Elvis and the Westgate: From the International Hotel to Elvis Presley Boulevard
Updated November 2026. Vegas Elvis is a Vegas411 guide. Some ticket links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Elvis played Las Vegas for seven years at one hotel: the International, which became the Las Vegas Hilton and is now the Westgate Las Vegas, at 3000 Paradise Road. He opened there on July 31, 1969, and played his last Las Vegas show there on December 12, 1976. Here is the short history, and what you can still see.
At a glance
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| April 1956 | Elvis, 21, plays the New Frontier's Venus Room as an added act. The older dinner crowd is unimpressed. |
| 1963–1964 | He films Viva Las Vegas with Ann-Margret on location in the city. |
| May 1, 1967 | He marries Priscilla Beaulieu in a private suite at the Aladdin. The site is now Planet Hollywood. |
| July 1969 | Kirk Kerkorian's International Hotel opens. Elvis begins his first engagement there on July 31. |
| 1970s | Hilton takes over and the hotel becomes the Las Vegas Hilton. Elvis returns season after season. |
| December 12, 1976 | His last Las Vegas show, at the end of a December engagement. |
| September 1978 | The hotel unveils a bronze statue of Elvis by Carl Romanelli. |
| 2012 and 2014 | The hotel becomes the LVH, then the Westgate Las Vegas. |
| 2015–2016 | Riviera Boulevard is renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard; the signs go up in December 2016. |
1956: the first try
Elvis first played Las Vegas in April 1956, booked into the New Frontier as an added attraction on a bill with Freddy Martin's orchestra and comedian Shecky Greene. The rock and roll that was making him famous didn't suit the dinner-show crowd, and the engagement is remembered as a flop. He didn't headline Las Vegas again for 13 years.
1969: the International
Kirk Kerkorian opened the International Hotel in July 1969, then the tallest building in Nevada, with Barbra Streisand as its first headliner. Elvis followed on July 31, his first regular live concerts in years, backed by a full band, singers and an orchestra. It became his Las Vegas home: he came back for engagements every year into the mid-1970s, and the jumpsuits, karate moves and big finales of the "Vegas Elvis" date from these shows.
How many shows?
You will often read "837 consecutive sold-out shows", the number on the 1978 statue's plaque. When Graceland's archivist counted the performance records for a 2015 exhibition, the total was 636, and the Westgate now uses that number. Either way, it was the longest run of his career at a single venue.
What is there now
The building still stands and still runs shows. The International Theater, the room Elvis played, hosts concerts, including Elvis tribute nights, and the hotel's smaller Cabaret is home to The King Comes Home, an Elvis tribute show. Romanelli's statue is in the lobby, and the hotel brings out Elvis memorabilia for its Elvis celebrations; call 702-732-5111 to ask what is on show. The road out front is Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Elvis shows to see now
Three Elvis tribute shows play Las Vegas every week. All Shook Up plays every night at 6:00 PM at Alexis Park, about two miles from the Westgate.
| Show | From | Next show |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit of the King: The Ultimate ELVIS ShowVegas.com | $29.00 | See dates |
| All Shook UpBook direct | $44.95 | |
| The King Comes HomeVegas.com | $62.57 | See dates |