Springtime is prime time in Las Vegas — a season that mixes sunshine and fun with wind and allergies. So plan ahead with the following rundown of big events and activities to complement our monthly guide to Las Vegas in May.
🏒🏀⚾ Sports in Las Vegas
May is a pivotal month for all of our favorite sports teams — without the Raiders to worry about. After a little bit of nervousness, the Vegas Golden Knights reached the playoffs and have a make-or-break game tonight against Dallas 🤞 Our other defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces, kick off a new season at the Michelob Ultra Arena on May 11. It’s also a great month to see the Las Vegas Aviators at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin.
😋 A Food Fest for Locals
Las Vegas is a town built on culinary events, but Vegas Unstripped makes a point to exclusively feature local off-Strip chefs and restaurants. You’ll experience dishes from nearly 30 of Vegas’s best during a dine-around at the Palms on May 18, 7-10 p.m.
More culinary festivals:
- Flavors of Aloha at Craig Ranch Regional Park May 3-4
- Wine Spectator Grand Tour at Resorts World May 4
- San Gennaro Feast at The M Resort May 8-12
🎵 Music Festivals
- A waitlist for tickets is active for Lovers & Friends on May 4 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, featuring a lineup of rap, pop, and R&B acts so deep, City Cast Las Vegas guest CoCo Jenkins said “every artist is a headliner” 🎉
- The Electric Daisy Carnival returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for three straight nights of electronic dance music May 17-19.
- City Cast Las Vegas co-host Dayvid Figler singled out Punk Rock Bowling (May 24-27) as his most anticipated music festival of the season with plans to wind down afterwards at the Punk Rock Museum.
🎻 Las Vegas Philharmonic
It’s the end of an era as conductor Donato Cabrera wraps up a 10-year run with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on May 11. The final performance of the season at the Smith Center showcases Camille Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, featuring Paul Jacobs on organ.
🇲🇽 Cinco de Mayo
- Lindo Michoacán opens a new location at Palace Station on May 2 in time for Cinco de Mayo with specials all weekend long.
- Guest bartenders from two acclaimed Mexico City bars (Handshake Speakeasy and Licorería Limantour — both recognized in the top 10 of the World’s 50 Best Bars) lead a pop-up experience May 3-5 at The Vault inside the Bellagio, featuring Mexican flavors and spirits.
- Both Cowabunga Bay water parks have Cinco de Mayo celebrations May 4-5. Mariana's Supermarkets are handing out coupons for $29.99 single-day tickets.
🎰 Las Vegas History
Helldorado Days, a parade that dates back to 1935, returns on May 11 at 10 a.m. to celebrate our community's Old West spirit. Experience even more Vegas history at the Neon Museum (which illuminates vintage Flamingo signs with a charity gala under the stars on May 19) and Mob Museum, which has a series of special events throughout May while raffling off Walter White’s car from “Breaking Bad” 🤯
