For a destination known for its glamorous, glittery, over-the-top spectacles, the Las Vegas Pride Night Parade, held every October, is a down-to-earth community-minded affair.
The 2023 edition included 120 participating community groups, grassroot organizations and local businesses proceeding down South 4th Street in downtown Las Vegas. No flashing neon. No elaborately hatted and sequined showgirls or showboys. With the exception of a few vans and trucks, it was just people marching with banners, cheered on by spectators—simple and heartfelt.
As one observer noted, Las Vegas locals like to make a distinction between the visitor-heavy Strip—with all its celebrity-fuelled bling—and the city where they live, work and raise their families. This parade was a celebration of the community for the community.
Turns out there are many sides to Las Vegas. An astute LGBTQ2S+ visitor can benefit from exploring a few of them.
Before becoming home to a sea of slot machines, Las Vegas was an arid valley in the Mojave Desert, home to freshwater springs that attracted the region’s Indigenous peoples. Spanish merchants, then Mormon missionaries started to arrive in the 1800s, but it wasn’t until the 20th century and the opening of the Hoover Dam in 1936, which provided large amounts of water and power to local inhabitants, that Las Vegas started to boom. By the 1950s, millions of people were visiting Vegas casinos each year as the city transformed into the cathedral of entertainment—a city of about 650,000 people—that we know today.
While each of Vegas’s many sides are quite different, one thing that unites them is how welcoming, inclusive and safe they are for LGBTQ2S+ visitors.
What to see and do
Fremont Street Experience (E. Fremont St., Las Vegas). Downtown Las Vegas first centred on the train station (which no longer exists) and Hotel Nevada, the site of which is now part of the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino (1 Fremont St., Las Vegas). With its smaller casinos and hotels, as well as the Fremont Street Experience—a mall-ified section of the street that hosts a zipline course and concerts—the area has a retro charm that makes it worth a visit.
Las Vegas Arts District aka 18b (bounded by Colorado Ave., Las Vegas Blvd., Hoover Ave., 4th St., and Commerce St.). This downtown neighbourhood, which has been creatively shaped by a development initiative since 2015, is full of independent art galleries, vibrant murals and sculptures, and restaurants and bars. The district really pops to life the first Friday of each month, when streets are closed for a nighttime festival with free art displays, music performances and refreshments from a battalion of local food trucks.
The Strip (Las Vegas Blvd. between Russell Rd. and Sahara Ave.). The modern and ever-evolving attraction that visitors might know from movies and pop culture, the Strip is a nearly seven-kilometre-long stretch of mega resorts and casinos, some of which mirror iconic cultures and structures from world history—the pyramid and sphinx at the Luxor Hotel (3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas), the columned architecture and Italian-style fountains of Caesars Palace (3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas) and the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas (3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Loaded with casinos, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, the main attraction here might be other visitors having the time of their lives. Beware trying to walk it all—because the resorts are so big, everything is farther away than it looks.
High Roller (3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). This observation wheel, which is more than 167 metres tall, features 28 air-conditioned passenger cabins. During the 30-minute ride, passengers get one-of-a-kind panoramic views of the cityscape (including the recently opened and very trippy Sphere at the Venetian Resort, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas) and the surrounding mountains and hills of the Mojave Desert. The High Roller is located in the LINQ Promenade, an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district that’s part of Caesars. While there, take in a comedy or magic show at Brooklyn Bowl, try some brews from all 50 states of the union at AmeriCAN Beer and Cocktails and shop for some leather at Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, the latest fashions at Pier 30 or everything from berets to bowlers at Goorin Brothers Hat Shop.
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park (500 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas). History buffs might want to visit the first permanent, non-Indigenous settlement in the Las Vegas Valley. But it was really the construction of the Hoover Dam, which offers a popular tour, that literally lit up Las Vegas. The iconic hydroelectric dam made the city’s iconic neon signs possible. The story of Vegas’ rainbow-coloured past can be learned at The Neon Museum (770 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas), which is home to more than 200 signs that once lit up the city at night, including those from iconic casinos like the Stardust and Caesars Palace, as well as signs from local businesses ranging from dry cleaners to wedding chapels.
The Mob Museum (300 Stewart Ave., Las Vegas). For several decades, Las Vegas was associated with organized crime. It was, after all, mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel who, already part owner of the El Cortez Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street, built the Flamingo Hotel in the 1940s and kickstarted what is known today as the Strip. Less than a 10-minute walk from the modern iteration of El Cortez, this museum chronicles Vegas’s history as an “open city” during Prohibition and how changes to casino ownership rules in the 1960s led to the end of mob rule. The museum is located in the former U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, built in the 1930s, and there is a password-entry speakeasy in the basement that serves Prohibition-era craft cocktails (you can get the password on the museum’s website).
Atomic Museum (755 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas). Though fans of Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer might disagree, there was a time when atomic-bomb tests were associated with sexiness, glamour and everything modern. That is just one of the interesting things you will learn on a visit to this museum, which chronicles the A-bomb experiments that took place in the desert northwest of Las Vegas starting in 1951. At the time, Las Vegas was a remote city and the testing site was well off the map, the government hoped, from spying eyes. Those tests brought an estimated 20,000 jobs to the city over the next two decades, helping to build some of the schools, housing and infrastructure you can still see today.
Where to stay
Delano Las Vegas (3940 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Located inside Mandalay Bay Beach, this dog-friendly boutique hotel has spacious rooms and suites. Their VIP arrival experience includes airport transfers, plus butler service can be added to your stay. Best yet, you also get access to the Delano Beach Club, a luxurious pool club with a submerged chess board, signature cocktails and chaise lounges.
The Cromwell (3595 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Right at the heart of the Strip, this standalone boutique property has more than 180 chic suites and sophisticated rooms. It’s also home to Giada, celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis’s Italian restaurant, and Drai’s Nightclub Las Vegas, a rooftop poolside spot frequented by international DJs and performers, including Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Feels more like a home than a hotel—it’s home, at least, to three pools, the Chelsea, the Boulevard and the popular Marquee Dayclub, an escape that comes with music, food, specialty cocktails and bottle service. The Cosmopolitan also has several floors of shopping and restaurants.
Where to eat
Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars Palace, 3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Fans of the reality show Hell’s Kitchen who have wondered what the series’ lobster risotto or beef Wellington actually tastes like will want to drop by. Watch the chefs scurrying around the open kitchen as they prepare Gordon Ramsay’s signature dishes.
Superfrico (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Operated by the Spiegelworld theatrical company (more on them in our “Where to see a show” section), the restaurant offers a modern take on old-world Italian cuisine, such as fried mozzarella in sourdough or a deviled crab pizza. During your meal, imaginatively themed costumed characters (like one covered head to toe in fake fur) might stop by your table to entertain you.
Fuhu (Resorts World Las Vegas, 3000 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Asian-inspired cuisine served in a vibrant indoor-outdoor dining room rich with modern Chinese decor. Dine on traditional roasted half-duck, chicken and dumpling soup or the wild tiger prawn mee.
Senor Frog’s Drag Brunch (Treasure Island Hotel, 3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Fancy some daytime drag? Shannel, a first-season contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, hosts this stellar brunch with Drag Race alums and other queens. The pleasure of the buffet, which includes the likes of bacon, eggs, fajitas and a wall of doughnuts, is enhanced by bottomless mimosas. Bring a stack of singles—tipping is highly encouraged.
Queen Las Vegas (1215 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). This LGBTQ2S+-friendly resto-bar opened in the Las Vegas Arts District in the fall of 2023; it’s located in the retro-chic Thunderbird Boutique Hotel. They have regular weekend high-energy drag brunches with RuPaul’s Drag Race alums like Kimora Blac, Scarlett BoBo, Jaymes Mansfield and April Carrión, as well as Fantasia Royale Gaga from The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. Watch it rain singles as you sip on bottomless mimosas and craft cocktails while dining on a chicken waffle sandwich or French toast brioche.
Where to have fun
AREA 15 (3215 S. Rancho Dr., Las Vegas). This LGBTQ2S+-inclusive play space is home to several immersive experiences, as well as an arcade, axe-throwing lanes and a flight simulator. Start your visit at Asylum Bar + Arcade where you can play classic arcade games like Frogger and X-Men, shoot a round of pool or get the soccer players spinning at the foosball table. Their Oddwood bar has a seven-metre-tall digital maple tree with more than 5,000 colour-changing leaves.
Paradox Museum Las Vegas (3767 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). This immersive space is perfect for selfies. Walk into the one-directional museum and tour rooms with optical, geometric and perspective illusions that, when observed from the right angles, make it look like you are playing poker at a table filled with your doubles, serving your head on a dinner platter or even getting side-eye from Elvis Presley (this is, after all, Vegas). Interpreters are on hand to explain the science behind the illusions; camera icons show the best place to stand to get the perfect picture.
Play Playground (3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Opening at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in early 2024, this virtual-reality free space allows you to play adult-sized versions of your favourite childhood activities including musical chairs and Simon Says. Think of it as Squid Game without the danger of being killed. The 15,000-square foot, two-storey space will include more than a dozen games, such as musical chairs and Simon Says. There will also be an onsite bar and drink lockers, so you can store your beverage in a safe place while you try to earn the title of king or queen of the playground.
Where to see a show (and some queens)
If you think residencies are a recent development in Las Vegas, think again. For decades the city has hosted iconic performers, including LGBTQ2S+ favourites like Liberace, Olivia Newton-John, Elton John, Britney Spears and Céline Dion. Christine Jorgensen, the first widely known trans woman in the United States, performed for two weeks in 1953 in the Sahara Hotel’s Congo Room. Recent popular residencies have included Adele at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace (3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas), Keith Urban at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino (3667 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas) and Katy Perry at Resorts World Las Vegas (3000 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas).
For a bit less singing and a bit more, well, popping and gyrating, check out the all-male dance revue Australia’s Thunder from Down Under at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino (3850 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). The Aussie performers are known for their dancing, strip teasing and fun costumes; be warned, audience members may be brought up on the stage. Fans of the Magic Mike movie franchise will want to check out Magic Mike Live at the SAHARA Las Vegas (2535 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas) and watch the adrenaline-pumping moves of more than a dozen dancers.
Absinthe (3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). For a bit of art mixed with feats of human agility and an atmosphere of wacky-yet-sexy cabaret, check out one of the nightly shows produced by the Spiegelworld theatrical company. Performed in the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace, Absinthe has been recognized as one of the top shows in the city for years, though Spiegelworld also produces the western-themed Atomic Saloon Show at the Venetian Resort (3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Tuesdays through Saturdays) and the out-of-this world 0PM at The Cosmopolitan (3708 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). A new disco-themed show is planned for summer 2024.
RuPaul’s Drag Race LIVE! (Flamingo Las Vegas, 3555 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas). Las Vegas certainly represents when it comes to all things drag, so it’s no surprise that even Mother Ru has gotten herself onto the strip with this extravaganza based on the Emmy Award-winning reality series. The show features a rotating selection of Drag Race alums including Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Derrick Barry, DeJa Skye, Eureka O’Hara, Jaida Essence Hall and Jorgeous. They even perform mini and maxi challenges. Meet and greets are offered after the nightly shows, and there’s drag-chic merch available at the Werk Room store.
Where to party
You can party at any time of the day in Vegas, but don’t miss out on the city’s famous LGBTQ2S+ poolside experiences. The SAHARA Las Vegas (2535 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas), hosts the popular Elevate Pride Pool Party every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at its rooftop pool. Don your flirtiest swimwear, rent a cabana or daybed and make a splash while a DJ spins for your entertainment. It is all for a good cause, too, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the local Pride organization. One of the longest-running Vegas LGBTQ2S+ pool parties, Temptation Sundays, is at the Luxor Hotel (3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas) every Sunday. Once you’ve checked out the convention you’ve been attending and checked out the sights and the casinos, there’s more to check out here.
Atomic Liquors (917 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas). During the atomic tests of the late 1950s and 1960s, in the wee hours of the morning, people would gather on the roof of the bar here to watch the explosions far off in the distance—it was one of the first places to have a liquor licence. Spend an evening on their gay-friendly popular outdoor patio sipping on some of their themed cocktails, like the Hunter S. Mash, made with Old Crow Bourbon, Aperol, lemon, mint and soda, which is named after gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who used to frequent the place.
The Garden Las Vegas (1017 S. 1st St., suite 180, Las Vegas) is a LGBTQ2S+ lounge bar in the Las Vegas Arts District, where you can enjoy craft cocktails and light meals—or dance the night away to music from one of its resident DJs. Among the regular events are drag queen-hosted Popstar Fridays, Drag Bingos on Saturday evenings, Slay Saturdays later in the night and a Bottomless Brunch on weekends.
What is known as “The Fruit Loop,” an area just off the Strip, is home to several gay bars and clubs. Their proximity makes it easy to hop from one to another. Swanky dance club Piranha Nightclub (4633 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas) has two rooms in a 930-square-metre space, making it a popular choice. Yes, Drag Race alums perform here. The more casual Freezone Las Vegas (610 E. Naples Dr., Las Vegas), which opened in 1996, attracts a diverse crowd with its dancefloor and drag performances. QUADZ Las Vegas (4640 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas) is a fun video and gaming bar that is open 24/7—and never charges cover.
The Garage (1487 E. Flamingo Rd. C., Las Vegas) is a 24/7 gay sports bar decorated to look like the inside of a body shop. They’ve got pool tables, shuffleboard and food—and a daily happy hour that lasts for eight hours.
The Phoenix Bar & Lounge (4213 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas). You can entertain yourself at this friendly gay bar with karaoke or a round of pool or darts, or have drag performers entertain you. Depends on the night.
Flex Cocktail Lounge (501 E. Twain Ave., Las Vegas). This old-school Vegas gay spot, popular with locals and visitors, reopened in early 2023. They host regular theme nights.
Don’t Tell Mama (450 Fremont St., suite 167, Las Vegas). This cozy piano bar has karaoke and open mic nights. It’s located steps from the historic El Cortez.
Kuma Club Las Vegas (700 E. Naples Dr., no. 107, Las Vegas). This new bathhouse for gay and bi men has a maze, a BDSM area, 24-hour entry passes and an array of nasty (in the best sense) special events.
Entourage Vegas Spa and Health Club (953 E. Sahara Ave., A19). Also open 24 hours, this gay bathhouse has an indoor jacuzzi, steam room, dry sauna, gym and private rooms.
Where to gear up
Get Booked (4640 Paradise Rd., No. 15, Las Vegas). This colourful and sexy clothing boutique has been outfitting the city’s LGBTQ2S+ community for more than three decades. They carry brand-name underwear, jocks, harnesses and swimwear, along with handcrafted leather items from local Amici Designs.
Las Vegas Premium Outlets–North (875 S. Grand Central Pkwy., Las Vegas). If you love designer clothes but without the price-tag shock, this outdoor mall carries luxury brands, like Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Boss among their 150 stores.
The Red Kat Vintage (1300 S. Main St., Suite 110, Las Vegas). This amazing and well-organized two-storey vintage shop sells both men and women’s clothing. They’ve got more than 6,000 pieces, from vintage jumpsuits and jeans to cowboy boots and baseball hats.
Editor’s note: The writer’s trip to Las Vegas was covered by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The sponsors of the trip did not direct or review coverage. The views expressed are the writer’s own.
