Bellagio Vegas Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

In the sin city of the 1990s, casinos had become marked by tawdry décor and all-you-can-eat buffets. Then, on October 15, 1998, the $1.6 billion Bellagio Resort & Casino (doubles from $329) opened as the most expensive, unapologetically over-the-top resort Las Vegas had ever seen.

Inspired by its namesake village on Italy’s Lake Como, the resort put luxury — not gambling — front and center: the art gallery displayed works from then-owner Steve Wynn’s private collection, including a Caravaggio and a Monet, and guests were dazzled by O, Cirque du Soleil’s audacious water show. And by tapping top international chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Michael Mina, Bellagio finally made Vegas dining worth traveling for. Even the “dancing waters” fountain show, now a cultural touchstone, drew 25,000 fans on opening day.

In October, the resort marked the anniversary with a new fountain show featuring a recording of Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli’s duet “Perfect Symphony.” At the premiere, several hundred “Day One employees” (as the staff who were present at the 1998 debut are known) were in attendance as guests of honor. Bellagio will also fête all of its 6,000 current employees with a 24-hour party so that everyone, regardless of which shift they’re on, can celebrate.

1998

Bellagio opens with a bang on October 15. 

2000

MGM Resorts International, then known as MGM Grand Inc., acquires Bellagio from Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resorts in a $6.4 billion deal. 

2001

George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts sashay through the casino in
a glitzy remake of Ocean’s Eleven.

2001

At the Billboard Music Awards, Britney Spears becomes the first pop star to perform on a floating stage in the fountain lake.

2004

Hundreds of guests check out after a power outage shutters the entire resort for three days.

2004

The hotel, which had 3,005 rooms, gets 928 more with the unveiling of the 34-story Spa Tower. 

2010

Cirque du Soleil marks 10 million guests at O. 

2011

A helmet-wearing thief who had stolen $1.5 million in Bellagio gambling chips is apprehended.

2016

Bruno Mars rides a Jet-Ski across the resort’s lake for his “24K Magic” music video, and Matt Damon careens down the Strip in his final turn as Jason Bourne, with the fountains dancing in the background. 

2020

After being closed since March because of the pandemic, Bellagio reopens in June — becoming one of the first major U.S. resorts to reopen.

2021

MGM Resorts auctions 11 Picassos for $100 million. The proceeds are being used to broaden its collection with works by women, people of color, and LGBTQ and disabled artists. 

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Keep the Party Going.”