Las Vegas Strip Leans Into Country Music With Luke Combs’ Category 10 Bar at Flamingo

^{Rendering of Luke Combs’ Category 10 bar, set to open at the Flamingo in 2026 in Las Vegas. (Photo: Caesars Entertainment)}

LAS VEGAS — For decades, the Strip has been known to change with pop culture trends, while local hotspots like Stoney’s Rockin’ Country at Town Square have always catered to country fans. The National Finals Rodeo used to be the only time Strip casinos catered to country music fans, but now the city is embracing country music on a nightly basis like never before.

Music trends tend to shift every eight to ten years, and right now country music is having its moment. Numerous country artists are playing huge concerts around the world, so it’s no surprise that Las Vegas entertainment venues are reflecting this trend as it reaches its peak.

Kenny Chesney debuted the first-ever country music residency at the Sphere early this year and it was so popular that it will continue next year. That success was followed by Blake Shelton’s first Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. Country music bars on the Strip aren’t just multiplying, they’re getting bigger.

What’s in Store for Category 10 at the Flamingo

Next year, Luke Combs’ Category 10 will take over the former space of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at the Flamingo Las Vegas. This addition will make it the second Category 10, following the flagship location in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music. Like Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Bar, Category 10 will be a multilevel bar, restaurant and entertainment venue with great views of the Strip.

Category 10 will occupy more than 30,000 square feet across three floors, right where the Flamingo meets the LINQ Promenade. The entertainment venue will feature a bar and restaurant with several different areas to enjoy.

The main floor, Hurricane Hall, will be where most of the action takes place. In addition to plenty of dining space, the main area will feature three bars, a dance floor and a stage for live music. Guests can expect plenty of room for line dancing before, during, and after performances.

A unique addition is the Beautiful Crazy Women’s Lounge, located uniquely inside the women’s restroom on the first floor.  This intimate lounge will feature a champagne bar, makeup counters and old Hollywood-style vanity mirrors that set the scene for the ultimate Vegas selfie.

Upstairs on the second floor, guests will find The Still, an intimate space with an extensive bourbon selection handpicked by Combs himself. This space will also include a patio with Strip views and seating overlooking the main stage below.

The third-floor Eye Rooftop will have a DJ booth, dance floor and bar with beautiful views of the Las Vegas Strip. With so many options, guests will have the ultimate decision to make on where to settle in. Category 10 is set to open in the fall if everything proceeds as planned.

How Many Country Music Bars Are Too Many?

The Strip is the trendiest part of Las Vegas, and that’s part of its appeal. While many visitors have their favorite spots, they also come back often to see what’s new while hoping their treasured venues remain.

Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, located in front of Horseshoe Las Vegas, opened in 2024 and still has lines out the door on weekends. The bar and restaurant is also one of the many venues to find free live music on the Strip. Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Bar also opened in December 2024 at the above of a shopping plaza between The Cosmopolitan and Aria. Like Ole Red, Aldean’s venue features live music daily. 

Before these larger country music venues arrived, Gilley’s at Treasure Island was the only spot on the Strip offering a similar mix of live music, line dancing, bull riding and Southern food in a single floor venue. It might be more modest than the mega-venues on the Strip now, but it had fair prices compared to today's hotspots.

As the country music trend grows, the question becomes whether Las Vegas can sustain so many country-themed bars. But if current crowds are any indication, the demand shows no signs of slowing down.

The Flamingo Continues to Evolve

With the Tropicana gone after an implosion last year, the Flamingo is now the oldest casino on the Strip. Rather rely on the nostalgic appeal, the historic property has undergone a major transformation to stay relevant.

The Flamingo recently debuted the new GO Pool, building on one of the property’s most popular features since it opened in 1946.  The casino also added new restaurants like Pinky’s by Vanderpump and Gordon Ramsay Burger, both offering outdoor seating along the Strip. Though Havana 1957 doesn’t have outdoor seating, it does have the title of the only Cuban restaurant in a Strip casino. Guests can enjoy live music, dancing and traditional Cuban dishes not found anywhere else on the Strip. 

When Category 10 opens, it will continue the Flamingo’s transformation when it opens next year. Las Vegas culture has always reflected what’s new in pop culture -- but country music has officially found its place on the Strip with an abundance of options for two stepping and honky tonk.