Las Vegas is popularly known as the World’s Entertainment Capital. This doesn’t come as a surprise as it truly lives up to its name in a unique fashion. Just like the Mojave Desert’s extreme temperatures, Las Vegas ‘goes to sleep’ at the first ray of light every morning, and comes alive as soon as the sunsets.
Virtually, all nightlife activities can be found in Las Vegas. These include great live shows, casino gambling, lavish dining restaurants, happening nightclubs, and dueling piano bars.
What are the best dueling piano bars in Las Vegas? The best dueling piano bars in Las Vegas include:
- The Bar at Times Square – NYNY Las Vegas
- Piano Bar – Harrah’s Las Vegas
- Eastside Lounge – Wynn Resorts
- Juliet Cocktail Room – Venetian Las Vegas
- Interlude Lounge – the Cromwell
Just make your choice and party all through the night with your best friends! If you have been searching for the best dueling piano bars in Las Vegas, then this is for you. We have done a review that features the very best you can find here.
What is a Dueling Piano Bar?
The history of the dueling piano bar dates back to the 1890s. It began as a simple dueling concept, a competitive concept featuring two pianists vying to outperform each other.
By the 1930s, it transitioned into a form of live entertainment where audiences would request songs by writing their selections on cocktail napkins. The best exemplification of this is Pat O’Brien’s famous New Orleans Bar that hosted dueling piano competitions on the regular in a dedicated dueling room.
However, the art form dwindled through the ages till the 1980s when the Alley Cats piano bar in Dallas set up a dueling piano bar based on less competition and more collaboration and celebration of contemporary music like rock n’ roll. This is when artists started to incorporate comedic bits into their performances by altering lyrics and including audience participations.
Today, dueling piano bars are live entertainment venues where two pianists engage in a musical showdown, taking song requests from the audience and playing a wide variety of tunes spanning different genres. These bars offer a unique and interactive nightlife experience, combining live music, comedy, sing-alongs, and audience participation.
As amazing as the concept is, dueling piano bars are hard to find, even in an entertainment destination like Las Vegas. There are currently only five known locations in Vegas and the best are located on the Strip.
Best Dueling Piano Bars in Las Vegas
If you are looking to see energetic competition and sing-alongs these 5 best dueling piano bars in Las Vegas will ensure you have a great night!
Bar At Times Square in NYNY
While some other bars located inside New York-New York have pianos, this bar at Times Square is the only bar that offers dueling pianos.
This bar is referred to as “The Ultimate Neighborhood Bar” because it offers bar-top gaming, lots of beverage specials, and 14 big TVs. Shows here happen seven nights every week. What this means is that the dueling piano show performs every night to a jovially celebratory and cheerful crowd, daily from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am.
One good tip here is: make sure you are a beneficiary of any of the bartop seats, which circle the bar. Here, you’ll be able to get the best view, and will have a nice time with comped drinks all through the night. Just make sure you also get involved with the bartop video poker.
Both the Bar at Times Square and Harrah’s have a very casual atmosphere. This is why you don’t have to dress up. For sure, you never want to miss what is known as the best-rated dueling piano show happening in Las Vegas.
Tip: Aim for a night when Sarah Hester Ross is performing. She is a world travelling entertainer known for her incredibly funny musical comedies, dueling, and solo piano plays. Her performances at the Bar in Times Square are popular among local fans.
Features
- Offers bar-top gaming, lots of beverage specials, and 14 big TV’s
- Shows here happen seven nights every week
- A very casual atmosphere
- Location: 3790 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109
You can click here to visit their website
Piano Bar at Harrah’s
Do you wish to see the live performance of Elvis Presley? Or do you wish to see identical twin girls – Tamara and Kim Pinegar – compete to get your applause through piano performances? Then you should visit the Piano Bar which is located at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.
It is located just a few steps from the popular Carnival Court. This bar provides a complete slate of interactive and live shows, which includes Rusty’s All-Star Karaoke, Saxman Duo, and Dueling pianos. It is advisable to get there early to have a seat because the bar isn’t a large one.
At Piano Bar at Harrah’s, you’ll be opportune to enjoy the free Big Elvis show of Pete Vallee. This usually runs from 2 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Also, Kim and Tamara play the dueling pianos, thrilling the audience on Friday and Saturday between 9 pm and 2 am.
You won’t just be opportune to enjoy live performances; you can also become a star overnight as you sing classic karaokes. Normally, this dueling Piano bar is open on Mondays to Wednesdays from 5.30 pm to 2 am, and Thursdays to Sundays from 2 pm to 2 am. However, for now, they are closed from Thursday to Sunday.
Here, you can also visit the Carnival Court to grab some pre-game cocktails. Carnival Court is an outdoor bar, which is situated between Linq and Harrah’s. After visiting this spot, you can now step into the Piano bar, which is just a few steps away.
Features
- Live performance of Elvis Presley
- Identical twin girls – Tamara and Kim Pinegar – compete on the Piano
- Interactive live shows, which includes Rusty’s All-Star Karaoke, Saxman Duo, and Dueling pianos
- Open on Mondays to Wednesdays from 5.30 pm to 2 am
You can click here to visit their website.
Related Read: Best Karaoke Bars In Las Vegas
Eastside Lounge at Wynn
You can have the most amazing experience at the Eastside Lounge. This dueling piano bar is designed with luxury and elegance in mind. One of the lovely things visitors get to enjoy here is the classic dueling piano fare. Aside from the performance, this piano bar places priority on its cocktail services. The atmosphere in this place is very lively.
The Eastside Lounge is an interesting place for people who love dueling pianos. If you plan to visit this piano bar, you should dress well as some dresses like tank tops and Swimwear aren’t allowed. This piano bar offers hand-crafted cocktails and great entertainment.
This piano bar isn’t as big as other piano bars in Las Vegas, but it sure offers some of the best services. If you are looking for a serene atmosphere to relax, this lounge is the right place for you. Las Vegas is known to offer some of the best dueling piano bars and the East Lounge is one of such bars. Dueling pianos are a great way to enjoy your night as you watch how pianists compete for the best-played tunes.
Features
- Opening days: Friday and Saturday
- Opening time: 8 pm
- Dress code: Casual
Juliet Cocktail Room at the Venetian
Juliet Cocktail Room is the most recent addition to the dueling piano scene in Las Vegas. It is named after the most expensive rose – the Juliet rose.
Located in the Venetian Las Vegas, this Victorian-themed gem duels two baby grand pianos that echo a wide range of genres across different eras.
Dueling pianists at the venue perform popular hits from Elton John to Biggie’s hip hop classics. Rock out to the Rolling Stones, Madonna, and a wide range of the 90s pop songs.
It is however important to note that the dueling pianos aren’t every night, only on some occasions, usually weekends.
Juliet is the perfect place if you want live entertainment without the loudness of a club. The dancing floor space is limited, but you probably won’t mind because you will be visiting for the sing-alongs and laid-back ambience.
As for the environment, Juliet Cocktail Room has a dimmed light theme decorated with elegant pieces that scream sophistication and class. The velvet seats pull you into a night of relaxation filled with libations.
Speaking of drinks. The menu is the most highly praised aspect of the bar. It features unique and inventive cocktails from the Cherried Treasure to Easy Street, and Spicy Flamingo. Inspired by Juliet rose, the cocktails are artful presented and made from premium spirits that leave no flavors unexplored.
Juliet Cocktail Room is also a popular spot for live music events and live DJ performances on select days throughout the week.
If you are a laid-back 90s music fan, then this is a great spot for you on the Strip. But since it is on the Strip, you should be prepared to pay premium prices, like $20 for a cocktail.
Features:
- Live music on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
- Quick bites – tuna tacos, wings, empanadas, pork ribs, charred shishitos, etc.
- Karaoke nights on Tuesdays.
- Location: 3355 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109
- Phone: 702-414-1000
Interlude Lounge at the Cromwell
Dueling pianos were introduced to the Interlude Lounge in July of 2023, a permanent move that added to its weekend crowd by offering an energetic atmosphere fueled with humorous performances and competitive live shows.
Open every Friday and Saturday (8:30 pm – 1:30 am), the dueling pianos compliment the traditional theme of the Interlude Lounge. It is located in the heart of the casino floor of the Cromwell, making it a convenient spot for gamblers.
The small lounge is not as popular as the dueling pianos in NYNY or Harrah’s, but, it makes up for it with an extensive dining menu. The gourmet menu comes from the Strip’s best celebrity chef restaurants including Gordon Ramsay Steak, Amalfi, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown, and Ramsay’s Kitchen.
Interlude Lounge is also the only piano bar on this list that is open 24/7.
Features:
- Main food is Italian reception style from Giada.
- Capacity ranges from 14 – 100 on a flow.
- Quick bites – tuna tacos, wings, empanadas, pork ribs, charred shishitos, etc.
- Karaoke nights on Tuesdays.
- Location: 3595 Las Vegas Blvd S Las Vegas, NV 89109
- Phone: 702-731-7778
Comparing the Best Dueling Piano Bars in Las Vegas
Asides from visiting the piano bar, are you searching for a sports bar type of environment where you can both watch the game and sing at the same time, then the Bar at Times Square should be your next destination.
At the Piano Bar at Harrah’s, you will not be disappointed by the large amount of entertainment made available. If you wish to impress then the Juliet Cocktail Room will surely do the trick.
Before we forget, you will be making the right decision if you visit the Eastside Lounge for a date. Here, the cozy environment ensures that your intimate conversation becomes an easy affair.
Conclusion
Dueling pianos have long been known to bring people together to have a night they will never forget. Though the origin of dueling pianos may be traced back to New Orleans, there’s no other place on earth that everyone can see as a more appropriate home than Las Vegas, also known as the city of lights.
Each of the dueling piano bars reviewed above has one unique thing to offer you. Whether you are visiting for relaxation, excitement, a club atmosphere, comedy, or comedy, you will surely get it in Las Vegas.