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Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 | 12:31 p.m.
After 16 years of entertaining guests, The Rio’s free "Show in the Sky" will come to an end next month. The long-running interactive attraction, which enjoyed robust crowds this week for Mardi Gras, will give its final performance on Saturday, March 30, at 11 p.m. Caesars Entertainment confirmed the news but is unable to comment further on why the attraction is closing and what will become of it. There is nothing scheduled to take its place. Continue to check back for updates and more information. The attraction's whimsical neon showboats and gondolas have remained relatively unchanged since the carnival ride ...
Carnival lasts all year at the Rio. With a float occasionally passing overhead and dropping beads while feathered dancers fire up the gamblers below, the Rio tries to keep its 120,000-square foot casino jumping with excitement. Special Brazilian mixed-drinks are also served throughout the casino. The hotel suites tend to be larger than similar priced rooms on the Strip and many offer excellent views with floor to ceiling windows.
The Rio offers some quality shows like "Penn & Teller" and "Chippendales." Many come to the Rio for the nightlife at the VooDoo Lounge, located on the 51st floor, or McFadden's Irish Pub on the casino level.
Others come for a bit relaxation at the Rio Spa or pool area and still others come to shop at the hotel's 60,000 square feet of shops. In each of these endeavors, the Rio attempts to make the experience a bit more fun and spontaneous.
The Rio also offers guests a variety of dining choices from all-American food at the All-American Bar & Grille to Gaylord India Restaurant for something a little spicier and even Carnival World Buffet for the indecisive.
they just closed bill's and now this i hope they can find other jobs
Iconic? really? While I appreciate the casino did something with the ceiling other than black paint and cameras, that show was about as entertaining as watching your kid on merry go round.
It used to be a fun thing to do every once in a while, but after Caesar's bought it, the show in the sky got kind of sleazy. Embarrassing to take visitors to that kind of thing.
Last couple of times I saw the show, some of the gondolas weren't even operating. Mechanical issues? They just didn't want to run them? Why? And this was 3-4 years ago! I haven't really been to Rio for a few years anyway, as they really don't have much to offer. As for Bill's, I hope to God they don't get rid of the lights on the outside, but I have no hope really as they seem to still want to whitewash Vegas with the rare exception of Circus Circus, Riviera and Downtown.
This is so sad. I have stayed at the Rio just about 70 times in the past 12 years, and I have always made a point to catch the "Show in the Sky". While the show wasn't as much fun as it used to be (the gondolas don't even go around until after the show these days, and only make one short lap), it was still one of the things that made the Rio the Rio.
It seems to me that Caesars wishes to strip the Rio of all its appeal to tourists and locals alike. Without the Show in the Sky, there is no reason to go off the strip and visit the Rio if you are a tourist. The slow chipping away at the mid-level and player favourable gaming ($1 slot machines, decent paying video poker and tables with rules similar to other off strip properties) will keep the Rio off the list of locals. They have closed many of the great restaurants (if memory serves me correctly, there used to be over 20, now you have about 14, including two Starbucks another similar coffee stand, and a Burger King), and many of the shops stand empty. The club is closed with the exception of the recent rental to Krave (thank goodness) and a few impersonator shows. And while I love Penn & Teller dearly, the weight of bringing guests to the Rio should not solely be on their shoulders.
I will never understand why the Rio would be kept in this state while Caesars gets yet another new tower and an observation wheel is built in the middle of the strip. The Rio has some of, if not the best, employees out there. I have never been to a place that has made me feel more at home. Everyone there remembers me, and makes me feel as if the Rio is special. So it honestly is heartbreaking to watch the Rio lose another piece of its shine. I am hoping against hope that Caesars does right by the Rio and brings it something wonderful. Fingers crossed.