Mexican Independence Day weekend is here: Ready to be emancipated from your disposable income?
You’d better be, as there’s an absolute bonanza of events vying for your entertainment dollar over the next few days.
In a city built on big, busy weekends, this one ranks high among the biggest and busiest.
With so much to see and do, here’s a guide to 20 top events during the holiday festivities.
■ Franco Escamilla, MGM Grand Garden, Friday
The first Latin comedian to perform at New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall as well as Mexico City’s renowned National Auditorium, Franco Escamilla has established himself as one of Mexico’s most successful stand-ups ever, demonstrating that laughter knows no borders.
■ Fremont Street Experience,Friday-Sunday
The only thing better than a three-day marathon of over 100 hours of live entertainment spread across four stages is a free three-day marathon of over 100 hours of live entertainment spread across four stages. And that’s just what you’ll get at the Fremont Street Experience’s inaugural Mexican Independence Day block party featuring Outlaw Mariachi, Latin Breeze, Titico, XCSO, Havana Express and more.
■ Peso Pluma, T-Mobile Arena, Friday
Regional Mexican music is no longer strictly regional thanks to Peso Pluma: “Ella Baila Sola,” the 25-year-old singer’s smash single with Eslabon Armado, made history as the first regional Mexican song to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. With just four full-length albums under his belt, Peso Pluma has already become the most-streamed Mexican artist of all time.
■ Gloria Trevi, PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort, Friday
Gloria Trevi, aka “The Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop” if you’re not into the whole brevity thing, continues to reign, well, supreme atop the Latin music charts 25 years into her hit-strewn career with a whopping 35 million albums sold.
■ Lucero & Mijares, Resorts World Theatre, Friday
One of Mexico’s best-selling female artists teams up with one of Mexico’s best-selling male artists when Lucero Hogaza León joins forces with Manuel Mijares. The pair share more than massive chart success: They were married for 14 years and have two children together.
■ Banda MS, Michelob Ultra Arena, Friday
The rare act of its ilk to collaborate with both Snoop Dogg and the Call of Duty video game, Mexico’s celebrated Banda MS has earned almost as many Billboard Music Awards (16) as it has band members (17).
■ Rumbazo, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, Friday-Saturday
Vying to be the “greatest Mexican block party of the year,” this celebration of music, art and food from local Latin restaurants returns to Vegas for year three with headliners Nicky Jam and Luis R Conriquez topping a stacked lineup that also includes Arc Angel, De La Ghetto, Codiciado, Octavio Cuadras and many more.
■ Los Bukis, Dolby Live at Park MGM, Friday-Saturday and Wednesday
The Strip’s first all-Spanish language residency returns with the rare Latin music group capable of selling-out stadiums in the U.S. In their Vegas dates, these Grupero icons headline the decidedly more intimate Dolby Live.
■ Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga, T-Mobile Arena, Saturday
OK, so Lloyd Christmas has about as much of a chance of landing that elusive date with Mary Swanson as Berlanga does of upsetting Alvarez, boxing’s biggest draw. But, hey, this one could be fun while it lasts, as Berlanga has demonstrated that he can pack some pop, winning his first 16 pro fights by knockout. And the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry remains one of the sport’s most heated.
■ Riyadh Season Noche UFC, Sphere, Saturday
Is there a cooler place to get kicked in the head than the Sphere? We think not. And so it’s go time this weekend when the inaugural live sporting event at the state-of-the-art venue takes place in Riyadh Season Noche UFC, which marks another first: It’s the only time the UFC has shared title billing with a sponsor. That’s a big deal for an equally outsized lineup, headlined by a bantamweight throw-down between 135-pound title holder Sean O’Malley and top-ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili.
■ Alejandro Fernandez, MGM Grand Garden, Saturday-Sunday
It’ll be a family affair when Latin music superstar Alejandro Fernandez returns to town for the 22nd straight year during Mexican Independence Day weekend. His daughter Camila Fernández will join him on Saturday and his son Alex Fernández will do so the following night.
■ Carin Leon, Michelob Ultra Arena, Saturday
This past spring, Carin Leon became maybe the first artist ever to play Coachella, its sister country music festival Stagecoach and the Grand Ole Opry in only a two-month span. He hits Vegas in support of his new Latin-country crossover album “Boca Chueca Vol. 1.”
■ Cuco, Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq Promenade, Saturday
And now a little something for the indie rockers: This 20-something musical autodidact has been putting plenty of hearts in headlocks in recent years with starry-eyed, psychedelic- and bossa nova-informed bedroom pop.
■ Ana Barbara, The Pearl at the Palms, Saturday
“The Queen of Grupero Music,” Ana Barbara celebrates 30 years as one of the most prominent female faces in regional Mexican music following the release of her self-titled debut in 1994. Last year, she capped her career by becoming the first regional Mexican composer to earn the BMI Icon award, the highest honor from the organization of songwriters, composers and publishers.
■ Pancho Barraza, The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Saturday
As far as nicknames go, there are far worse ones to have than “Poeta del Amor” (“Poet of Love”) — especially when it comes to the ladies. That’s the handle that Pancho Barraza goes by in his native Mexico, thanks to romantic lyrics delivered in a stirring baritone.
■ Matisse, House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Saturday
This coed Mexican pop trio hits Vegas as part of its first world tour commemorating 10 years together. Fittingly, the group is named after French artist Henri Matisse, its songbook nearly as bold and colorful as his paintings.
■ Luis Miguel, Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Saturday-Sunday
What were you doing at age 14, other than attempting to perfect the fine art of the homeroom spitball? Well, Luis Miguel was earning his first Grammy nod for “Me Gustas Tal Como Eres,” his duet with Sheena Easton, way back in 1981. In the decades since, he’s established himself as one of the most successful Latin pop artists of all time with more than 60 million records sold.
■ Emmanuel, Venetian Theatre, Saturday-Sunday
Ace balladeer Emmanuel could wring tears from a tire iron with his heart-in-the-throat love songs that helped him earn a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2021.
■ Cristela Alonzo, International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas, Sunday
Get “Middle Classy” with comedian Cristela Alonzo, whose ABC sitcom “Cristela” established her as the first Mexican American woman to create, produce, write and star in her own prime-time show. Her aforementioned 2022 comedy special follows 2017’s “Lower Classy,” both Netflix hits.
■ Fuerza Regida, T-Mobile Arena, Sunday
Regional Mexican music goes EDM on “Pero No Te Enamores,” the latest album — and eighth overall — from the white-hot Fuerza Regida, which collaborates with such big-name producers as Afrojack, Alok and Major Lazer.
Contact Jason Bracelin at [email protected] or 702-383-0476. Follow @jbracelin76 on Instagram.