May 2023
May makes you feel alive. It is another one of those perfect months in Las Vegas. The weather is great. Entertainment is plentiful. School is almost out. The summer season is almost upon us, and the pool party schedule is active until September. May has always been an instrumental month for shows…especially new ones. Shows have to get established in May if they are going to survive in the summer. If a show can survive the summer then they’ll usually do well in the busier fall season.
Here are 6 Interesting facts about the month of May:
1. The month May was named for Maia, the Greek goddess of fertility.
2. In any given year, no month ever begins or ends on the same day of the week as May does.
3. May’s birthstone is the emerald which is emblematic of love and success.
4. May was once considered a bad luck month to get married. There is a poem that says “Marry in May and you’ll rue the day”.
5. The United Kingdom celebrates May as the National Smile Month.
6. On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially opened.
May is a lot of things…it is Date Your Mate Month, National Barbecue Month, and National Blood Pressure Month.
May 1st is of course May Day (initially started as another pagan spring festival pre-dating Christianity.) Dancing around a pole might sound like a Vegas tradition, but there really aren’t a lot of maypole dancers out there. The one rhyme that is most closely associated with the May Pole dance is “Ring around the rosy…” –a quaint nod to the plague in medieval times. In the late 19th Century, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the ‘Socialists and Communists of the Second International’ to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. In those countries that celebrate International Workers' Day, the day may also be referred to as "May Day" but it is a different celebration from the traditional May Day…just thought you should know. It is also Mother Goose Day.
The 2nd is Baby Day and Brothers and Sisters Day. The 3rd is Lumpy Rug Day. May the Fourth, obviously, Star Wars Day, and Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for May the 5th. The 6th is International Tuba Day, National Tourist Appreciation Day, National Nurses Day, No Diet Day, and Space Day. The 7th is National Tourism Day and World Naked Gardening Day (There will be a lot of hoes out.) The 8th is V-E Day, and No Socks Day…which is interesting because the 9th is Lost Sock Memorial Day. It is then followed on the 10th by Clean up Your Room Day. The 11th is Eat What You Want Day and Twilight Zone Day. And the 12th is Limerick Day (There once was…)
The 16th is Love a Tree Day, National Sea Monkey Day, and Wear Purple for Peace Day. The 18th is No Dirty Dishes Day and Visit Your Relatives Day. The 20th is Be a Millionaire Day. The 21st is Armed Forces Day. The 22nd is Buy a Musical, Instrument Day, and World Goth Day, The 23rd Lucky Penny Day; the 24th National Escargot Day, the 25th National Wine Day and Tap Dance Day, the 26th is Sally Ride Day, and the 27th is Sun Screen Day.
The 28th is Amnesty International Day, and International Jazz Day. The 29th is Learn About Composting Day. The 30th is Water a Flower Day. And finally, the 31st is Save Your Hearing Day.
Cinco de Mayo is the date observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.
Remember that Mother's Day is on the 14th. Remember your Mother!
The world's favorite season is the spring.
All things seem possible in May.
--Edwin Way Teale
Yes. Everything seems possible…during the last couple of months of spring cleaning, we have collectively removed all of the crap in our lives, and we’re ready to attack the summer.
May 15th is the 118th Anniversary of the founding of the City of Las Vegas. No one really cares about this statistic. We had a great 100-year celebration, and we may have to wait for the 125 or 150-year mark to get the city to celebrate again.
“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.”
― Mandy Hale
(I don’t know why I put this quote in…just felt like it.)
Medellín-born urban music singer Blessd is gearing up for his upcoming “Blessd Corner North America Tour” that includes a Saturday, May 20 performance at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas . The young Colombian artist has made a name for himself with his versatile and innovative musical style and global hits including “Medallo,” “Que Duro” and “Ziploc.” Blessd’s overwhelming success on digital platforms and YouTube, coupled with his strong connection with fans through his lyrics and urban sound, makes him the perfect choice for a North American tour of this magnitude. The CMN team is producing the show at the highest level, seeking to surpass its own records as the United States’ leading Latino live entertainment company and number three worldwide.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is partnering with Lovers & Friends to host the “RnB Block Party,” the highly anticipated music festival’s official pre-party, Friday, May 5 from 8 p.m. - midnight. The exclusive celebration will be hosted by producer, songwriter and record executive Jermaine Dupri inside The Chelsea Theater. The RnB Block Party connects music, culture and community through an intergenerational entertainment experience. With music at the forefront, the RnB Block Party can be described as a unified cultural expression of positivity, love and legacy.
GRAMMY Award-nominated jazz fusion group Special EFX All Stars featuring Chieli Minucci, Maysa, Jeff Kashiwa, and Lao Tizer are returning to Las Vegas for a performance at Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 at 8 p.m. Guitarist, composer, producer, and arranger Chieli Minucci is longtime leader of the Grammy-nominated jazz-fusion group SPECIAL EFX featuring Chieli Minucci, a major force on the jazz and world music scene for 40 years. Chieli has just released 2 brand new projects – the solo, acoustic "Someone's Singing", as well as his 40th anniversary Special EFX CD, "Twenty Twenty 2" (both ChieliMusic). Chieli & Special EFX's previous release saw title track, "Deep as the Night", win Billboard Magazine's 2018 top honors, best-song-of-the-year.
Diamond-certified rapper Lil Baby has announced a 32-stop national tour produced by AG Entertainment Touring and Mammoth in support of his most recent album It's Only Me (Quality Control Records/Motown) which was released in October 2022. Set to kickoff July 26 in Houston, the tour will make a stop at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Friday, Aug. 4. Lil Baby will receive tour support from The Kid LAROI, GloRilla, GLOSS UP, Rylo Rodriguez and Hunxho.
This. Is. Monster Jam™! The most unexpected, unscripted, and unforgettable motorsports experience for families and fans in the world today returns to Las Vegas for an adrenaline-charged weekend at Thomas & Mack Center from August 4-6, 2023. At Monster Jam®, world champion athletes and their 12,000-pound monster trucks tear up the dirt in wide-open competitions of speed and skill. Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 12,000-pound machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 70 miles-per-hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motorsports action seen around the world. Monster Jam. As Big As It Gets!™
The Battle for Vegas hosted by Reilly Smith returns to Las Vegas Ballpark® at Downtown Summerlin® on Saturday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m. Fans will get the chance to watch their favorite stars in action as the teams “battle” it out for Las Vegas’ ultimate bragging rights, all for a good cause. The softball showdown, now in its fourth year, features two all-star teams of professional athletes, led by Reilly Smith of the Vegas Golden Knights and his teammates against friends from the Las Vegas Raiders. The full roster of players will be announced soon.
The Smashing Pumpkins recently announced their 26-date North American THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR. Produced by Live Nation, the tour is set to start on Friday, July 28 at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. The tour will feature special guests Interpol, Stone Temple Pilots and Rival Sons as support on various dates, as well as some of the world's biggest champions from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), who will be competing in most cities. THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR has already sold-out 30k plus capacity shows in Mexico City this year, as well in cities across Australia this spring, and is set to expand to more countries in the future.
Embrace 'la vida loca' at Gold Spike this Cinco De Mayo weekend at Downtown Las Vegas' premier adult playground. Fiesta like there's no mañana when 'Down To Fiesta' returns to The Spike with drink specials, live entertainment, specials guests and more. On Friday, May 5th beginning at 4 p.m., Gold Spike transforms into the ultimate Mexican fiesta, complete with vibrant decor, lively music and of course, plenty of tequila. Day long drink specials sure to get guests in the Cinco De Mayo spirit include $4 Modelo drafts and Pacifico cans, $11 AMFs, $6 Telson Blanco and $20 buckets of Corona.
American rock band The Gaslight Anthem will be performing at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas on Wednesday, Oct. 4 as a stop on their latest tour celebrating “Positive Charge,” the band’s first new single in over nine years. Consisting of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion, backing vocals), The Gaslight Anthem made their long-awaited return to the road last year with their first world headline tour in four years. Hailed by “Kerrang!” as “an amazing, career-spanning 21-song setlist…(that) celebrated all eras of their music,” the tour lit up stages across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom before culminating in October with a sold-out homestate finale at Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center.
T-Mobile Arena
Sunday, May 28: AEW: Double or Nothing
Saturday, July 8: UFC 290
Wednesday, July 12: Bert Kreischer
Saturday, July 15: Nickelback
Friday, Aug. 4: Lil Baby
Saturday, Aug. 12: Greta Van Fleet
Saturday, Aug. 19: Zach Bryan
Saturday, Aug. 26: Duran Duran
September 1 – 2: Drake
Sunday, Sept. 10: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
Friday, Sept. 15: Marco Antonio Solis
Sunday, Sept. 17: Maná
October 7 – 8: Madonna
October 20 – 22:Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series Championship
Saturday, Oct. 28: SZA
Friday, Dec. 1: Depeche Mode
Vegas Golden Knights 2023 Playoff Home Schedule
All game dates are subject to change
Thursday, April 27: VGK vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 5
Monday, May 1: VGK vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 7, if necessary
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Saturday, May 20: Haney vs. Lomachenko
Wednesday, May 24: AEW: Dynamite-Rampage
Saturday, May 27: Straight Jokes! No Chaser Comedy Tour
Saturday, July 1:Hins Cheung
Friday, July 21: Peso Pluma
Saturday, Aug. 12: Big Time Rush
Friday, Sept. 1: Jelly Roll
Saturday, Sept. 2: The F.O.R.C.E.(Frequencies of Real Creative Energy)
Saturday, Sept. 9: LL Cool J
Thursday, Sept. 14: RBD
September 15 – 16:Alejandro Fernández
Saturday, Oct. 7: The Event Hosted by Shaquille O’Neal Foundation
Saturday, Oct. 21: Wu-Tang Clan and Nas
Saturday, Nov. 11: Pepe Aguilar
Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024: Madonna
Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay
Friday, June 16: Erykah Badu
July 14 – 15: AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023
Saturday, July 29: Sante Fe Klan
Sunday, Aug. 6: Evolution Championship Series 2023
Saturday, Aug. 12: Beck & Phoenix
Friday, Sept. 15: Banda MS & Eden Muñoz
Saturday, Oct. 21:FuerzaRegida
Saturday, Nov. 4: Marca MP
Saturday, Dec. 9: Jon Pardi
Las Vegas Aces 2023 Regular Season Home Schedule
All game dates are subject to change
Saturday, May 27: Las Vegas Aces vs. Los Angeles Sparks
Sunday, May 28: Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx
Sunday, June 11: Las Vegas Aces vs. Chicago Sky
Thursday, June 15: Las Vegas Aces vs.Seattle Storm
Sunday, June 18: Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx
Saturday, June 24: Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever
Monday, June 26: Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever
Thursday, June 29: Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty
Saturday, July 1: Las Vegas Aces vs. Connecticut Sun
Wednesday, July 5: Las Vegas Aces vs. Dallas Wings
Tuesday, July 11: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
Sunday, July 30: Las Vegas Aces vs. Dallas Wings
Tuesday, Aug. 1: Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream
Friday, Aug. 11: Las Vegas Aces vs. Washington Mystics
Sunday, Aug. 13: Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream
Thursday, Aug. 17: Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty
Saturday, Aug. 19: Las Vegas Aces vs. Los Angeles Sparks
Thursday, Aug. 31: Las Vegas Aces vs. Washington Mystics
Saturday, Sept. 2: Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm
Dolby Live at Park MGM
May 5 – 6: Bill Burr
Maroon 5:
July 28 – 29
August 2; 4 – 5; 9; 11 – 12
Usher:
June 16 – 17; 20; 23 – 24;28 – 29
July 1 – 2; 4; 7 – 8; 12; 14 – 15
October 11; 13 – 14; 18; 20; 22; 25; 27 – 28
Bruno Mars:
May24; 27 – 28; 31
June2 – 3
David Copperfield Theater
David Copperfield
Dates & Times: Sunday – Friday | 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Saturday | 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Bill Maher:
June 16 – 17
September 15 – 16
November 3 – 4
Igoshows.com is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.
