Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater Information

The Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater is a temporary construction built to enhance the existing amenities at Harrah’s Laughlin Hotel and Casino resort. The amphitheater was created to add live music entertainment to the offerings at Harrah’s Laughlin Hotel and Casino resort. Regular music performances are hosted at the amphitheater, with the 3,000-seating capacity set up for events using temporary seating and bleacher sections. 

Past performers at the Rio Vista’s outdoor amphitheater include ZZ Top, Chicago, and Styx. The open-air amphitheater was first used in 2006, providing an exciting addition to the hotel and casino resort that was originally built in 1988. 

Harrah’s is part of Caesars Entertainment, which includes over 50 hotel and casino resorts across the United States, Canada, and Dubai. Harrah’s Las Vegas on the Strip is regarded as the flagship resort, with Harrah’s Laughlin developed to provide a similar experience in Laughlin’s casino district.

Harrah’s Laughlin Casino and Hotel resort has become one of the top entertainment venues in Laughlin, with shows at the Rio Vista Amphitheater adding to the 24-hour casino, which has over 20 table games and more than 750 slot machines to play. Poker tournaments are regularly hosted at Harrah’s Laughlin with big money prizes.

The resort also has a pool bar and a cocktail bar within the casino, as well as a hotel bar overlooking the Colorado River – not to mention two fine dining restaurants, plus several snack restaurants and cafes. 

Hotel guests can also spend time on the private beach, with watersports hire available for exciting experiences on the Colorado River. If you are looking for somewhere you can have a fun-filled time before or after an event at Rio Vista Amphitheater, everything you need is available in one location at Harrah’s Laughlin.

The history of Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater 

Harrah’s Laughlin Hotel and Casino was built in 1988 by the American hotel and casino chain, Harrah’s, and underwent a major refurbishment in 2004. Following the refurbishment, Harrah’s management instructed the construction of a temporary amphitheater on the hotel grounds so that they could host events, including music concerts and comedy shows.

Since opening, the venue has played host to a large number of local and international artists, including a wide range of music genres. Performers to have played at the Rio Vista Amphitheater include Willie Nelson and Aaron Lewis.

The town of Laughlin was previously known as South Pointe, due to being at the south tip of Nevada. In the 1960s, Don Laughlin, the owner of the 101 Club in Las Vegas identified it as an area that he could develop into a casino resort and bought the land to build casinos on. Originally, there were only a few small casinos built until the 1980s, when further casino complexes were added, including Harrah’s. 

Don Laughlin paid for the Laughlin Bridge to be built to join the town of Laughlin to Bullhead City in 1987, at a cost of $3.5 million. This enabled easy access to the Bullhead Airport and other areas of Arizona to and from his casinos.

An interesting fact about the venue is that it was where the River Run Riot took place. It was a fight between the Hells Angels and Mongols biker gangs in 2002, where several gang members died. Fortunately, the area has not experienced any major incidents in recent years and is regarded as a safe place for tourists to visit.

Concessions

There are several concessions options at the Rio Vista Amphitheater, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. If you want to eat before the show you are attending, there are also plenty of restaurant choices within the resort and places to buy snacks such as Smashburgers, Pin-Up Pizza, and Starbucks.

Weather in Laughlin, Nevada

If you are not local to the area, the summer months can be very hot reaching average temperatures of over 100°F. The climate is described as arid, with minimal rainfall, as you would expect in an area surrounded by the Mojave Desert. January is usually the coldest month, with temperatures dropping to around 40°F.

Events at the Rio Vista Amphitheater tend to take place between February and November, so attendees should bring appropriate clothing for the weather at the time of year they are visiting Laughlin, Nevada. The area gets around 300 days of sunshine, so there is a good chance you will need your sunscreen when attending an event here. Summer events are likely to be humid and there are no fans in the venue.

For venue parking information please see the parking page.

For ticket information and information on our ticket provider please see the Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater tickets page.

For seating chart configuration and find out about accessible seating, please see the Seating Chart page.