What do you say when a color-splashed attraction goes dark? “Hiatus” is the time-worn explanation from Bob Marley’s Hope Road at Mandalay Bay.
Show reps claim every little thing is gonna be all right, to borrow Marley’s oratory. But the facts are, Hope Road is shutting down Jan. 5. The show will take a sabbatical for re-tooling (there’s a term we can now exhaust), planning for a spring return.
A statement issued last week by a company rep talked of welcoming “enthusiastic crowds to our critically acclaimed and revolutionary immersive music experience” and “earning consistent 5-star reviews.”
The cast is fantastic, says the company and we agree. Further from the show:
“On January 5, 2026, we will begin 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.”
Hope Road opened on a wave of positive energy in June but never realized its original vision to run two experiences each day. Its Daytime Experience, to run prior to The Show at night, never opened. The cast was trimmed in October, the show stating it was “looking forward to welcoming them back in 2026 when conditions improve.”
Hope Road was always challenged to build an audience for a niche genre. Our take: For most Las Vegas visitors, reggae is a style that needs to be visited to be appreciated, not an option that springs to mind when you’re setting a three-day trip to the city. You’re counting on a rush of conventioneers or (during NFR) country fans to check the place out. That has not been a winning strategy.
There is no sharpened time horizon for Hope Road’s return, when it will sell tickets, who will populate the cast (almost all from Jamaica) and what will be the new show’s scale. There’s a past-tense reference to the performers (some of whom have been looking for work for weeks).
There is also no reference in that statement to the core issue, that the show being undercut by a citywide downturn in ticket sales for mid-level shows and attractions.
Reports of up to 50 percent year-over declines are common. Unless you’re headlining the Sphere or in the Bruno Mars/Garth Brooks strata, it’s been a soft year. “DiscoShow” at Linq Hotel, is closing three days before Hope Road hits the hiatus trail. That show shares Hope Road’s vibe, where you stand and move and soak in the spirit. Producer Ross Mollison cited poor ticket sales as the decision (the show’s related attractions Glitterloft, Prince 99 and Diner Ross Steakhouse will remain open).
Raiding the Rock Vault at Hard Rock Cafe is also done Dec. 30, and “Lady Like” at Virgin Hotel closed at the end of May, after those shows couldn’t sell to a profit. Rock Vault producer Sir Harry Cowell straightaway claimed a decline in visitation numbers chiseled away an already slim profit margin. “Lady Like,” equal measures funny and sexy, was largely subsidized by the hotel and couldn’t survive on its own.
Maybe Hope Road will resume operations. “BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon” was one to come back from hiatus, taking a month off from August-September 2024 to re-tool. The show is running still in its arena on the corner of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane. That is a far drive from Hope Road, where we see a Stop sign up ahead, but the producers say it’s only a Detour.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.