As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun and this certainly holds true when it comes to 2025. December is here and with it brings cooler temps and festive attractions to the Ninth Island of Las Vegas. The daily average temperatures range from upper 50’s to low 60’s. During the evenings, temperatures can drop into the 40’s and even the 30’s. While the weather outside may be frightful, the casinos do crank up the heat, so we recommend dressing in layers.
Like everything else, Las Vegas does it big for the holidays, boasting several exciting attractions. While The Cosmopolitan’s ice rink will not be returning this year, you can still find ice skating on The Strip over at Fontainebleau. The Oasis Ice Rink is a 7,500 square foot rink that takes over the third-floor pool deck. The rink will be open nightly from 5pm-11pm and will have adjusted hours beginning on December 20th. The Oasis Ice Rink welcomes guests beginning November 24th and will remain open through January 4, 2026.
The Las Vegas Great Santa Run will take place in Downtown Las Vegas Saturday December 6th. This is a fun event for all ages and even the fur babies are welcome. This event, along with The Magical Forest, which is a self-guided display of creatively decorated trees and decorations, benefit adults with disabilities through the nonprofit Opportunity Village. The Magical Forest is open November 28-30, December 4-7, December 11-24 and December 26-31, from 5:30pm-9pm Sunday through Thursday and on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 9:30pm.
On The Strip you’ll find several casino properties with decorated trees, with the LINQ Promenade and the Bellagio Conservatory hosting their annual displays. The Bellagio Conservatory changed over to their fifth display of the year, and this free, fun for all ages attraction runs through 1/3/2026. This year the holiday theme is “All Aboard for Holiday Bells and Whistles.”
There are some fun, festive off-Strip attractions that are not a far trip from the Strip. Enchant is located at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin, and is open through December 28. Enchant is a self-guided walk through of lights and holiday decorations and also has an ice-skating rink. The Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in North Las Vegas is open through January 4, 2026. The admission for this attraction is per car, because you must be in a car to drive the track while checking out all the beautiful lights and decorations. And last, but not least, is Ethel M’s Holiday Cactus Garden in Henderson, which is open through January 3, 2026. This is a self-guided attraction where you can casually stroll through their year-round cactus garden that is all decked out in lights and holiday decorations.
Of course, New Year’s Eve is a big celebration in Vegas. The Plaza hosts its annual fireworks Downtown, and on The Strip, fireworks will launch from nine different properties, including Aria, Caesar’s Palace, Fontainebleau, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World, The STRAT, Treasure Island and The Venetian.
Do keep in mind that Las Vegas Blvd is closed to traffic on New Year’s Eve and there are additional security policies in place. A handful of off-Strip properties also have their own firework displays and of course you can expect parties across the Vegas Valley at various restaurants, bars and clubs.
Now in addition to the holiday fun, there are several events taking place throughout the month. If you’re traveling to Las Vegas in December, here is what you can expect when it comes to music, comedy and sports:
Music:
- Mariah Carey: Christmas in Las Vegas, Dolby Live Park MGM 12/2-3, 12/5-6, 12/9-10, 12/12-13
- Sam Barber, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas 12/3
- Downtown Hoedown, NFR Kickoff Party, featuring Midland, Corey Kent, Josh Ross, Mackenzie Carpenter & Shane Profitt, Fremont Street Experience Free Concert, 12/3
- Dillon Carmichael, Golden Nugget 12/4
- Dylan Gossett, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas 12/4
- Brad Paisley, Wynn 12/4-5
- Barry Manilow, Westgate Las Vegas 12/4-6, 12/11-13
- Tim McGraw, The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace 12/4, 12/6, 12/12-13
- Tracy Lawrence, Resorts World Las Vegas 12/5
- Mark Chestnut, Golden Nugget 12/5
- Wynonna Judd, The Venetian 12/5-6
- Leona Lewis, Voltaire at The Venetian 12/5-7, 12/10, 12/12-14, 12/17, 12/19-21, 12/24, 12/26-28, 12/30-31
- Zac Brown Band, Sphere 12/5-6, 12/12-13
- Sammy Kershaw, Golden Nugget 12/6
- Gary Allan, Wynn 12/6-7
- Lainey Wilson, T-Mobile Arena 12/7
- Ray Willie Hubbard, Golden Nugget 12/7
- Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, Golden Nugget 12/8
- Neal McCoy, Golden Nugget 12/9
- The Bellamy Brothers, Golden Nugget 12/10-11
- Lindsey Stirling, The Venetian 12/10, 12/12-13
- Nate Smith, Planet Hollywood 12/11
- Larry Fleet, Golden Nugget 12/12
- Riley Green, Resorts World Las Vegas 12/12-13
- Colter Wall, Fontainebleau 12/12-13
- Cody Jinks, The Cosmpolitan 12/12-13
- Jamey Johnson, Golden Nugget 12/13
- Hudson Westbrook, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas 12/13
- Back Street Boys, Sphere 12/26-28, 12/30-1/1
- Jennifer Lopez, The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace 12/30-31
- Bruno Mars, Dolby Live Park MGM 12/30-31
- John Fogerty, Planet Hollywood 12/31
- Jelly Roll, The Cosmopolitan 12/31
Comedy:
- Rodney Carrington, MGM Grand 12/4
- Martin Amini, The Venetian 12/5
- Ron White, The Cosmopolitan 12/6
- Brian Regan, The Venetian 12/6
- Matt Mathews, The Venetian 12/7
- Jeff Foxworthy, Planet Hollywood 12/10
- Steve Trevino, MGM Grand 12/11
- Wayne Brady, The Venetian 12/12
- Dane Cook, The Venetian 12/13
- Louis CK MGM Grand 12/20
- Maz Jobrani, The Venetian 12/27
- Morgan Jay, The Venetian 12/30-31
Sports:
- Vegas Golden Knights vs Blackhawks 12/2, vs Devils 12/17, vs Sharks 12/23, vs Avalanche 12/27, vs Wild 12/29
- National Finals Rodeo, Thomas & Mack Center 12/4-13
- UFC 323: Dvalishvili Vs Yan T-Mobile Arena 12/6, UFC Fight Night UFC APEX 12/13
- Las Vegas Raiders vs Denver Broncos 12/7 and vs New York Giants 12/28
Of course, things are added and cancelled almost daily here in Vegas, so be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest Vegas news by tuning into our weekly podcast, This Week In Vegas: The Ninth Island Connection Podcast, which posts at 10am PST every Monday.
