Venetian’s VOLTAIRE headliner disappeared into the ether. Should we dispatch a search party?
Yes, there’s more chaos at Venetian Resort‘s much-maligned VOLTAIRE. What promised to be “the best show ever” was transformed into a “Missing Persons” case when headliner Jason Derulo disappeared from VOLTAIRE‘s schedule. Should VEGAS 411 dispatch a search party for the sizzling singer/songwriter?
This writer has made no secret of the fact that I absolutely hate VOLTAIRE. I’ve labeled it as “luxury trash”, “the Spirit Airlines of VENETIANS‘s entertainment venues”, “gouging, redefined”, and an establishment that abuses its patrons by placing them in physical harm. You can read those editorials by heading here and here.
When artist Jason Derulo was announced as the next headliner after twenty sold-out shows by Kylie Minogue, my spider-sense went into overdrive. As far back as March 20th, I was raising warning flags:
Ticket sales for Derulo were soft from the get-go and never ramped up, despite significantly lower prices than those for fellow headliner Christina Aguilera. After only a few shows, the residency was scaled down to four future performances, then two of those were scrubbed.
All of this drama coincided with the closing of VOLTAIRE‘s bizarre BELLE DE NUIT, the worst-named (non)show in Sin City history. Venetian‘s multi-million-dollar theater remained dark for over a month, during which time the resort marketed VOLTAIRE as a space for weddings and such. So much for being a “new entertainment experience”.
So what happened? The public-relations talking heads would have you believe that the residency was canceled due to a “scheduling conflict.” Because, you know, world-famous artists sign contracts to perform in Las Vegas showrooms without checking their calendars first.
Sure, Marcia…
My theory is that backlash over VOLTAIRE‘s absurd pricing structure and shockingly-poor management finally bit them in the ass. Die-hard Minogue and Aguilera fans would probably sacrifice a kidney to see their idol. But Jason Derulo? Not so much. And if that’s the case, this writer is smiling widely inside.
Cumulative Yelp! reviews for VOLTAIRE as of 5/13/24
As of this date (8/1/24), Ticketmaster lists six Derulo VOLTAIRE shows as “postponed” with no replacement dates available. If they ever materialize, expect a dramatic change to the way this showroom operates before Jason shows his crown.
Screenshot via YouTube 3/22/24
In the meantime, the star is promoting his album NU KING, which was released in February of this year. He has ten concerts scheduled in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Spain, Albania, and Chicago through the end of the year. But from what I can tell, none of those conflicted with the Las Vegas dates.
Screenshot via YouTube 5/26/24
While it’s admittedly “bad form” to wish failure on a business, VOLTAIRE deserves to be kicked in the knees until they break. The business model this pompous fiasco brought to Las Vegas needs to be stopped. So if the “Glad U Came” singer inadvertently played a hand in this, he deserves to be commended. And we can finally forgive him for the cinematic disaster that was CATS.
