Epic parties surrounding the Super Bowl are bigger than ever in Las Vegas

The Maxim Big Game Experience, from the luxury lifestyle brand that publishes 11 editions of its magazine distributed in 75 countries, has been one of the most talked-about events in every Super Bowl city every year, stretching back for two decades.

Does this year’s version need to be bigger and bolder just because it’s in Las Vegas?

“A hundred percent,” says Seth Kaplan, founder of Unkommon Events, which has partnered with Maxim to throw the party for the past five years. “To come to Las Vegas and host something like this is a dream for a lot of event producers because it’s such a hub for entertainment, even on a regular weekend. People are projecting this could be the biggest weekend ever in Las Vegas, so to be able to come in, entertain and participate, it’s a dream.”

Themed this year as the Maxim Casino Royale Experience, the party is taking over the Resorts World Event Center the night before the Super Bowl on February 10, featuring performances by hip-hop stars 21 Savage and 50 Cent along with dance music artist Elderbrook, German DJ duo Plastik Funk and others; 120 VIP tables; the Vivid Seats luxury lounge with big game ticket giveaways; an oversized game of Duck Hunt and other activities; and food and drinks from Raising Cane’s, Ghost Energy Drink, Tequila 512, and loads of food trucks outside the 80,000-square-foot indoor space. (Tickets are at vividseats.com/maximparty.)

“We love to come in and build something that doesn’t exist, and we’re super excited to partner with Resorts World, one of the newest properties on the Strip,” Kaplan says. “No other place has this kind of blank slate where we can come in and bring this to life. We’re popping up with a kind of music festival meets hybrid nightlife experience.”

The party is expecting 5,000 guests, with the biggest spenders springing for the $1 million Ace of Spades package. This package for 10 includes private jet transportation from anywhere in the continental United States, a suite at Resorts World and $75,000 casino credit, a nightly $10,000 dining credit at the resort’s vast restaurant collection, all-access passes to the Maxim Casino Royale Experience and 50-yard-line tickets to the game on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

That top-tier experience is just a piece of one of the dozens of special events planned up and down the Strip this weekend, including exclusive concerts at arenas, mega-parties at nightclubs, indoor and outdoor tailgate extravaganzas and everything else imaginable. Events and management company Medium Rare is programming Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate behind the Linq Promenade (see our interview with Fieri on page 16) as well as the Shaq’s Fun House (shaqsfunhouse.com), Gronk Beach (gronkbeach.com) and Sports Illustrated-The Party (sitheparty.com) events at XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club at Wynn. After he’s done DJing at Wynn, Shaquille O’Neal will throw a stand-up comedy party at Resorts World Theatre on February 10 with Deon Cole, D.L. Hughley, Aida Rodriguez and more.

Michelob Ultra, the beer brand that already has its name on the arena at Mandalay Bay where the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces play, also hosts a big game weekend takeover at Topgolf Las Vegas, the Michelob Ultra Country Club (michelobultra.com/ultracountryclub) with legendary athletes Dan Marino and Alex Morgan hosting and Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Alesso performing.

Country star Luke Combs—who surged last year behind a cover of “Fast Car,” which he performed with Tracy Chapman at the Grammy Awards this week—is headlining the BetMGM Big Game Bash at the Cosmopolitan on February 10, with $400 tickets on sale exclusively on the betting app. And the recently announced FanDuel third annual Super Bowl party snags headliners Calvin Harris and Kid Cudi at LIV Nightclub at the Fontainebleau; sorry, it’s invite only.

Other events are raising money and awareness during the fun, like the Legends Party at Area15 on February 9 (legendsparty.com), in partnership with the NFL Alumni Association and USA Today, where football legends will hang out and Jason Derulo will perform while raising money for Caring For Kids. SoberBowl Vegas 24 (soberbowl.us) is exactly what it sounds like—a big game bash minus the booze at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater with speakers including sports agent Leigh Steinberg and former NFLers Ryan Leaf and Earl Campbell.

And Steinberg, the inspiration behind the film Jerry Maguire, will hold his own 37th annual Super Bowl party raising money for the Special Olympics at the Ahern Hotel (leighsteinbergsuperbowlparty.com), which will feature guest speakers, a charity poker tournament, an awards ceremony, and Terrell Owens launching the ICON Hall of Fame, a by-the-player, for-the-players football organization. “Our party offers a unique opportunity to focus on player health and safety plus explore new breakthroughs in treating concu

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