Super Bowl lands in Las Vegas as Chiefs and 49ers light fuse in ‘Mecca of entertainment’ (with help of Mexican wrestling masks and gifts from soccer stars) – as Travis Kelce says this could be ‘pretty special’ week

There are a few times a year when Las Vegas locals brace for an invasion. One came last month, when the Consumer Electronics Show rolled back into town. More than 135,000 people from 150 countries came to the airport. Everything for ‘the most powerful tech event in the world’.

Very soon, the Electric Daisy Carnival will launch its latest acquisition. The electronic music festival takes place every May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It brings over half a million visitors to the city. For ten days in December, the rodeo takes over.

This year, for the first time, a new rival will take center stage in this city full of dizziness and distraction.

Here, perhaps, are few better barometers than those ferrying arrivals across the Strip.

Our taxi driver had not noticed much of a change in Sin City on Monday morning. Never mind the artwork that began covering Allegiant Stadium and Las Vegas Boulevard. It didn’t matter that stalls and purple merchandise were popping up everywhere.

On the roads leading to the Strip, storm drains overflowed with rainwater. But the gathering storm of Super Bowl LVIII had yet to engulf Sin City. The taxi driver expected this to change quickly. He was right.

On Monday evening, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers took the field at Allegiant Stadium for Opening Night, and by sunrise there was no doubt: the greatest show on artificial turf had arrived in the entertainment capital of the world.

As Travis Kelce put it? ‘No one does a better show – it’s the Mecca… the ultimate weekend.’

The Chiefs tight end said, “The chaos, the hype, it’s the biggest stage in the world for a reason. I think this one will be pretty special.”

He and the Chiefs have been here before — four times in the last five years, in fact — but this is the first time the Super Bowl has landed in Las Vegas. They seem like the perfect match. Sure enough, Kelce said he’d never seen anything like Monday night, when supporters rushed in for an early glimpse and cameras struggled to get a clear view of Kelce’s microphone 90 minutes before he sat down.

Kelce spoke for about an hour, answering questions from a rabid crowd of journalists, fans and even a stand-up comedian. One journalist carried a cutout of his half-naked brother Jason. Another hoisted a homemade sign that read, “Hey, Travis.” Predictably, many wanted to ask questions about Taylor Swift.

By the end, the tight end was showered with gifts, including a Mexican wrestling mask and a personalized Atletico Madrid jersey signed by soccer star Antoine Griezmann. Carrot Top offered him lifetime tickets to his show in exchange for one seat at the competition.

“It looks like Christmas,” Kelce joked. And the festivities had begun long before Bruce Buffer – the voice of the UFC – introduced the defending champion.

The blue-colored paper was already lit up with cheerleaders, marching bands… and a giant game of Pictionary. But the volume went up a few notches when Brock Purdy brought out his 49ers and the two teams came face-to-face for the first time. The lower bowl was a sea of ​​red and white, but make no mistake, for the Chiefs this must have felt like a visit to enemy territory.

Fortunately, Andy Reid’s side have become accustomed to that in recent weeks. By Sunday evening the noise, color and electricity around this place will have reached a fever pitch.

Never mind that Las Vegas can become an eye sore when the weather turns.

Gray skies and drizzle are enough to dim the lights and wash away the veneer of glamor that draws people to this city of casinos and conference centers. At least one outdoor pool had run dry; Many of the hotels lost their shine due to the afternoon rain.

Fortunately, the weather will improve by the time the stars gather for game day. And even in the off-season, this place has lost none of its appetite for a show.

That much became clear at Allegiant Stadium. Meanwhile, the enormous media center reminds us that they never do half here. Entry is only granted after a forensic security operation that includes facial recognition technology, airport-style screening and sniffer dogs.

Then comes the assault on the senses: the chatter of Radio Row and the clatter of commemorative Super Bowl slot machines – work hard, play hard and all that. There is a golf simulator, a ball throwing competition. Oh, and a New Orleans-themed pop-up bar.

Nearby, in the lobby of the Luxor, there was a spell on Monday afternoon as a particular artist’s music blared from the speakers and onto the giant screens. No prizes if you guess who.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the guest rooms, there was a free copy of Las Vegas Magazine. “Your guide to everything Las Vegas,” it says. On the cover? An image of Teofimo Lopez, the super lightweight champion of the world who fights here later this week. Boxing has been this city’s natural bedfellow for so long.

Not now. It is said that Las Vegas is a different place during football season. It was only Monday, but it already seems to be a week like no other.