Las Vegas’ iconic Tropicana resort is blown-up in firework and drone-studded farewell ceremony

The iconic Tropicana Las Vegas Resort was demolished early Wednesday amid a stunning display of fireworks and drones.

The classic hotel on the Sin City strip had stood for 67 years, but has now made way for a new $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the relocation of the Athletics franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Footage of the demolition showed the resort’s two 23-storey buildings collapsing, while 550 drones and 150 ‘pyrodrones’ put on a light show over the city.

Nearly 2,200 pounds of explosives were used to take down the Tropicana, which took just 22 seconds from pressing the implosion button to the towers falling.

550 drones and 150 ‘pyrodrones’ put on a light show over the city before the demolition, using more than 2,200 pounds of explosives

The lights and fireworks show paid tribute to the Tropicana’s place in Las Vegas history, including the display of the iconic Tropicana logo in drones.

The classic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign and a tribute to the new Athletics franchise were also on display.

In preparation for the team’s move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season, the lot has been cleared for a new athletics stadium following the move from Oakland, California, where the franchise has been based since 1968.

The new stadium will cost more than $1.5 billion, seat 33,000 fans and is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season.

Residents can also expect further development on the 35-acre Tropicana site, as Las Vegas builders rush to build the rest of the area after the 9-acre stadium is built.

The hotel has been cleared to make way for a proposed $1.5 billion baseball stadium (seen in a rendering) for the Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas

The new stadium (seen in a rendering) will seat 33,000 fans and is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season

Originally built in 1957, the Tropicana was the most expensive property in Las Vegas history when it opened, and it quickly became the epitome of West Coast glamour.

The Tropicana is best known for its prominent role in the film The Godfather as Michael Corleone’s casino in Las Vegas, but also appeared in the classic 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever.

It became a hotspot for A-listers in its heyday, with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis Jr.

But the extravagant resort has also been plagued by scandals over the years, not least due to its links with the mafia, which ultimately tarnished its reputation.

The Tropicana, seen the year after it was built in 1958, was a staple of the Sin City strip and appeared in a number of iconic films, including The Godfather

It was the hotel that James Bond chose in the hit 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever. He can be seen at the chic Tropicana resort in the film

Singer Eddie Fisher was seen performing at The Tropicana during its heyday in 1958

Before its demolition on Wednesday morning, The Riviera was the last hotel to be razed in Las Vegas in 2016.

It joined a number of other historic Sin City hotels that had to be cleared, including The Boardwalk, The New Frontier, The Stardust and The Dunes, reports 8NewsNow.

“What Las Vegas has done, in classic Las Vegas style, they’ve turned a lot of these implosions into spectacles,” Geoff Schumacher, historian and vice president of exhibitions at the Mob Museum, told the Associated Press.