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Kylie Minogue's VEGAS HIGH is Gouging, Redefined

SamNovak

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Kylie Minogue's VEGAS HIGH is Gouging, Redefined

VOLTAIRE Venetian residency takes show prices to the tipping point.

"Music is a thing that heals. It’s something that unifies. The…more we can get rid of the people that really don’t give a damn about the music, they just want to make money on it, then I think you’ll get the artists and the people who allow that artist to be an artist in the same room.” – Garth Brooks, longtime champion of reasonable prices and fair access to tickets for his fans. What do you do for an encore when you’ve just unveiled SPHERE, the gigantic $2.3 billion entertainment space at Venetian/Palazzo? Well, you go in the opposite direction with something so intimate and expensive that almost EVERYBODY will be excluded. Then you give it a hoity-toity name like “VOLTAIRE BELLE DE NUIT‘ to keep the commoners in their place. We may have finally reached the tipping point for Sin City gouging. Not since Adele's assault on ticket buyers have we seen such a blatant shut-out of the everyday showgoer. The Vegas that once welcomed all hard-working adults is now so expensive that only the wealthy are targeted. Capitalism has been surpassed by elitism. The business model of Venetian's upcoming VOLTAIRE solidifies the truth that live concerts are now for the elite...and those who live beyond their means. The question is, how many people are willing to be abused by these practices before they say "Fuck it, let's just see an inexpensive tribute show or splurge on Cirque du Soleil"?

It was made very clear during the official announcement that VOLTAIRE (I'm not spelling out the rest of the pompous name going forward) would be an "intimate experience". Its first headliner, Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, positively gushed at the opportunity to perform for a crowd capped at 1,000:

“The spirit of Voltaire is one of pure, authentic fun. It’s one I resonate with as a pop artist. My new album TENSION is all about the space where the intimate and universal come together and Voltaire represents just that.”

You can't help wondering if all of this was deliberately planned out. After all, Minogue's latest album features a song that will undoubtedly be featured at VOLTAIRE. It's called "Vegas High". [embed]https://youtu.be/l4XPuehTZuc?si=58MMHUWhtGpPEQjy[/embed] The truth is that VOLTAIRE also represents the ultimate chance for superstars to perform strictly for the wealthy. How's that for "pure, authentic fun"? I sensed trouble the moment that upcoming ticketing procedures were announced. And sure enough, just like with Adele and Taylor Swift, chaos was immediately unleashed:

"Tickets for Kylie Minogue’s upcoming Las Vegas residency sold out within hours of going on sale and even forced the website to crash due to such high demand. Prices start at $200 for standing tickets and up to $2000 for bottle service tables. The first ten dates went on sale Tuesday and the result was chaos with the digital queue said to be “over seven hundred hours” long at one point." - Tina Campbell via Yahoo! Finance 8/10/23

"What should have been a thrilling moment for fans quickly turned into a nightmare this Wednesday as her Vegas Residency website malfunctioned, leading many to be without tickets after receiving an order confirmation."

"Voltaire’s website was not prepared for the influx of fans desperately seeking to purchase tickets and became ground zero for a chaotic debacle. For a staggering five hours, fans faced a digital nightmare as the website failed to function properly, leaving them unable to secure their coveted tickets. For some, the website posted wait time estimates of over 2104 hours before they could attempt to purchase tickets."

"Wednesday evening, hours after the sold-out announcement, emails flooded inboxes, informing fans that their ticket purchases had been made in error. The excitement that had been rekindled turned into heartbreak once again as refunds were issued, leaving fans disillusioned and betrayed." - MEDIUM 8/9/23

Screenshot from MEDIUM.COM 8/9/23 If you have any doubt that VOLTAIRE is intended only for the rich, know that the first opportunity to purchase tickets was made via exclusive "Travel Packages" with Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Prices STARTED at $5,000.00 and continued up to $18,000.00. Of course, these arrangements don't include taxes, resort fees, gratuities, or the biggest kicker of all...required table minimums during the show itself. Once it was clear that the VOLTAIRE website was incapable of handling its customers, fee-happy Ticketmaster was brought in to broker the second set of ten shows. They, too, sold out immediately. This begs the question "Is Venetian losing out on potential sales or are that many people willing to spend exorbitant amounts to enjoy their favorite artist?". The answer to that may be in the next paragraph, where you'll learn that tickets to VOLTAIRE are just Step #1 in the shocking overall cost.

The stupefying information above was sent to me by a colleague, celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton. After sharing the above screenshot on social media, the reaction from industry insiders and entertainers was anger, disgust, and rage:

"Omg!! WTF is going on in this town? I saw Elvis at the International for $75 per person and got a steak dinner at the same table to watch the show. I know times have changed since the 70s but you can make money on your venues, just don't rape anyone being greedy. It's a shame how bad it's getting." - Paula Maggio, talent rep

"Let's be honest here....these people don't give two shits about us. This (and Adele's) money grab is tailored only for the high rollers and wealthy tourists. Folks like us are not part of the equation, we never were." - Greg Korin, director and performer

"Wait!?!?!? This doesn't include the cost of the show? This is just food bev minimum???" - Tom D'Angora, award-winning writer/producer/director/performer

"This BS needs to be boycotted." - Broadway enthusiast Edward Santos

"Out of control. Once again locking out locals, and those of modest budget." - actress Sparky Lisa

"I’m just done. I can’t even." - singer Elisa Furr

"At this point, all I can do is laugh at how insane things are getting." - former third-party ticket-seller Kristopher Kidd

So now we've established that you're required to pay a several-hundred-dollar minimum along with your ticket price. That might not be so bad if you could enjoy a premium steak dinner, exotic seafood, or amazing Chef-curated entrees. Instead, your choices are limited to cookies, caviar, and booze.

"While Voltaire is not a restaurant concept, we will offer a limited menu of simple bites including an elegant Caviar Service and Levain Cookies. At this time we do not offer cakes. We can, however, provide a birthday presentation with a guest’s order. All bottle presentations are subject to approval based on business levels."

Before you can head inside, know that there is a pecking order. Those who paid more will be admitted first. Nevertheless, no one is to be trusted, so your credit card and identification will be collected as soon as you're seated.

"Prior to entry guests will be subject to an ID and Security check. Our table guests will receive VIP treatment and will enjoy expedited entry through the VIP Table Reservations entrance. There may be a wait during peak business times but arriving early will minimize any wait time."

"Guests will be required to provide a form of payment for the remaining balance of their food and beverage minimum prior to service. A guest’s form of payment (debit card, credit card, cash) will be presented to their server and authorized for the minimum required food and beverage spend plus applicable tax and service charge at the table."

When the show is over and you've consumed $650.00 or more in cookies, caviar, and alcohol, don't think for a minute that your monetary obligation has been satisfied. On top of the hundreds you've just blown, you're about to be charged EVEN MORE!!!!

"All food and beverage minimums are subject to 8.375% tax, 15% gratuity, and 9% service charge."

When you combine the high ticket cost with food/beverage minimums, service charges, taxes, convenience fees, and all the related expenses you'll incur just to be in Las Vegas, VOLTAIRE ends up being one mega-expensive venture. The fact that all twenty shows immediately sold out proves that a sucker is born every minute. So don't expect prices to drop at Venetian's newest venue. Ever. It should be noted that this writer is a devout Kylie Minogue fan. She's been my favorite recording artist for more than two decades. And yet, I refused to subscribe to the madness surrounding her VOLTAIRE ticketing nonsense. Even more telling, I had the audacity to believe that my "clout" as a Vegas entertainment journalist might grant me the opportunity to buy a ticket outside of the queuing chaos. What I learned was that no matter who you are, the wealthy come first at VOLTAIRE. Numerous professional emails to entertainment representatives at Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the VOLTAIRE organization have gone unresolved or ignored altogether. I've requested to pay in full to cover Minogue's show for VEGAS 411 but have gotten nowhere. The fact that I've written and published three recent articles to promote the show/venue hasn't mattered in the slightest.

It'll be interesting to see who IS welcomed to Kylie's first performance. You can bet that my counterpart from the Las Vegas Review-Journal will be boasting about attending on opening night. Global media outlets will capture celebrities walking the red carpet on their way to exclusive "Sapphire Tables". They'll be feeding each other caviar during the performance while we peasants stay home to stream Kylie's latest album. When our city reopened after the pandemic, everyone was encouraged to come back. Room rates dropped to an all-time low, parking charges were eliminated, and resort fees frequently got waived. Two years later, Formula 1 Grand Prix racing and VOLTAIRE have transformed the city into an exclusive playground for millionaires and billionaires.

"Jay Sarno, who was the man behind Caesars Palace, believed that everyone should be treated like royalty at the casino hotel. So, he removed the apostrophe to signify that Caesars was for everyone and not just Caesar." - Forbes Magazine 9/4/18

So before you make your next Las Vegas travel plans, know your place in the 2023 scheme of things. And keep an organ donor card handy. You may need to sell a kidney to pay for all of the unexpected costs.