CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, MGM to Present LIGHT, LAS VEGAS

LIGHT, the first-ever nightclub turned on by Cirque du Soleil, will merge cutting-edge creativity with incredible music to produce a new kind of nightlife experience. The chic, fashion-forward 38,000-square-foot venuefeaturing state-of-the-art production, theatrics, and, of course world-renowned DJs and performers will turn on a new kind of passion and creativity, redefining a “night out” and creating a unique, memorable event each night. 

"The nightclub will serve as a laboratory, very much like our special events and projects have done in the past, for different and new artistic possibilities,” said Guy Laliberté, Founder, Cirque du Soleil.

Designed as an experience to play with your senses, LIGHT--turned on by Cirque du Soleil--will offer far more than the traditional nightclub. Upon arriving at LIGHT, guests enter the realm of the unknown, as everyone in the club is part of the show. Headlining DJs and performers will lead the charge, coupled with exclusively built performance elements and visuals provided by revolutionary video mapping, lighting, sound and special effects experts Moment Factory, as well as avant-garde costumes and unique choreography.  At LIGHT no two nights out will be the same. The spectacle and feeling forever engrained in the mind of guests beg the ultimate question: Have You Seen The Light?

Spearheading LIGHT at Mandalay Bay is The Light Group founder Andrew Sasson who has been intimately involved with each detail of the venture. Often credited with establishing and cultivating nightlife on the Las Vegas Strip, Sasson is no stranger to Worldwide Entertainment, having also launched venues throughoutEurope, New York and Miami. Longtime music-industry executive Amy Thomson, manager of global artists including Swedish House Mafia, also worked on the development, music and marketing of LIGHT.

Andrew Sasson said, “This partnership and the projects we are working on will be unlike anything the world has ever seen before–the ultimate theatrical nightlife venue. Cirque du Soleil has built a brand with worldwide recognition and their creativity, attention to detail and passion for their work perfectly complement The Light Group and everything we stand for."

Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, said “This new creative challenge is exciting for us. We have the opportunity to re-think the nightclub experience and apply our creative and artistic signature to different audiences and live experiences.”

Amy Thomson said, “I rarely get to work on production outside of a festival space or arenas and the chance to work with Cirque du Soleil, putting their creativity alongside the music I love, was not something I could pass up.  The DJs and performers who have come to work with us all have such high artistic aspirations, and to be able to try this in a space as iconic as Mandalay Bay I hope will be the beginning of many adventures withCirque du Soleil and The Light Group. It will be a melting pot of ideas and the focus is equally spread across music, the experience and the crowd.  Each one relying on the other, like an emotional ecosystem set up to cultivate and grow a magical night out.”

The list of DJs and performers already on board rivals some of the world’s biggest festival line-ups and will be announced soon at HaveYouSeenTheLight.com and the LIGHT social networks. 

For more information visit
HaveYouSeenTheLight.com
Facebook.com/TheLightVegas
Twitter.com/TheLightVegas
Youtube.com/TheLightVegas
Instagram.com/TheLightVegas

Trailer: http://youtu.be/UpVaxB52xnY

About Cirque du Soleil
Since 1984, the company has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in over 40 countries in more than 300 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.  For more information, visit the Cirque du Soleil website at www.cirquedusoleil.com. 

About THE LIGHT GROUP
The Light Group, a leading hospitality development and management company, is renowned for shaping the nightlife landscape on the Las Vegas Strip. Founded by Andrew Sasson and Andy Masi, The Light Group's portfolio includes the management of over 17 food and beverage venues worldwide–several within the AAA Five Diamond Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort &Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino and Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. Boutique hospitality innovators Morgans Hotel Group acquired a 90% stake in The Light Group in 2011. In its first of many partnerships with Morgans Hotel Group, The Light Group has introduced five new food and beverage outlets including its Italian eatery Bianca and nightlife venue FDR at the iconic Delano in South Beach.  With several innovative projects underway, The Light Group will continue to expand and introduce new hospitality concepts worldwide.  For more information please visit www.lightgroup.com. 

About ANDREW SASSON
Internationally renowned real estate developer and hospitality entrepreneur Andrew Sasson first gained prominence as a trendsetter in the high-end nightclub, lounge and restaurant industries.  Sasson is co-founder of The Light Group, which manages over 17 food and beverage venues worldwide.  Sasson currently sits on the Board of Directors for Morgans Hotel Group.

About AMY THOMSON
Amy Thomson is the President of ATM, a global music management and event producer managing global acts including Swedish House Mafia. Thomson is charged with the music policy, marketing and creative direction of the revolutionary nightlife concept for The Light Group at Mandalay Bay. After serving as Creative Director of Ministry of Sound at 21, Thomson later formed her own company in 1999. In 2011 she took on a Consultant role to The Yucaipa Companies, advising on asset purchases and marketing in the youth culture and entertainment space.  In 2012 she and SuzAnn Brantner formed Conception, a marketing company promising a new way of thinking, which is marketing LIGHT with her.

About MANDALAY BAY
Mandalay Bay, a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning resort, is set on 120 lush acres featuring the award-winning Mandalay Bay Beach, a tropical pool paradise with real sand and the only climate-controlled, poolside gaming in the city.  The Mandalay Bay Events Center, award-winning restaurants, exhilarating entertainment, unique shopping, Shark Reef Aquarium and the 1.7-million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center combine to make Mandalay Bay a distinctive Las Vegas destination. In 2014, THEhotel, a stand-alone all-suite hotel at Mandalay Bay will be redesigned and rebranded Delano Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). 

About MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a peerless portfolio of destination resort brands, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.