It was the 1950s and 60s in Vegas that first started the trend to attract big names to perform at casinos. First there was the legendary Rat Pack and, in more recent times, everyone from Elvis to Celine Dion and Elton John to Britney Spears have had long-running residencies at some of Sin City’s venues.
But you don’t have to go all the way to Nevada to combine some casino action with a big show. That’s because the Fallsview Casino Resort right here in Niagara Falls has a glittering array of names set to perform over the next few months.
For those who haven’t heard of it, Fallsview Casino Resort is Canada’s biggest and sits in a unique location overlooking the famous Horseshoe Falls. It was first opened back in 2004 and has dominated the skyline ever since. It’s a true pleasure palace that includes a 200,000 square foot gaming area, a 372 room hotel and 18 restaurants.
It also has not one but two performance areas, the 5000 seat OLG Stage and the Avalon Theatre that holds 1,500 people. These are both proving to be a great way to keep encouraging visitors in the face of increasing competition from online casinos that are now prevalent in the country – Casino.ca is your go-to for finding the best online casino in Canada. But hopefully at least one of these big names will encourage you to come along.
Peter Frampton: Wednesday April 8, 8,30pm
The legendary guitarist takes to the stage in April. There have been countless highs in his career including winning a Grammy for his 2007 album, Fingerprints. He was also inducted into the Musicians’ Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2020. Among his collaborators in the past have been George Harrison, David Bowie, B.B. King and Steve Miller to name just a few. He’s also responsible for one of the most popular live albums of all time, Frampton Comes Alive, with worldwide sales of over17 million copies.
Sir Tom Jones: Thursday April 17, 8.30pm
More proof that the very biggest names in entertainment make a point of including the Fallsview on their tour. For more than five decades Tom Jones has been belting out hits like Delilah and The Green, Green Grass of Home, and he’s still going strong.
More recently he has explored his love of blues and soul including collaborations with English pianist and band leader Jools Holland and with record producer Ethan Jones. So expect an evening that will include all the old favourites as well as some more unexpected musical diversions.
Tim Allen: Friday April 25, 8.00pm
Those of us who know Tim Allen from TV shows like Home Improvement and last man Standing, as well as being the voice behind Buzz Lightyear, might be surprised to know he started out as a stand-up comedian. He has also garnered many awards over the years including a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination as well as a People’s Award for “Favourite Male Performer in a TV Series”.
Now he has returned to his roots in a one-man show that will include stories from his long and successful career as we as sharp and fast-paced comedy that may well take you to infinity and beyond.
Gene Simmons Band: Thursday May 15, 8.00pm
When Gene Simmons first created the rock band Kiss with fellow musicians Peter Criss and Paul Frehley in 1972 they introduced a whole new concept to the world of music, as well as some truly amazing merchandise. The result was what Simmons liked to call “the ultimate rock band”. Today he continues with his frenetic stage performance, accompanied by band members Brent Woods, Zach Throne and Brian Tichy, all of whom have great rock pedigrees behind them.
So this is going to be a night not just for the legendary Kiss Army to enjoy, but for everyone who likes the kind of rock that’s set to blow the roof off.
Avril Levigne: June 4 and 5, 7.00pm
The list of Avril Levigne hits just goes on and on – and you’ll hear them all on both of these nights in June. Avril’s career highs have included appearing the Guinness World of Records as the youngest ever female solo artis to top the chats in the UK as well as no less than receiving eight Grammy nominations. Today her 93.6 million social media followers worldwide show her continuing relevance, as do recent collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly and Yungblud on songs Bois Lie and I’m A Mess.
Tickets for all of these big-name events are sure to go fast. So unless you want to be left playing board games at a bar in Ontario for your big night out you’d better get your skates on and book!