Stars and athletes plan to flock to Las Vegas for Super Bowl events
LOS ANGELES — Las Vegas will be flooded with so many pre- Super Bowl events that Shaquille O’Neal lowered the prices to his popular carnival-themed “Shaq’s Fun House.”
Instead of raising the rate, O’Neal decided to offer potential attendees more bang for their buck to the NBA legend’s sixth annual event planned for Friday in Sin City. He made the decision to lower the rates after purchasing an expensive suite at the Formula One that cost nearly five times more than normal to watch the racing event in Las Vegas last year.
“We’re not going to do that to the people,” said O’Neal, who said the going rate for Fun House starts at $99 but will increase as the event nears. He’ll bring back Lil Wayne, Diplo and himself under his name DJ Diesel to perform during his over-thetop festival — which features several attractions including a Ferris wheel, circus performers and premium bar.
“We could’ve done $200, $250 or $300,” said O’Neal whose event will take place XS Nightclub at the Wynn — a hotel that will host Rob Gronkowski’s Gronk Beach in Encore on Saturday afternoon and Sports Illustrated’s The Party in XS Nightclub later that night. “But I don’t like taking advantage of people. We want to have the best party with the best rides, performers and just hanging out.”
Along with O’Neal’s event, the days leading up to the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will include concerts from some of the biggest stars including Travis Scott, Green Day, Killer Mike, Kelly Clarkson, Ice Spice, Future and David Guetta. The week will include some comedy too.
Here’s a look at some of the invite-only and public events during a busy Super Bowl week:
FANATICS PARTY
Michael Rubin is known for his exclusive summertime bashes in the Hamptons — which bring out stars like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and Kendall Jenner.
Now, Rubin, the founder and CEO of Fanatics, will host his invite-only daytime event at Marquee Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan the day before the Super Bowl. His event will feature performances by Travis Scott, The Chainsmokers, Ice Spice, A$AP Ferg, Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Fabolous, Ludacris, Ne-Yo and Kid Laroi.
MADDEN BOWL
After Killer Mike collected three Grammys during his arrest-shortened night, the Atlanta-based rapper is expected to be one of the performers at the EA Sports’ The Madden Bowl.
Rock group Green Day will headline the Friday night event at House of Blues. It will also feature Big Boi of OutKast and Breland.
“Las Vegas isn’t ready for the show we’re about to bring,” Big Boi said.
In addition to the music performances, the event will include the Madden NFL 24 Championship Series in front of a live audience — where two of the world’s best players will travel to Las Vegas for their share of the $1 million prize pool and title of Ultimate Madden Bowl champion.
COMEDY JAM
Kevin Hart and O’Neal’s production companies will hold a star-studded, stand-up comedy showcase.
Actor Deon Cole will host the two-night show called the All Star Comedy Jam with performances by D.L. Hughley, Earthquake, Desi Banks and Aida Rodriguez. The event will be held inside the Resorts World Theatre’s 5,000-capacity venue Friday and Saturday night.
GOSPEL CELEBRATION
Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold will help bring the gospel to Sin City.
The stars of the CBS show “The Neighborhood” will host the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration at the Palms Casino Resort on Wednesday night. The lineup includes some of gospel’s best from Earth, Wind & Fire, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin, Robin Thicke and the NFL Players Choir including Tully Banta-Cain and Bryan Scott, who played in the league.
“I want people to feel empowered walking away from this show,” Arnold said. “You should never walk way feeling drained. You should walk way feeling loved.”
CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson, a former NFL player, will receive the Lifetime of Inspiration award. He will be the sixth person to receive the honor the show’s 25-year history.
Previous recipients include Tony Dungy, Ray Lewis, Tim Brown, Troy Vincent and Deion Sanders.
GRONK BEACH
Despite being retired, Rob Gronkowski keeps making his presence felt during the NFL’s championship week.
The four-time Super Bowl winner — who views himself the “MVP of Fun” — will host a music festival called “Gronk Beach” the day before the big game. The beach-themed party will feature a performance by DJ Afrojack.
“It’s all about going there and having a good time. Just losing your mind in a great and positive way,” Gronkowski said. “You can dance free, be yourself freely and just enjoy yourself with great company around you.”
Like O’Neal’s Fun House, Gronkowski placed his tickets starting at $74.