Las Vegas becomes the center of the wrestling world next week, as WrestleMania comes to town for the first time since 1993. Almost 50,000 fans will pack out Allegiant Stadium each night of the two-night show on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20, drawn by top matches like Cody Rhodes taking on John Cena and CM Punk squaring off against both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a three-way match. Beyond any specific match, though, wrestling fans will be there just to be there—WrestleMania is basically a bucket list event for wrestling fans, something you need to do at least once in your life, and what better town to do that in than Las Vegas?
WrestleMania isn’t just about WrestleMania itself, though. WWE runs several official events the week of the show—both in and outside of the ring. Friday Night Smackdown airs live from T-Mobile Arena on Friday, April 18, with the annual WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony going down at the Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater. WWE’s “developmental” brand NXT has its latest Stand & Deliver PPV-style event on Saturday afternoon, before WrestleMania kicks off at Allegiant; after night one wraps up, the Undertaker will host his one man show 1deadMan at BleauLive. Sunday has the second night of WrestleMania, with the weekend’s biggest main event of Rhodes vs. Cena, followed by a “Roast of Wrestlemania” by “comedian” Tony Hinchcliffe, who really is a perfect fit for WWE. And then Raw airs live on Netflix from T-Mobile on Monday April 21, followed by NXT on CW at the Fontainebleau on Tuesday April 22. It’s basically a WWE residency, with several events squeezed into five consecutive nights.
And hell, WrestleMania isn’t even just about WWE anymore. Over the last two decades it’s become an unofficial holiday for almost the entire wrestling industry, with other promotions large and small running events all throughout WrestleMania’s host city the week of the event. Next week’s jam-packed schedule of live wrestling in Vegas kicks into high gear on Wednesday April 16, and includes shows from companies like TNA, Defy, Game Changer Wrestling, the Japanese women’s promotions Stardom and Tokyo Joshi Pro, Britain’s Progress Wrestling, and Japan’s DDT Pro-Wrestling (whose absurd, comical take on wrestling has gone viral in America several times). The annual WrestleCon fan convention runs at the Westgate from April 17 to 20, with top guests from throughout wrestling history selling photos and autographs (if you’ve ever wanted a photo with Sting in face paint, this is one of your last opportunities), and a number of live wrestling shows. There’s so much wrestling during WrestleMania weekend that some fans will fly in and then not even go to WrestleMania itself, instead sticking to smaller shows and just enjoying the graps-heavy vibes that take over the city.
But this is Las Vegas. This is a city with no shortage of fun and awesome stuff to do. If you’re going to be in Sin City for WrestleMania this year, make time for something other than wrestling. Here’s a guide to some of the non-wrestling things you should prioritize, from cool attractions to good restaurants to some of the best tiki bars on the planet.
When you think of Vegas, you immediately think of the Strip—the four-mile stretch of road that is home to the biggest and most ostentatious resorts, the most popular shows and concerts, and Vegas’s most iconic and fanciful architecture. Allegiant and T-Mobile, home to most of WWE’s live wrestling shows throughout the week, are short walks from the strip, and the Fontainebleau, which will host WWE’s smaller events, is right on it. The Strip can be a little overwhelming, but it’s also the Vegas most people think of when they think about Vegas. Even if your hotel isn’t on the Strip, you will be spending a ton of time on it during your visit.
The Strip is where you can see shows by performers as disparate as Janet Jackson, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart, and comedian Nate Bargatze (who just wrapped up a residency at the Wynn’s Encore Theater). It’s where many of the live shows advertised heavily throughout the city take place; pretty much every resort has their own roster of regular shows, from major Cirque du Soleil productions to themed burlesque reviews. Caesar’s, for instance, is home to the ever-popular Absinthe, a raunchy, hilarious riff on a classic circus, set in a small and intentionally seedy tent, and filled with both amazing displays of physical prowess and some of the filthiest jokes you’ll ever hear. (We can’t recommend Absinthe enough.)
The Strip is also home to a number of attractions perfect for all ages and activity levels. If you enjoy theme park rides like Disney’s Soarin’, you should check out FlyOver Las Vegas; created by the same team behind Soarin’, FlyOver’s theaters make you feel like you’re flying over four different parts of the world, with separate films dedicated to the American West, the Canadian Rockies, Iceland, and Chicago. If you’re up for something a little more active, Swingers at Mandalay Bay offers a British take on miniature golf—or, as the Brits call it, crazy golf. Its complex, aesthetically pleasing course is a big step up from the mini golf places you’d have your childhood birthday parties at, and has a great cocktail menu, to boot. It’s also home to a selection of old-fashioned carnival-style games, so if you want to whack some moles or skee some balls during your Vegas trip, you know where to go. And if mini golf isn’t enough of a workout for you, hit up PLAY Playground at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. This adult playground features large scale games that, if you added just a little bit of slime, could be physical challenges from a Nickelodeon game show. And yes, it, too, serves up a mean cocktail. (It’s Vegas. Almost every business will serve alcohol in some form or another.) If you’re in the mood for some bamboozlement, head to the Museum of Illusions, located between the Cosmopolitan and the Shops at Crystals. This Insta-friendly spot is home to dozens of optical illusions (I still can’t tell if it’s a vase or two faces), many of which make for fun, goofy photos. Ever wanted to look like your head was on a platter, or that you were dancing on the ceiling like Lionel Richie (who’s playing Vegas this very weekend)? Hit up this museum. Finally, no trip to Vegas is complete with a stop at the Pinball Hall of Fame, a non-profit (and no cover needed) celebration of one of the greatest games ever made. It’s right across the street from Mandalay Bay, and although it’s a little dirty and dingy, and many of the machines will be out of order, it’s worth a visit.
If you’re a drinker—or just somebody who enjoys lingering in bars (a world-class activity, all told)—the Strip has you covered, obviously. And even though drinking is fun enough in itself, Vegas is going to Vegas, so there are a number of cool themed bars in town. Get soused in frigid Arctic climes at the Minus5 Ice Bar, which has locations in both Mandalay Bay and the Venetian, or cosplay the classy alcoholism of America’s past at the 1923 Prohibition Bar—which also has locations at Mandalay Bay and the Venetian. If you’ve got money and a taste for quality, try to find The Vault speakeasy at Bellagio; this tiny, exclusive outpost of London’s famous Connaught Bar is a cocktail fan’s dream. Best of all is 99 Prince at The LINQ; this hard-to-find spot looks and feels like an 1980s New York City subway station, complete with period magazines and comic books on the wall (including a number of ‘80s Apter mags, a big plus for the true wrestling fan) and carefully applied fake grunge all over. Want to feel like you’re having a drink in Penn Station after leaving the very first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden in 1985? Get a drink at 99 Prince.
The Strip might be the busiest part of Vegas, but you really should explore outside that one road to really get a good sense of what the city has to offer. And it’s not the only part of Vegas packed with fun stuff to do. Near the northern edge of the Strip you’ll find Fremont Street, the city’s original main thoroughfare, and home to an always-fascinating display of humanity with all the restraints off. It’s long been closed off to traffic and is home to the Fremont Street Experience, which is basically a catch-all term for the casinos, bars, restaurants, and activities you’ll find on Fremont’s first few blocks. One of those casinos, the Circa, is staking a claim as an unofficial WrestleMania headquarters, with its CircaMania events; if you aren’t catching the show in person at Allegiant, what better way to watch it than in Stadium Swim, Circa’s Big Show-sized pool complex, which has six separate swimming pools, a 40-foot HD screen, swim-up bars and gambling, and (of course) some genuinely luxurious cabanas? (Just don’t mention those around CM Punk.) The Circa is also home to Barry’s Downtown Prime steakhouse, a very popular restaurant among pro wrestlers, and Saginaw’s Delicatessen, which might serve the best breakfast in Vegas. (Don’t sleep on the breakfast at La Fontaine at the Fontainebleau, either; its caviar bagel tower would be a great way for a big spender to fuel up before heading over to the BleauLive Theater for a WrestleMania event.) And just a short walk away from Circa stands its sister hotel, The D, whose Andiamo Steakhouse rivals Barry’s, but with a more classic Vegas aesthetic.
Just off Fremont you’ll find one of Vegas’s newest tiki bars. Glitter Gulch Tiki, who copped its name from an old nickname for the casino-filled Fremont Street, serves up classic tiki cocktails, newfangled mocktails, and Dole Whips both straight and heavily boozed up, with a food menu full of Asian and Polynesian favorites. Glitter Gulch is a solid introduction to the scene for the tiki-curious, with light theming and its own mugs. If you really want to dive into the tiki bar scene, though, Vegas is the place to do it; old favorites The Golden Tiki and Frankie’s Tiki Room are like the yin and yang of modern tiki, the former a thoroughly decorated Disney-ish tiki spot (with a healthy amount of Vegas-appropriate raunch), and the latter a grungy punk rock tiki dive with great drinks and fantastic atmosphere. (And if you want a tiki-adjacent bar that’s far more openly in touch with punk, try Red Dwarf, where you’ll find cheap drinks and might stumble onto a rock show or burlesque night by accident.) And if you’re in the mood for a newer, cleaner, significantly cuter tiki bar, the relatively new Stray Pirate has great drinks and an adorable story about pirates turned into dogs—with portraits of each one.
Further afield than Fremont you’ll find even more to do in Vegas. The Neon Museum is a must-visit if you’re at all interested in old Vegas, cool signs, or architecture and design. The Mob Museum sounds like it could be a tourist trap, but it’s actually a really well done, smartly put together dive into a crucial part of Las Vegas (and American) history (and its basement bar, The Underground, will do you right). At the top of anybody’s to-do list, though, should be Omega Mart, the unclassifiable immersive art exhibit by Meow Wolf that’s part of the AREA15 entertainment complex. Omega Mart starts as a dark satire of capitalism in the form of a likelike grocery store where everything is just slightly off, before revealing an otherworldly assemblage of psychedelic art installations. Like Meow Wolf’s Radio Tave exhibit in Houston, Omega Mart is a fascinating and mystery-filled artistic mash-up that you could easily spend an entire day in.
There’s always more to do in Vegas, of course. The High Roller Observation Wheel (that giant Ferris wheel that looms over the skyline) will give you a bird’s eye view of the whole town. The Sphere will no doubt dominate photos from your trip, but it’s more than just a huge advertising orb; it’s an unbelievable place to see bands play, and even if there isn’t a live show you’d want to see, you can still check out its interiors by catching one of its regular screenings of the original Darren Aranofsky film Postcard from Earth. Even something as simple (and free) as watching the Bellagio’s fountain show from the sidewalk will add a little something to your WrestleMania trip. No matter what you do in Vegas, have fun, and enjoy all that wrestling—it really is the One True Art.
Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, TV, travel, theme parks, wrestling, music, and more. You can also find him on Blue Sky.
