Copyright The Street
On the Las Vegas Strip and beyond, the night scene isn’t just about DJs and bottle service — it’s about entering another world. Dance floors and flashing lights aren’t enough anymore. With visitors increasingly chasing Instagram-ready moments, personalization and spectacle have become essential for late-night experiences. And in a city where the resort ecosystem is pivoting hard toward lifestyle and entertainment, a venue that can deliver both theatrical flair and premium spend is a hot property. One of the most popular Las Vegas nightclubs to ever deliver these was Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce, which opened in 2004. Forty Deuce 2.0 opening at Mandalay Bay For several years, Forty Deuce was the place to be seen. Bands including The Smashing Pumpkins, The Kinks, and Paul Westerberg all played there, and the club quickly became one of the Strip’s most talked-about venues. Known for its signature mix of live performance and club energy, it drew a celebrity crowd that reportedly included Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Paris Hilton, helping solidify its reputation as a nightlife landmark. Its signature burlesque show somehow managed to be both nostalgic, harkening to classic Vegas showgirl entertainment, and modern. When the club closed in 2008, an early victim of the Great Recession, fans were disappointed. “At the time I closed at Mandalay Bay, multiple projects had enticed me to expand into other markets,” the club’s founder Ivan Kane told TheStreet exclusively. Now is the time for Forty Deuce 2.0, says Kane. “I waited for just the right time to bring Forty Deuce back,” he added. So 17 years after closing its doors, a reimagined Forty Deuce will open on Vegas’ biggest night of the year: New Year’s Eve. “Vegas needs a more intimate nightclub experience now, one with more than just four walls, lights, and sound,” Kane says. “The huge EDM nightclubs are amazing, absolutely breathtaking, but I believe there is also a hunger for a different kind of nightclub experience that only Forty Deuce can provide.” The new club will be more immersive — in keeping with a big trend in Las Vegas — and have sensory elements. “I have added multiple colored smoke jets and a huge show-controlled laser/light show, all DMXed to the music, in other words, synced to the BPMs,” he says. There will also be huge high-res LED walls behind the stage with custom environments for each of our burlesque shows. “Think the Sphere in a closet,” Kane said, noting that his new club is just 5,000 square feet. Economics evolve on the Las Vegas Strip The revival of Forty Deuce comes as Las Vegas’ entertainment economy shifts toward experience-driven spending. Resorts are increasingly focused on maximizing non-gaming revenue — from nightlife and dining to concerts and immersive attractions — as consumer behavior tilts toward what analysts call the late-night and lifestyle spend shift. For Mandalay Bay, which is operated by MGM Resorts International, bringing back a storied brand like Forty Deuce strengthens its appeal among visitors seeking entertainment beyond the casino floor. The location also benefits from resort synergy and strategic placement — directly accessible to convention guests, hotel patrons, and the wider Mandalay Place complex, which connects to the Luxor and Delano resorts. That proximity gives the club a built-in audience and marketing advantage: a captive late-night ecosystem within walking distance of thousands of hotel rooms and corporate events. Kane’s background as a Hollywood actor — with credits in “Platoon,” “Gettysburg,” and “On Deadly Ground” — gave him a unique edge in producing nightlife that felt theatrical. His goal, then and now? Blurring the line between stage and audience. With this return, first reported in Nevada Business, he’s betting that a mix of heritage and high-tech immersion will resonate with a new generation of Strip-goers. Gaming now has serious competition from music and sports Kane’s timing could be just right in light of current trends in Las Vegas. On the Strip, the share of casino revenue derived from gaming has fallen. The Strip’s gaming win percentage dropped from 59% of total revenue to 35% over time, showing how other income — such as from nightlife, food and beverage, and entertainment — has grown. Source: gaming.library.unlv.edu For a typical night out at a Las Vegas nightclub, entrance fees and drink cost estimates offer color: One guide says cover charges are often $20-$60 for men and $10-$30 for women, with elite nights and events pushing higher. Source: LasVegasNightclubs.com One recent guide indicates average bottle-service prices in Vegas clubs are between $350 and $800 per bottle (not including tax, tip, other fees). Source: No Cover Nightclubs Tickets to the Forty Deuce New Year’s Eve event start at $200 and include access to an open bar for two hours. After the 12 a.m. balloon drop, the brand-new Forty Deuce burlesque performance will begin. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a trip.)
