Mirage Volcano Begins Super Bowl Paramount Transformation

Article ByDavid Weir

January 19, 2024

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Posted in: Nevada Gambling News, US Casino News

The Mirage Volcano, a renowned landmark among the Nevada casinos of Las Vegas since its inception in 1989, is undergoing a temporary rebuild ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.

Las Vegas is set to host the first NFL Super Bowl to be held in Nevada at its Allegiant Stadium, during what is already the biggest football betting event of the year at Nevada retail sportsbooks.

The city’s own Las Vegas Raiders are not in contention for a Super Bowl appearance this year. They missed out the playoffs with an 8-9 season record in the AFC West.

As part of the run-up to the big game, the fiery Mirage Volcano will temporarily be replaced by an experience titled Paramount Mountain. This changeover is part of a large-scale interactive display organized by Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, which will broadcast the Super Bowl.

Paramount Mountain

The transformation process, which began on a Tuesday, involves constructing a fake mountain and covering the surrounding lake. Set to open to the public on February 8, this block-long structure, named Paramount Mountain, will stay in place through the end of the game day.

The display will feature ten brands from Paramount Global’s portfolio, including CBS, CBS Sports, Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Pluto TV, and Paramount Home Entertainment.

Interactive experiences based on popular Paramount broadcast content, such as Transformers, Yellowstone, Star Trek, Dora the Explorer, Ghosts, Sistas, and soccer’s UEFA Champions League will be a part of the attraction. Additionally, Paramount+ Lodge will offer explorers a journey through various realms representing Paramount’s flagship streaming service, including sneak peeks at upcoming films from the studio.

The attraction will apparently provide visitors with an immersive Funicular Experience at its peak. Guests can embark on an alternative, reality-led gondola ride, simulating an epic journey up a frozen mountain. The experience will, of course, be themed around Paramount-owned fictional universes and characters.

The Future of the Mirage Volcano

The iconic Mirage attraction’s fiery display is only taking a brief hiatus for this transformation. It is set to return in mid-February. However, its fate does not look good in the long term.

Nightly free viewings of the volcano eruption still attract decent crowds, despite the mountain not having had a significant upgrade since 2008.

Hard Rock International acquired the Mirage in December 2022 in a $1.1 billion transaction with MGM Resorts. It plans to rebrand the property into a Hard Rock resort, which will involve replacing the volcano with a 660-foot-tall guitar-shaped hotel tower, replicating its flagship property among Florida casinos.

This is not the first time the Florida-based gambling operator has temporarily shut down the Mirage Volcano. During the November 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, it was also closed, as race preparations took precedence all around Sin City.

The time line for the volcano’s permanent closure has not been disclosed. However, considering it will have been shut down temporarily and reopened again in the space of three months, it seems Hard Rock is taking a cautious approach with the aging but resolutely popular attraction.

Fresh off securing a basic monopoly market on legal Florida sports betting in 2023, Hard Rock can afford to take things slowly. It has previously said it plans on keeping as much of the Mirage open as possible during construction – despite aiming to completely remodel the main hotel towers.

It also seems keen not to miss out on full operations during the Super Bowl weekend and for the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament season, aka March Madness, which should also see Las Vegas packed.