LAS VEGAS — MGM Resorts chief executive Bill Hornbuckle said Friday he wants to grow the company’s partnership with Bruno Mars in and out of Las Vegas, as the singer opens The Romantic tour at Allegiant Stadium and MGM looks to build on one of the city’s most durable entertainment relationships.
Hornbuckle will take part in Friday afternoon’s Bruno Mars Drive celebration at Toshiba Square outside T-Mobile Arena, and he said the company has ideas that go beyond the status quo for Mars. “We are all-in on Bruno, and I think he’s all-in on MGM and the city of Las Vegas,” Hornbuckle said, adding that “you’re going to see more things with Bruno.”
The timing matters because Mars is back in the market this weekend with Friday and Saturday shows at Allegiant Stadium, extending a run that has made him one of the biggest draws on the Strip. He has headlined Dolby Live at Park MGM since New Year’s Eve weekend 2016, and Hornbuckle said he would “certainly believe and hope so” when asked whether Mars might eventually return to a residency there.
MGM’s bet on Mars is not built on sentiment alone. Dolby Live has consistently sold out with his shows, and The Pinky Ring at Bellagio has become a nightlife success story where Mars often turns up for pop-up performances and his Hooligans frequently headline. Hornbuckle confirmed the company plans to expand its ongoing relationship with Mars at Park MGM and Bellagio, saying MGM has additional ideas that go beyond Pinky Ring for that community and for other locations it owns.
The push also reflects the broader way Las Vegas packages star power now. Hornbuckle said the city does not need another arena, even as he argued T-Mobile Arena can be modified to meet current NBA standards if Las Vegas lands an expansion team in time for the 2028 season. He said the building could add suites, parking, workout facilities, family lounges and related amenities without shutting down. For MGM, the message is clear: Mars remains a centerpiece, and the company expects the relationship to keep widening, not winding down.
That is the answer Hornbuckle gave on the Strip Friday: MGM wants Mars back, wants more from him now, and thinks Las Vegas has room to keep him at the center of it all.
