Las Vegas New Year’s Eve: Traffic shutting down on Strip as parties begin
New Year’s Eve by the numbers and names:
— 31 degrees Fahrenheit, 3 mph winds, 0 percent precipitation — That’s how cold midnight will be, Weather.com says. It will hit 34 degrees by 7 p.m.
— 6:30 p.m. That’s when cops will shut down traffic on the Strip (from the Sahara to Mandalay Bay), to make it safe for walking.
Cars won’t be allowed on the Strip again until hours after midnight, at which point traffic will be a grueling parking lot.
Advice: Skip driving home. Sleep in a hotel or walk perpendicular from the Strip until you find a hotel taxi stand. Travel by monorail until 3 a.m.
— The big splash: Jay-Z and Coldplay perform for an invite-only crowd in the new Cosmopolitan resort. You can watch the show on the hotel’s 65-foot outdoor screen for free. Jay-Z, by the way, is reportedly pocketing $1 million.
— Nancy O’Dell hosts Fox TV’s coverage from Mandalay Bay Beach, with performances (not prerecorded) by Travie McCoy, David Archuleta, Plain White T’s and Jabbawockeez. Doors open at 6 p.m. It’s free.
— Who’s partying where?: Kim Kardashian and her “caboose” at Tao at The Venetian. Holly Madison and her “pillows” at Lavo at Palazzo. Rihanna at Pure at Caesars. LMFAO at Palms’ Moon. Estelle at Tryst at Wynn. Nelly at Haze at CityCenter. Jay Sean at Bank at Bellagio. Ludacris at Vanity at Hard Rock. Diddy at LAX at Luxor. Playmates at Palms’ Playboy Club and at Rok Vegas at New York-New York.
–Stars in concert: 30 Seconds to Mars rock the Palms. Pitbull raps at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
— Star DJs: Paul Oakenfold spins at Palms’ Rain. Steve Aoki spins at Surrender at Encore. (Tiesto doesn’t perform until Saturday night at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel.)
— Some downtown hot spots: The Griffin bar for hipster 20-somethings; Firefly lounge for young lovers; Downtown Cocktail Lounge for sleek 30-somethings; and the El Cortez diner for middle-of-the-night grub.
Check out today’s Neon section for details on fireworks and which showroom acts are in town.
And read live New Year’s Eve coverage at lvrj.com and at twitter.com/VegasAnonymous and twitter.com/norm_clarke.
