Blake Shelton Looks to Strike Gold in Las Vegas

Getty Blake Shelton at his Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony.

On January 15, country music superstar Blake Shelton took to social media to announce some exciting news in Las Vegas. Ole Red, Shelton’s restaurant and live music venue chain, has opened a new location in Sin City.

Ole Red Las Vegas is the chain’s sixth restaurant. Shelton has opened locations in Nashville, Orlando, and Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Ole Red Las Vegas is also the chain’s largest location to date, coming in at over 27,000 square feet. “If you are going to do something here, you’ve got to do it big,” Shelton said in a January 2023 press release. “Every time I’m in Vegas, I want some country music and Ole Red is the remedy for that.”

While posting to his January 15 Instagram story, Shelton snapped a picture of his Ole Red Las Vegas location. In a caption, Shelton wrote, “Ok everybody, don’t tear the place up on the first day!! @olered Vegas baby!!!!!!!”

Blake Shelton Couldn’t be ‘More Excited’ for Las Vegas Location

In a November 2023 interview with People, Blake Shelton gave an inside look at Ole Red Las Vegas’ construction process. Shelton noted the location’s proximity to the Strip. “We’re in the thick of things down here, dead center,” Shelton said. “I couldn’t be more excited about this spot and what we have to offer people coming to Las Vegas looking for entertainment versus really anywhere else.”

For Shelton, keeping things familiar was very important to him. “I’ve seen this phase of the process enough times to know that I can picture it now and there’s similarities to all the Ole Reds, and there’s some similarities to… Nashville with the balcony that looks down on the stage and the bar placement and all that stuff,” he explains.

Despite the similarity, Shelton says that there will be one major difference that sets Ole Red Las Vegas apart from the other locations. “But it’s also just so much bigger,” he said. “I mean, this is a giant, and so I don’t know that I would say I’m emotional, but it is overwhelming and it’s hard for me to take it all in right now and just accept that this is really happening and we’re almost to the finish line.”

Shelton’s Ole Red Las Vegas will offer live music on a nightly basis, just like his other locations. However, the country music icon has just one stipulation for his new location. “I don’t want anybody singing on this stage before I do,” he said. “I want to break it in.”

Blake Shelton’s Old Red is About ‘Creating the Opportunity’

In 2017, Blake Shelton opened the first location of Ole Red in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The former “The Voice” coach named his restaurant and live music venue after his popular 2002 song, “Ol’ Red.” The song was Shelton’s third single on his self-titled debut album.

While looking back on why he chose his home state to launch Ole Red, Shelton says it was about giving back to the future generation of artists. “The Doghouse is creating the opportunity of a lifetime, even if it’s just for one kid out there somewhere,” Shelton says.

The Doghouse is one of two stages where fans can watch live performances at Shelton’s Ole Red location in Tishomingo. As an upcoming teenage country singer, Blake often performed at the McSwain Theatre, a 500-seat venue in Ada, Oklahoma. “It was probably the actual reason that I ended up pursuing country music as a career,” Shelton said. His past experiences have influenced his choice to feature unknown musical acts at his own venue.

For Shelton, giving young performers the chance to make a name for themselves is what it’s all about. “You can look back and go, ‘Oh wow, I got invited and I got invited back again and again, and realized I wanted to pursue this.’ If that happens — and I’m sure it will — it’s going to make all of this worth it.”