Fremont Street was closed permanently to vehicular traffic in September, 1994 as part of the plan to regenerate the downtown area. The Fremont Street Experience Light and Sound show debuted in mid-December the follwowing year, financed by a group of ten downtown hotel-casinos, eager to bring a new draw to the neighborhood.
With an original price tag of $900,000, the canopy is 90 ft (27 m) high at the peak and four blocks, or approximately 1,500 ft (460 m), in length. It's supported by 16 columns, each weighing 26,000 pounds, and 43,000 struts. When it debuted, it featured approximately 2.1 million lightbulbs controlled by 32 computers. Six years later, the original 350,000-watt sound system was upgraded to 550,000 watts, which power no less than 220 speakers within the canopy.
A subsequent $17 million upgrade saw a new canopy installed, fitted with 12.5 million LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that are more robust than traditional bulbs, and have a lower energy consumption and longer lifetime.
The majority of the shows -- which now display in hi def -- are rock-music tributes. Some are specifically Vegas-themed, while others are made and screened for special occasions only. We understand that there's generally a library of about 15 shows to choose from although, as you've observed, the nightly rotation of five to six doesn't change significantly on a frequent basis.
The nightly spectacle kicks off at dusk and the May schedule (the June "Viva Vision" lineup hasn't yet been posted), lists: "Don McClean's American Pie," followed by the "Doors Strange Days," then a "Tribute to Queen," "KISS Over Vegas," "Bad to the Bone," (on some nights) "Born 2B Wild & MCR," and "JVH's Signs of Life."
While it may seem as if the repertoire never changes, the Doors tribute is a pretty new show that only debuted in April 2010, and "Signs of Life" was a special psychedelic piece commissioned for the now annual "Summer of Love" festivities downtown, which kicked off in 2009.
Other shows in the rotation can include: "Walking in Graceland," which aired during May's "Ultimate Elvis" weekend; "Lucky Vegas," which sets kaleidescopic gambling imagery to a rock soundtrack; "Fahrenheit," which stars dancing girls playing with fire and ice; "Smoke, Speed and Spinning Wheels," which gives visitors an inside look at the sport of race car driving; "Area 51," a show that pits humans against a swarm of alien invaders; "American Freedom," which serves as tribute to the United States and generally airs July 4 weekend; and "The Drop," which takes visitors on a journey that begins with a single drop of water. New Year's Eve has its own unique annual spectacular, too.
All we can suggest is that you log on to the FSE website ahead of your next downtown adventure, or call their show info line on 702/678-5600, and try to catch one of the shows you haven't yet seen. If you can, plan your visit around a holiday or other special event, and you might catch something out of the ordinary. Or, for a new perspective on an old favorite, try the Flitelinez ride, which ziplines you right underneath the canopy and is a lot of fun, especially if there's a show taking place at the time.
