New details of Tropicana implosion revealed: When, how and how to watch it happen

By Alyssa Roberts

(KTNV) — We’re learning more about plans to implode the historic Tropicana hotel towers in just over a week.

Monday morning, Bally’s Corporation released additional information about the implosion plans, including how you will be able to watch it since there are no plans for public viewing areas.

The hotel, built in 1957, is being torn down to make way for a Major League Baseball stadium expected to become the new home of the Oakland Athletics. A new hotel-casino is also expected to be constructed on the property, which Bally’s said would turn the property into a ”world-class entertainment resort destination.”

“From its Rat Pack-era heyday and the glamorous Folies Bergère to now the future home of the Athletics and a cutting-edge entertainment complex by Bally’s Corporation, the Tropicana’s history reflects the spirit of reinvention and excitement that defines Las Vegas,” Bally’s stated in its prepared release.

When will the implosion happen?

The implosion is scheduled for 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and is expected to be accompanied by several hours of fanfare leading including 555 drones and a fireworks display by Fireworks by Grucci, the company responsible for many such shows on the Las Vegas Strip.

How will you be able to watch it?

Because of safety restrictions, Bally’s says there will be no public viewing areas for the implosion. There will, however, be multiple live streaming options, including a stream presented by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on X (formerly known as Twitter) and a stream on ballylive.com and the Bally Live app. It will also be shown on Channel 13.

How will the implosion work?

The implosion is being facilitated by GGG Demolition and Controlled Demolition, Inc., which Bally’s notes “has a rich history of safely demolishing structures in Clark County.”

Controlled Demolition, Inc. will demolish a total of 917,400 square feet in the Tropicana’s two 23-story hotel towers. For the steel-framed Paradise Tower, 220 cut-point locations loaded with 490 pounds of explosives will be used, while the concrete-framed Club Tower will be fitted with 1,130 boreholes filled with 1,700 pounds of explosives.

A total of 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord will be used to initiate the implosion in both structures at the end of the fireworks and drone show, Bally’s notes.

Paradise Tower is expected to be brought down first. According to Bally’s, both structures are expected to collapse within 22 seconds of the implosion button begin pressed.

Controlled Demolition, Inc. has brought down 35 buildings in Clark County since 1993, including notable projects like the Dunes North Tower, Frontier, Hacienda, Stardust and Riviera. Bally’s notes that CDI also partnered with the film industry to fell the Landmark Hotel Tower during production of “Mars Attacks!”