Three Heterogeneous Shows Close on The Strip, Here’s Why

By Scott Roeben, on January 12 2026
6 min read 4 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Shows

Three shows have recently closed on the Las Vegas Strip: “DiscoShow,” “Raiding the Rock Vault” and “Bob Marley Hope Road.”

We have done some in-depth analysis of these shows and the nuanced reasons for their untimely closures, and have determined they weren’t making money.

Oh, sure, there’s a Golden Globe Award for “Best Podcast” now, but zip for investigative journalism and analysis. How is that fair? Why isn’t there more outrage about this snub? Why was Jennifer Lopez at the Golden Globes? Why isn’t anyone talking about the fact the stars only attended the Golden Globes because they want Oscars? What are we going to do with this evening gown? Why isn’t there an Oscar category for blogging? And why does literally every reporter on local news have an Emmy? These and other questions ignored following a perfunctory image.

Don’t look here for the definition of “heterogeneous.” Life isn’t going to just be handed to you on a silver platter. Look it up! Have you changed at all since high school?

“Raiding the Rock Vault,” at Hard Rock Cafe, closed Dec. 30, 2025 after 12 years in Las Vegas.

The producer of the show blamed a drop in Canadian visitation as one of the main reasons the show closed, which is entirely asinine.

The show wasn’t doing well because it wasn’t all that good a show. All due respect. No, we didn’t see it. When has seeing a show ever been a requirement for us having an opinion about it?

Great shows rarely close. It happens sometimes (especially when effective marketing is lacking), but this wasn’t one of those times.

“Raiding the Rock Vault” featured people, billed as “members of some of the greatest rock bands in history” (also known as “olds”) performing rock songs. We’re sure some of them were formerly very talented, but we aren’t even sure that qualifies as a “show.” In the many clips of the show we’ve seen, performances were hit and miss. Nostalgia only goes so far.

This was the only hope of raiders winning.

If you were in the show, we know you gave it your all, but your show was in the Hard Rock Cafe.

During its decade-plus run on The Strip, “Raiding the Rock Vault” had a number of homes, including LVH (now Westgate), Tropicana, the Hard Rock (now Virgin) and Rio. We can find no record of it ever having rocked in terms of ticket sales, sorry.

A new show, “Ikons of Rock” has opened at Hard Rock Cafe. It’s supposed to be a one-year residency. We’re taking the under.

Full transparency: Yes, we are resentful about never being asked to perform in “Raiding the Rock Vault” despite our having been in a number of bands in high school.

Speaking of shows that may not qualify as shows, “DiscoShow” at The Linq, closed Jan. 3, 2026.

“DiscoShow” was from the folks behind “Absinthe” and “Atomic Saloon,” which might give one the impression it was guaranteed success were it not for the fact “DiscoShow” had literally nothing in common with those shows.

“DiscoShow” was part of a $40 million investment by Caesars Entertainment (owner of The Linq) and Spiegelworld (owner of any original entertainment ideas in Las Vegas since 2006. Beyond the show, the former Imperial Palace sportsbook got several lounges and Diner Ross Steakhouse. (Just the show closed, the other offerings are still operating.)

“DiscoShow” opened July 27, 2024.

During the entire duration of the show’s painfully short run, we kvetched to the show’s producer, Ross Mollison, that “DiscoShow” wasn’t a show. It was a disco dance party. It was a lot of fun for what it was, it just wasn’t a show. There were no seats.

Another pet peeve: “DiscoShow” never said where it was. We are not joking. This was our biggest pet peeve of both 2024 and 2025, and we have a fair number of peeves. For your fellow youths, a “pet peeve” is sort of a trigger. It’s an “ick” that makes you mad.

“DiscoShow” insisted upon advertising it was located at 3535 Las Vegas Blvd. Which was factually accurate, but that doesn’t make it right. It was at The Linq. You can say a hot dog is a sandwich, that’s accurate, but that doesn’t make it right. There are also things that are right, but not accurate. It’s right to say Caitlyn Jenner is a woman, but it’s not accurate.

You can try to cancel us for that joke, but trust us, the cast members of “Raiding the Rock Vault” are already busy doing that in DMs to other cast members of “Raiding the Rock Vault.”

On the bright side, no curtain came down on “DiscoShow,” as that would require there being a curtain.

Anyway, “DiscoShow” was a noble effort, but it’s really awkward. There’s a massive sign outside The Linq that says “DiscoShow.” And the lounges and restaurant are all disco-era inspired. WTF do they do now?

Personally, we have recommended the venue be reframed as a disco experience, a destination or attraction, rather than a show.

We have recommended “Discoplex at Linq: Dance Drink Dine.” Also in our pitch deck, which doesn’t exist because that involves “effort,” is “Studio Neon: An Immersive Disco Experience.” You get the idea. Do it the way Area 15 would. Make it an excuse to dress up and dance your ass off and drink things with edible glitter as a garnish.

Tagline: “It’s a disco time machine that transports you to an era where the party never ended and condoms were pretty much optional.”

Ticket sales were the culprit here, too, unsurprisingly. Mollison pulled the plug on “OPM” at Cosmopolitan for the same reason. The math just wasn’t mathing.

Big picture reasons include the drop in Las Vegas visitation in 2025 (in the neighborhood of a 6% decrease) and Sphere at Venetian.

The reality is Sphere is siphoning entertainment dollars from the rest of the Strip, redirecting discretionary spending away from traditional shows. Especially that pesky Dorothy Gale and her little dog, too.

Lastly, “Bob Marley Hope Road” at Mandalay Bay closed Jan. 5, 2026.

Bob Marley died 44 years ago.

Look, if we’re going to be canceled, let’s get it out of the way right up front so we don’t have to dread it.

That’s right, including our “dread” pun, we just scored the coveted Cancellation Trifecta, an honor even greater than a Golden Globe. And our story isn’t even done yet!

We shared a big red flag about “Bob Marley Hope Road” back in Oct. 2025, when a good number of folks involved with the production were laid off.

What was this show? Great question!

“Bob Marley Hope Road” was an entertainment experience celebrating the life, music, message, and legacy of reggae legend Bob Marley. It blended theater, interactive storytelling, visuals and music that sought to place guests inside the journey, rather than just watching from a distance.

In layperson terms, “unappealing.”

You can accuse us of being negative or a naysayer, but need we remind you this is a story about shows that closed?

In the case of “Bob Marley Hope Road,” the producers claim the show hasn’t closed, that it’s merely taking a “hiatus,” the Latin word for “closed.”

Seriously, though, “hiatus” does come from the Latin. It meant “gap, opening or yawn.” We are not kidding, “yawn” is literally in the meaning of “hiatus.”

All due respect to the three living Bob Marley fans.

Let’s get together and acknowledge some brands aren’t as valuable as the owners of those brands would hope.

Here’s what the show says about the alleged hiatus: “On January 5, 2026, we began a brief hiatus to allow some much-needed rest from the production’s strenuous demands. This downtime will also allow for production to broaden the show’s creative content to provide an even more expansive guest experience moving forward. Thank you to the many who danced, sang, and felt the power of Bob’s legacy with us in 2025. We will see you again under our Jammin’ Tree in the Spring of 2026. One Love.”

It’s worth noting, for anyone contemplating opening a show in Las Vegas, this show also had no seats! Even at shows with seats, idiots won’t sit down. It’s a whole thing and don’t get us started, we are about to make an important point.

This is not a self-serving way to try and uncancel ourself, but we hope “Bob Marley Hope Road” can be revived. The opportunities for performers of color on The Strip don’t exactly abound (venues featuring country music are exploding, sadly), so while this show may not be our personal musical sweet spot (that would be the Thompson Twins, circa 1984), we should all be supportive of shows featuring diversity, in themes and genres and talent. Told you it was important.

On a related topic, there’s a new show in the “X Rocks” theater at Horseshoe, “Sin City Stones,” a Rolling Stones tribute show, but they’re using a crappy A.I. voiceover to promote themselves, so we aren’t going to mention it here.

It’s a fascinating time in the evolution of Las Vegas entertainment, that’s for sure. Thanks a lot, Canadians.