Vegas is getting a serious new power weekend for people who know the difference between ordering a drink and experiencing one. Drink Las Vegas debuts September 24 through 27, 2026, with four days of tastings, cocktail events, chef-driven meals, brand experiences, seminars, and late-night action spread across four MGM Resorts properties on the Strip.
The key correction for anyone building a trip around it is simple: this is not a monthlong takeover of the entire MGM portfolio. It is a concentrated four-day festival hosted at Bellagio, ARIA, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM. That tighter footprint is good news. These properties sit close enough together to create a legitimate food-and-drink circuit without turning the weekend into an endurance test involving half the valley.
What is Drink Las Vegas?
Drink Las Vegas is an inaugural food-and-beverage festival hosted by MGM Resorts International and produced by experiential events company a21. MGM’s original announcement described more than 50 events, while its later lineup announcement said programming would span more than 30 venues across the four host resorts.
This is bigger than a cocktail convention and more flexible than a traditional food festival locked inside one ballroom. The official schedule divides the weekend into signature tastings, dining experiences, cocktail hours, brand experiences, panels, seminars, and vintner-focused events. Guests can buy individual event tickets or select from curated weekend passes.
Four resorts make up the circuit
The confirmed hosts are Bellagio, ARIA Resort & Casino, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM. MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay are not listed as festival hosts.
That center-Strip lineup gives the weekend its rhythm. ARIA supplies major event spaces and polished dining rooms. Bellagio brings its deep restaurant bench. The Cosmopolitan delivers bars with built-in nightlife voltage. Park MGM adds another dense collection of restaurants and gathering spots. You are not buying admission to one fenced festival ground. You are moving among ticketed experiences hosted inside working resorts.
The headline events already have serious star power
The festival’s official event calendar is the command center. Opening Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 24, at ARIA’s Yucca Pool, hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with special guest Shaquille O’Neal. The event page lists general admission beginning at $250, with VIP entry scheduled ahead of general admission.
The signature-tasting lineup also includes A Night of Excellence, hosted in partnership with the James Beard Foundation and featuring Tom Colicchio and Tiffany Derry. Timeless Taste: Celebrating the Legacy of Las Vegas brings together Michael Mina, Masaharu Morimoto, and Wolfgang Puck. Roy Choi hosts IN THE MIX: Music Meets Mixology After Hours. That is not background talent. That is a heavyweight Vegas weekend with the volume turned all the way up.
Dinners, cocktails, and brand experiences fill the gaps
The smaller ticketed experiences may be where the real insider moves happen. The published schedule includes Elements of Agave, a cocktail lunch at Amaya inside The Cosmopolitan hosted by Daniela Soto-Innes, Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz, and Eli Martinez. The listed starting price is $275.
Also on the schedule is Island Alchemy, a rum-forward dinner celebrating Caribbean cocktails and cuisine. Brand programming includes House of Pernod at Iris inside ARIA and An Evening in Paradis(e) with Hennessy Paradis at The Chandelier inside The Cosmopolitan. Both brand experiences have been listed with tickets starting at $95.
This variety matters. You can go full spectacle with the signature tastings, get technical at a seminar, sit down for a serious paired meal, or post up for a focused spirits experience. The official calendar can still change, so confirm the venue, time, admission level, and event-specific terms before locking in the rest of your night.
How much do Drink Las Vegas passes cost?
The festival is selling both individual tickets and multi-event packages. On the official weekend passes page, the Signature Tastings general admission pass is listed at $785 and includes three major tastings. The VIP version is listed at $975.
Two larger curated packages, The Standard at $1,530 and The Select at $2,185, are marked sold out. The Standard was built around nine experiences, while The Select included 10, with a mix of signature events, seminars, brand programming, and meal selections. Ticket inventory can move fast, so availability shown on the festival site should be treated as the final word.
This is not a casual all-you-can-drink wristband situation. The pricing reflects a premium event built around recognized chefs, beverage professionals, resort venues, and separately programmed experiences. Before buying, compare the pass inclusions with the individual events you actually want. A focused lineup of two or three events may make more sense than a full pass if you also want room for regular Vegas dinners, shows, and nightlife.
What should guests know before going?
Age, bags, refunds, and dietary needs
Every Drink Las Vegas event is restricted to guests 21 and older, and valid identification is required. The festival says no one under 21 may enter, including infants and young children.
The official festival FAQ recommends smart-casual clothing and comfortable shoes for walk-around tastings. Personal bags may measure no more than 9 by 5 by 2 inches. Events are smoke-free, and pets are prohibited except for qualifying service animals.
Tickets are nonrefundable. The festival also says it cannot guarantee accommodation for dietary restrictions, although guests attending seated events can provide restriction information during checkout. Anyone managing a serious food allergy should review the details for the specific event and contact the organizer before purchasing.
Build the weekend by property, not just by talent
The smart play is to group events geographically. Schedule back-to-back ARIA experiences together, then build a separate block around The Cosmopolitan. Bellagio and Park MGM can anchor their own runs. Even with the resorts relatively close, crossing casino floors, pedestrian bridges, and resort corridors takes longer than a map suggests.
Leave real breathing room between sessions. A tasting that ends at one property and a seated dinner beginning 30 minutes later at another may look possible on paper. In Strip reality, that is how you end up power-walking in dress shoes while your reservation clock burns.
Drink Las Vegas lands with an elite first-year roster and a format built for the way this city actually works. Pick your stars, map your properties, pace yourself, and keep one opening for the event everyone starts talking about once the weekend is underway. That is where Vegas usually hides the magic.
