Vegas Has Gone Country - Or Has It Always Been?

Has Neon City always been a Honkey Tonk, or is it just the latest trend?

Oct 22, 2025

Let’s settle something.

Has Vegas gone country… or has it quietly been country all along?

Because the more I look around lately, the more I’m convinced that Vegas Vic and Vickie have been trying to tell us something all along.

The Headlines Say “Vegas Has Gone Country”

With a list of flairs and flops, what's really working?

Luke Combs just announced he’s opening Category 10, a new honky-tonk taking over the old Margaritaville space at Flamingo. Three stories, said to have a nightclub, Line Dancing, a Bourbon Bar called The Still with an outdoor patio, what’s not to be excited about? It’s in a great location, which should provide some pretty epic views and people watching.

That’s on the heels of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red becoming one of the hottest country bars on the Strip. During NFR week, the line to get in looks like a Wrangler commercial. Live music, views, and alcohol, even though I’m Team Miranda, I usually pop in for some drinks when close by.

Meanwhile, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar is struggling over by the Crystal Shops, and honestly, I’m not surprised. Wrong corner, wrong vibe, wrong crowd. It feels more like “Nashville Airport Chili’s” than Nashville energy. Plus, they didn’t set the tone. Opening week, they had a velvet rope and a bouncer…. Not country Jason, and you know better…

And Gilley’s? Let’s just say any bar that tries to tell me Lone Star is what Texans drink needs to be closed for crimes against accuracy. It’s an absolute embarrassment to the original location.

But then you’ve got Losers Bar at MGM Grand, a quiet hit with country fans and locals. No influencer nonsense, just solid drinks, good music, and a crowd that gets it.

Whisky Licker Up Saloon at Binions downtown has a loose country vibe, but thats made up for by a rotating bar and some of the best views overlooking Fremont Street.

Stoney’s, just south of the strip, can be considered a true country hidden gem with live music acts and Bikini Bullriding. This place puts Gilly’s to shame.

So yeah, Vegas isn’t just flirting with country anymore. It’s boots-deep in it.

The Stars Keep Rolling Through

If you think country doesn’t sell in Vegas, check the numbers.

George Strait keeps selling out Allegiant Stadium like it’s a backyard show — 50,000+ fans at a time. The King basically has a key to the place.

Garth Brooks turned his Plus One residency at Caesars Palace into one of the hardest tickets in town — the kind of show that sells out before Ticketmaster even loads.

Cody Johnson sold out two nights at MGM Grand Garden Arena this year. Dolly Parton teased a Vegas performance, and tickets disappeared in minutes.

Cody Jinks turns December into an outlaw Christmas every year, now, so big it’s at Dolby Live, loud crowd, great music.

And now? Country’s crashing the biggest tech toy on the Strip.

Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney are both booked for The Sphere, turning that billion-dollar LED bubble into a full-on country spectacle. Chesney’s run is already in phase two, shaping up to be one of the Sphere’s top-selling residencies. That’s a massive shift — from U2 and Phish to “Beer in Mexico” and “Chicken Fried.”

Vegas didn’t just let country in. It rolled out the red carpet, poured a double, and handed over the keys.

NFR: The True Country Takeover

Then there’s NFR season, when Vegas goes full cowboy.

For two weeks every December, sequins turn to Stetsons, bottle service turns into bourbon, and the Strip sounds like a nonstop country playlist. Cowboy Christmas takes over the convention halls, and every casino suddenly remembers they own a mechanical bull.

And now, the rumor mill says once the A’s stadium is done, the NFR might move there. Imagine 30,000 rodeo fans under one roof on the Strip. That’s not just a sporting event, that’s a culture bomb matched only by the HLSR (Hoston Livestock Show & Rodeo)

I’ve been to Cowboy Christmas and the finals for several years running. And after splitting my time between Houston and Vegas, I can confidently say: rodeo in Vegas hits different.

It’s the one time of year when this city feels both small-town and big-league.

Maybe Vegas Has Always Been Country

Maybe Vegas didn’t “go” country at all. Maybe it’s always been country, just hiding behind neon and sequins.

Because let’s not forget: Elvis Presley, the man who built the Vegas residency model, was as country as he was rock ’n’ roll. Blue suede shoes, heartbreak, gospel twang, tell me that’s not country DNA.

And in a way, country music and Vegas are cut from the same cloth.

Big stories. Bigger emotions. A little drama. A lot of spectacle.

Country artists draw to Vegas because they know how to transform a night out into an unforgettable experience. They don’t just perform; they build a world. Vegas eats that up.

The “What If” Nobody’s Talking About

So here’s where my mind goes next:

If Vegas can build a billion-dollar Sphere for U2, if we can turn the Bellagio fountains into an F1 raceway, and if country is this hot —

Why the hell don’t we have a country-themed resort done right?

Not a “rustic wallpaper” version like Sam’s Town or Silverton. I’m talking a real Opryland-style property, waterfalls, live stages, whiskey lounges, southern steakhouse, and a honky-tonk casino floor that actually swings.

Put it on the Strip. Make it the country destination for concerts, residencies, and rodeo week.

I’ve said before that Hard Rock might eventually buy Treasure Island. What if someone else went country with it instead? Or better yet, what if Caesars finally did something bold and turned Horseshoe into a true Southern-style resort instead of the “lipstick on a Bally’s” situation we got now?

Think about a true Nashville meets Texas style of resort with boots as door handles, Line dancing breakouts on the casino floor, and a free resort fee if you ride the mechanical bull for 8 seconds promo. A cowboy hat lazy river, and Jacked up trucks in the valet.

It would have YEE-Haw Jackpots, The Watering Hole Spa, and maybe even the Backyard Pit poolside BBQ.

Maybe some Themed Suites would include:

Outlaw Overnighter: Johnny Cash-inspired, with black leather walls, a “Folsom Prison Blues” jukebox, and a hidden safe for your winnings (or “stolen loot”).
Queen’s Quarters: Dolly Parton homage—pink fur throws, a mirrored vanity for “9 to 5” makeovers, and a balcony hot tub overlooking a faux Smoky Mountain sunset projection.
Family Corral: Multi-room setups with bunk beds shaped like hay bales, a mini petting zoo VR setup for kids, and soundproofing so parents can two-step without toddler interruptions.

Because let’s be real: if you can sell out Allegiant, the Sphere, and Caesars Palace with country acts, you can definitely fill a hotel, and it wouldn’t be just people who like country music either. I’m not a fan of New York, it isn’t my vibe, but dammit if I don’t enjoy walking through the NYNY Hotel and Casino and enjoying the them of it.

The Bottom Line

Vegas hasn’t “gone” country. It’s been country, it just took a few stadium shows, a couple of residencies, and a new wave of cowboy bars to make everyone else notice.

From Garth to George, from Luke’s new bar to the rodeo crowd that turns the Strip into Nashville every December, this city’s southern soul is finally showing.

So yeah, maybe it’s time we stop asking if country belongs in Vegas… and start asking when someone’s finally going to build the honky-tonk resort this city clearly wants.

-Jason

Vegas Uncomped

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