Bottle Service Meets Burlesque at Forty Deuce’s NYE Opening at Mandalay Bay

^{The Forty Deuce opening night party felt like a true celebration of its return to Mandalay Bay on New Year’s Eve. (Photo: Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce)}

LAS VEGAS — Finding the Strip’s newest burlesque nightclub on New Year’s Eve felt like entering a speakeasy, tucked away beneath the escalators near the Shoppes at Mandalay Place. Forty Deuce returned to its original 5,000-square-foot lounge home in Mandalay Bay that had true “if you know, you know” energy from the start.

Forty Deuce’s reopening has helped soothe the hearts of those who mourned the hotspot when it closed almost two decades ago. The burlesque nightclub was once a major player in early-2000s Hollywood nightlife, opening its first Las Vegas location in 2004. It quickly became a must-visit venue for five years, hosting celebrity clientele like Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Nicolas Cage, and Paris Hilton.

The concept was such a hit that it even inspired a Bravo series documenting owner Ivan Kane’s journey in bringing the Hollywood original to Las Vegas. Forty Deuce stood as his most ambitious venture in Vegas alongside Kiss & Go-Go at Tropicana Atlantic City. 

Kane ultimately closed the Vegas location in 2009 to pursue ventures in other markets, as the massive EDM nightclub concept became the interest of bottle poppers and VIPs on the Strip. Now, Forty Deuce offers a happy medium in the crowded clubbing space, combining live music with burlesque performance to offer something different heading into 2026.

Mega-Club Feel in Intimate Lounge Space

Forty Deuce markets itself as a burlesque nightclub rather than your traditional burlesque show, a difference which was clear on opening night. The venue is intimate and a bit smaller than photos suggest, but unmistakably designed with bottle service in mind as many Strip nightclubs often are. VIP tables surround the dance floor, giving the space a lounge-forward layout rather than an overwhelming club feel.

The club officially opened at 9:30 p.m., welcoming guests in top New Year’s Eve form with no shortage of sequins, rhinestones, and feathers. Despite its opening on one of the biggest nights of the year in Las Vegas, people made their way into the club gradually throughout the night, a surprising contrast to the packed nightclubs anywhere else on the Strip. General admission tickets were priced at $75 for women and $125 for men, offering an open bar until 11:30 p.m.

The opening-night crowd skewed slightly older, largely in the 30-to-50 age range, which made sense. Compared to the rest of the city, Strip nightlife naturally attracts visitors with disposable income. Staff told me that the opening night was a mix of Mandalay Bay executives, industry professionals, choreographers, and performers familiar with Forty Deuce’s legacy in Columbus, Ohio and its previous Las Vegas run.  

Owner Ivan Kane was present throughout the night, frequently emceeing performances and mingling with guests. According to staff, most of the VIPs tend to arrive closer to 11 p.m. or midnight, so it was mostly standing guests until the bottle service started to pop off. What started off as a stiff dance floor loosened up quite a bit after DJ Graham Funke spun hip hop and RnB classics that the dancers only added to.

Live Band Elevates Burlesque Experience

Two full burlesque sets with a live band anchored the night, along with some smaller dance performances woven into the DJ’s sets. The first dancer appeared around 10:30 p.m. to dance with the DJ’s music before transitioning into individual performances. 

The dancers’ résumés were stacked, with performers from shows like Mad Apple, DiscoShow, Absinthe, and The Empire Strips Back. 

The highlight of the night had to be when a dancer climbed onto the bar in front of the stage, tossed her top aside, and waterfalled straight from a bottle of SKYY Vodka before dramatically splashing it across her chest, covered only by heart-shaped pasties. It was a bold finisher for her performance and exactly the kind of spectacle the crowd responded to.

Music played a big role throughout the night along with the performances. The Forty Deuce Trio, made up of a bassist, drummer, and saxophonist, added an edge that elevated the club’s experience beyond just the DJ’s set. The saxophonist in particular really wowed the crowd with his skills. Even for guests less interested in burlesque, the live band alone felt worth the visit.

The staff’s outfits also reinforced the club’s provocative aesthetic. Bottle servers wore low-rise pants with rhinestone thongs peeking through, while dancers rotated through different looks with studded bras, fishnets, cheetah-print briefs, and custom looks for each solo routine. It was a nice touch that frequently interacted with guests, especially women. It’s a deliberate choice Kane emphasized upon the club’s opening announcement: making it a space where women could feel empowered watching burlesque as performance art.

“Because the girls are dancers, not strippers, what they do on stage is empowering to women,” Kane said. “And it makes them feel sexy so that they can get on stage and dance with other girls or they can go back to their hotel room and perform for their man or significant other.”

Bartenders added to the experience by weaving through the dance floor to grab drink orders, chat with guests, and even delivering drinks directly. That’s always a nice personal touch in a setting that can often feel impersonal if you’re not a VIP. As the night went on, dollar bills flew through the air and ended up tucked into dancers’ briefs in classic burlesque fashion.

“It almost feels like a strip club, but way more classy and performative, like art.” one attendee told me after the show. “The performances felt like a Cirque du Soleil show or Awakening, it was a great way to spend New Year’s Eve.”

Forty Deuce is 'Legendary' In Its Own Smaller Way

In true New Year’s fashion, the six dancers of Forty Deuce led the midnight countdown. Though it lacked the confetti moment or ball drop originally promised, the room was filled with excited guests to start off the new year. 

For my first burlesque show, it set the bar insanely high. Mandalay Bay has lacked a true nightclub for a while now after Light Nightclub and Rumjungle closed their doors years ago. Though Mandalay has venues like Foundation Room or Skyfall Lounge, Forty Deuce flips the lounge concept on its head and throws in burlesque to give it a twist.

Forty Deuce’s location within Mandalay Bay may not be the easiest to stumble upon, but a location inside a major resort is ultimately a win.  After long days of conventions or gaming, guests can now have a great option for a party without leaving the property. Their bottle service pricing, ranging roughly from $100 to $300, is much more practical compared to others on the Strip.

Mandalay Bay was noticeably calmer than other parts of the Strip that night, but Forty Deuce stands itself as a smart play to boost up non-gaming revenue in a city constantly evolving to meet guest demand. This club might not be for everyone, but it delivers exactly what it promises: debauchery, talented burlesque dancers, flowing drinks, and staff who will host many unforgettable late-night adventures.

Nightlife venues may come and go in Las Vegas, but Forty Deuce’s return is a clear attempt to reinsert burlesque into the itineraries of both visitors and locals.