Can you Find Reggae and Dancehall in Las Vegas?

Above everything else, Las Vegas is famous for being the casino capital of the world. Players from around the globe flock to the desert city in Nevada to stand in awe of the oasis of neon lights and have a flutter on giant gaming floors. 

Las Vegas practically single-handedly invented the modern casino industry. In fact, the city was responsible for the creation of the contemporary game of blackjack. Today, it’s possible to enjoy a range of variants both in the city and in online casinos with operators like PokerStars Casino offering versions like classic, premium, and high roller that tweak the base game to offer a different challenge to players. 

Blackjack is based on older games like 21 and Pontoon but was popularised in Nevada thanks to casino owners offering special side bets like “black jack” that paid out if players had a jack of clubs or spades in their hand. The site bet has gone but the name has stuck and is how everyone knows it today. 

Las Vegas is also widely credited with inventing the modern integrated resort, the giant temples of entertainment that offer everything under one roof, combining vast gaming floors with restaurants, pools, spas, roller coasters, thrill rides, boutique shopping, golf courses, cinemas, night clubs, and live entertainment. This business model has since been exported to places like Atlantic City, Singapore, and Macao, though Vegas remains the dominant force. 

In these resorts, you’ll find practically any type of entertainment you could wish for. From live sports to legendary magic shows, Vegas casinos really do offer something for everyone. One of the biggest and most successful forms of entertainment in the city has been concerts with the industry’s biggest names taking up residency in Vegas over the last century, including Elvis Presley, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and Elton John. 

But what about dancehall and reggae? Can you find any of this on offer in Las Vegas? The bad news is that you’re unlikely to find any big names from the reggae or dancehall scenes in the city regularly. However, the scene’s biggest name, Sean Paul, did include stops in Las Vegas on his Greatest Tour 2024. You may also occasionally spot artists in the city, such as when Bad Gyal attended the Latin American Music Awards in April 2023. 

If your visit to the giant adult playground in the sand doesn’t coincide with a visit from a reggae or dancehall legend, you’re still in luck as there are some great spots to enjoy this music and Caribbean culture. 

Jammyland

Located in the arts district, Jammyland is a Caribbean bar that serves a delicious mix of food and drink from Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean including jerk wings, curries, and salads. 

The perfect side to these delicious tastes of home is Jammyland’s live music with a mix of Caribbean sounds blasting from the speakers from Wednesday to Sunday. 

Jammyland has an urban feel, with an outdoor dining area that’s complete with a painted mural, colourful tables, and strings of lights to create ambience. It’s a great taste, both literally and metaphorically, of the Caribbean in the heart of Vegas. 

Lucky Day

Lucky Day is another Vegas bar offering tastes from other cultures. Whilst it doesn’t focus specifically on the Caribbean, you can find some reggae and dancehall music mixed in with other sounds from Latin America. 

There’s not much in the way of food on offer, so make sure you fill up before coming to get your groove on. 

Chayo

Like Lucky Day, Chayo focuses on the wider LatAm region. Its food will get your mouth watering, including tangy chipotle wings, burritos, and tacos. Live music gets Chayo’s floor filled with people looking to groove to Latin music whilst its mechanical bull is a great addition to your night as you can compete with your friends over who can cling on the longest.