Downtown Las Vegas offers some of the best values in Las Vegas. “Old Vegas” is comprised of mostly older casinos and hotels. The buildings and rooms are often smaller than the Vegas Strip resorts and thus less expensive.
The value doesn’t stop with the less expensive hotel rooms. Good odds and rules in the casinos and free entertainment outside at the Fremont Street Experience add to the value in downtown Las Vegas.
The Fremont Street Experience has multiple stages with free performers throughout the year. The entertainment during the summer goes up a notch when nationally touring musicians grace the various stages in the mall of casinos in downtown Las Vegas with free concerts.
Downtown Rocks
The theme of this year’s free concert series at the Fremont Street Experience once again is Downtown Rocks. Music fans of all ages can rock out under the iconic Viva Vision canopy during the free concert series which kicks off on Friday, May 24 with a concert by Good Charlotte.
The majority of the bands performing are rock bands but there are also a few pop acts this year. Nelly, Vanilla Ice, Montell Jordan, Sugar Ray, Tone Loc and Coolio and just a few of the pop artists performing this year. They’ll be joining rock bands like Cheap Trick, Buckcherry, Fuel, Toadies, Sponge and more.
Here are the performers you can see for free at the Fremont Street Experience this summer:
May
- 24 – Good Charlotte on 3rd Street Stage
June
- 15 – Nelly on 3rd Street Stage
- 29 – Sugar Ray on 1st Street Stage
July
- 4 – Eli Young Band on 3rd Street Stage
- 20 – Fuel, Toadies and Sponge on 3rd Street Stage
- 27 – Pop 2000 Tour hosted by Lance Bass with O-Town, Aaron Carter, Ryan Cabrera and Tyler Hilton on 3rd Street Stage
August
- 10 – Collective Soul on 3rd Street Stage
- 17 – Buckcherry on 1st Street Stage
- 24 – Cheap Trick on 3rd Street Stage
- 30 – The Wallflowers on 3rd Street Stage
September
- 1 – I Love the 90’s featuring Vanilla Ice, Montell Jordan, All-4-One, Tone Loc and Coolio on 3rd Street Stage
- 28 – Smash Mouth on 3rd Street Stage
October
- 19 – Muddfest featuring Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel and Tantric on 3rd Street Stage
These may not be the most popular bands today but they still tour and have plenty of fans. Ticket prices to see these shows would typically cost much more than $20.
For example, tickets to see Good Charlotte in Tuscon, AZ are $50 plus tax and fees. That’s a legit saving for every person that sees Good Charlotte for free at the Fremont Street Experience this summer.
The Downtown Las Vegas Experience
Downtown Las Vegas is a very different experience than the Vegas Strip. Many of the casinos are older and have a different vibe than their counterparts on the Vegas Strip. Gamblers will appreciate that the downtown Las Vegas gaming rules and odds are mostly better than the Vegas Strip.
While many of the hotels are older, they’re keeping up with the times. Last year the El Cortez renovated some of their hotel rooms. This year the Plaza is doing full gut renovations for some of their hotel rooms. Downtown Grand is expanding and a brand new hotel, Circa Las Vegas, is being built across the street from the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino.
Stepping outside of the casinos there are plenty of good restaurants and fun bars to visit in downtown Las Vegas. My favorite local brewer, Able Baker Brewing, is currently building a brand new taproom and kitchen.
Downtown Las Vegas isn’t for everyone. However, it offers a different Las Vegas experience if you’re looking to try something new.
