Cirque co-founder planning massive festival on Strip
Guy Laliberté is not finished in Las Vegas.
We can confidently share that Cirque du Soleil’s co-founder has designs for on Act II on the Strip. Laliberté plans to stage a fanciful Frooogs Camp on the Strip near the end of 2025.
Think extended engagement over several days or even weeks, extensively staged on a very big scale.
Think Carnival in Brazil, but with a Frooogy theme.
Laliberté’s Frooogy community is made up of more than 30 custom-painted RV’s, splashed in bright green and red and purple and google-eyed frog caricatures. Camp fires, bicycles and tricycles tricked out in Frooogy designs, live bands, food trucks and Cirque-styled acts are all in the Frooogy family.
A long-running community would need to be staged on a large space, such as Las Vegas Festival Grounds, though no site has been determined. Nothing is signed, on a formal document or even lily-pad.
Laliberté originally presented his Frooogy concept at a mud-marred Burning Man in September 2023, then as a parade of RVs on the Strip the following October. During the inaugural F1 race, he followed with an installation at Resorts World Las Vegas’s open parcel facing the Strip.
In February, the Frooogy followers descended on the Luxor surface lot at Hacienda Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard during Super Bowl week.
“Las Vegas has been an amazing place for me,” Laliberté said as his Frooogy Bowl approached. “I want to grow another flower in the desert.”
The feeling here is the Resorts World and Luxor installations are but a sample of Laliberté’s vision.
Laliberté’s influence on the Strip remains powerful, in the form of “Mystere” at Treasure Island, “O” at Bellagio, “Ka” at MGM Grand and “Michael Jackson One” at Mandalay Bay. All were developed in the Laliberté era. He sold his interest in the company for about $1.5 billion in 2015.
Over the past decade, Las Vegas entertainment types have wondered what Laliberté would produce as an encore. When asked last year what he had in mind, the artistic visionary said, ““Gribbit! Gribbit!” Consider that a Frooogy preview.
Cool Hang Alert
The popular groove outfit San Fernando Band plays its rock, R&B and pop classics at 8 p.m. Friday at Coverall Lounge at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. No cover in what was once known as Naughty Ladies Saloon.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.