Vegas update: week of July 22, 2026

By the ThingsVegas Editorial Team | Published July 22, 2026 · 4 min read

This week brought two Strip-level news items that have nothing to do with residencies, plus Marc Anthony's opening night at the Fontainebleau and the Elvis anniversary at the Westgate. Here is what is actually new.

Heart Attack Grill is gone from Fremont Street

The Heart Attack Grill closed its Fremont Street Experience location this month after 15 years, according to owner Jon Basso, who cited rising business costs and lease terms he would not accept. The hospital-themed diner, known for its Quadruple Bypass Burger and its policy of weighing customers at the door, had become one of the more recognizable stops on Fremont Street for visitors who wanted a deliberately excessive meal. The space is now vacant.

For visitors who had it on their list, it is gone. For everyone else, Fremont Street still has Circa's Stadium Swim, the zip line, and the light canopy show as its main draws. The dining options on that end of the street are thinner than on the Strip, which was always true, but the Grill was at least a reliable spectacle.

Clark County approved a heart-shaped hotel for the south Strip

On July 22, the Clark County Zoning Commission unanimously approved plans from Kulik River Capital for a 29-story heart-shaped resort hotel near Mandalay Bay Road and Four Seasons Drive. The site has sat largely empty since the early 2000s, when a Ferris wheel was proposed and never built, leaving two steel structures locals call the matchsticks. The approved plan includes an LED facade, a pedestrian entertainment corridor with restaurants and retail, and a parking garage spanning an existing drainage channel.

The hotel's height was reduced by about 60 feet to secure FAA approval, which also lowered the planned room count from earlier proposals. No construction timeline has been announced. Zoning approval is the first step; financing, permitting, and a groundbreaking are all still ahead. The site is at the south end of the Strip near Mandalay Bay, roughly a 15-minute walk from the MGM Grand.

Metro Sliceteria opened in the southwest valley

John Arena, who has been making pizza in Las Vegas for nearly 50 years and is one of the founders of the Las Vegas Pizza Alliance, opened Metro Sliceteria at The Bend development, 8720 W. Sunset Road, Suite D-150, this week. The slice shop sells individual slices and whole pies and is part of the Metro Pizza family, which still has locations in Centennial Hills and Henderson. The South Decatur Metro Pizza location closed July 11 ahead of the new shop's opening.

This is off-Strip and not a tourist destination, but it is worth noting for visitors staying in the southwest valley or anyone who wants to eat somewhere that Las Vegas locals actually go. The Bend is a walkable outdoor development with other food and retail options.

Marc Anthony opens at the Fontainebleau, July 24

Marc Anthony's Vegas… My Way residency opens Thursday July 24 at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, with shows on July 24, 25, 29, and 31, and August 1. Tickets start at $225. His next Vegas dates after this run are not until September 11, coinciding with Mexican Independence Day weekend. After each show, the official after-party runs at Nowhere Lounge inside the Fontainebleau.

Note on venue: Marc Anthony is at the Fontainebleau, not the Colosseum. Kelly Clarkson is at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Both close July 31.

The Elvis 1969 anniversary, July 31

The Westgate stages its recreation of Elvis Presley's 1969 opening-night concert on July 31, on the same stage where the original happened. Elvis opened at the International Hotel (now the Westgate) on July 31, 1969, and that run is widely credited with establishing the Las Vegas residency as a format. The anniversary event is the one night each year built around that history. Ticket and time details are available directly from the Westgate.

Items are verified against published sources and dated. For show schedules, ticket availability, and restaurant reservations, always confirm directly with the venue.

Published: 2026-07-22