[category]
[title]
Las Vegas has spent years perfecting the art of the pool party. Sports bars, meanwhile, have spent decades perfecting the art of screaming at giant televisions. Now the Strip has finally decided to combine the two.
Tailgate Beach Club, a new sports-focused dayclub opening May 16 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, basically feels like somebody took an upscale tailgate party, added cabanas, pools and DJs, then dropped the whole thing directly onto Las Vegas Boulevard.
The new venue, located steps from Allegiant Stadium, is billing itself as the first sports-focused dayclub on the Strip, built around the idea that some people would rather watch the playoffs waist-deep in a pool, holding a frozen cocktail, than sit inside a dark sportsbook for six straight hours.
The setup sounds intentionally excessive: there are three heated pools, more than 125 feet of LED screens wrapping around the venue for 360-degree viewing and room for up to 2,000 guests. There are also 25 cabanas, premium bungalows, PlayStations, beer pong, ping pong and foosball. (Apparently, the goal here is to recreate every possible sports-watching environment simultaneously.)
The grand opening embraces the crossover chaos. Snoop Dogg will perform this weekend, which feels fitting given his long-standing ability to exist at the intersection of sports culture and pool parties. “Vegas knows how to throw a party and Tailgate Beach Club sounds like it’s bringing a whole new vibe to the Strip,” Snoop told Billboard ahead of the launch.
As for food, this is not one of those dainty pool menus pretending you came here for restraint. There are buffalo chicken tender sandwiches, mini Philly cheesesteaks, stadium wings, nachos, sliders, giant share platters and an all-beef “Ballpark Dog” served with fries.
The club plans to stay open Thursday through Sunday from 11 am until the final buzzer, with extended hours for major games and big events. And while sports are clearly the main attraction, the venue also plans to host watch parties for reality TV finales and other pop culture moments, as modern sports culture increasingly includes online arguments about “Love Island” with the same intensity once reserved for the Super Bowl.
Vegas, naturally, saw an opportunity there too.