first sewed the seed for the show, with Cirque founder Guy Laliberté, during a party at the Montreal Grand Prix in 2000. Harrison never lived to see the Beatles’ show, but gave the future collaboration a thumbs-up, even attending “O” with McCartney only a few months before his November 2001 death.

According to Harrison’s widow, Olivia, the show that Harrison and Laliberté discussed was to be staged in London, not Las Vegas.

It’s unclear what will become of the $100 million custom-designed “Beatles LOVE” theater, which replaced the Siegfried & Roy Theater, or even if the space will remain a performance venue.

Tickets for “The Beatles LOVE” performances through June 29 are on sale now at Cirque du Soleil’s website. Tickets for the final week of performances in July will go on sale in the coming weeks.