Happenings at the casino

 Spring has sprung at Mohegan Sun

Friday night (May 5) will bring a Sip and Salsa event at Mohegan Sun's Novelle eatery/night club, where dance fans can learn some steps from two-time winner of Dancing With The Stars Val Chmerkovskiy (left). As seen previously at Mohegan's Tequila event, patrons can mix their own margarita by pedaling the Patrón Bike. You also get a ticket for a complimentary Cointreau margarita in celebration of the cocktail's 75th anniversary. There will also be a taco bar station and upbeat Jazz music by Latin Essence along with beats of DJ Lezlee. Tickets are $50 on the website. 

-- Another big dance event will take place in November at Mohegan Sun. Derek Hough will return with a another experience this fall wit Derek Hough Symphony of Dance with special guest Hayley Erbert. The professional dancer and decorated choreographer will play Mohegan Sun Arena on November 25 at 7 p.m. This tour follows the sold-out successes Derek Live: The Tour, and of Move Live on Tour and Move – Beyond – Live on Tour, including multiple sellouts at top venues such as Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are $89.50, $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50.

-- Also coming in the fall, reigning ACM Group of the Year and CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Old Dominion, recently announced a new leg to their renowned U.S. No Bad Vibes tour. Visiting 30+ additional arenas nationwide, country group Old Dominion will kick off this new round of dates on September 7 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI and will arrive at Mohegan Sun Arena with special guests Jameson Rodgers, Niko Moon and Kassi Ashton on Friday, September 22.Tickets are $129.50, $99.50 and $79.50 and go on sale Friday, May 5 via ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning Saturday, May 6.

-- But back to the warm-weather events at Mohegan Sun. 

Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter Walker Hayes will return to Mohegan Sun Arena ater this month – this time on his own headlining tour. Walker  performed back-to-back sold-out shows at Mohegan Sun Arena alongside Kane Brown and Raelynn last June. Special guest Tenille Arts joins Walker Hayes on May 27th at the arena this time. Tickets are $79.50, $59.50, and $49.50.

Iconic British duo Tears For Fears will bring their North American 2023 summer tour – The Tipping Point Tour Part II – with special guest Cold War Kids to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, June 24.

Tickets are $149.50, $129.50, $99.50, $79.50, and $59.50. The 1980s band sold more than 30 million albums worldwide with singles such as “Shout,” “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Mad World,” “Sowing The Seeds of Love,” and “Woman In Chains." In 2022, the band released their latest studio album The Tipping Point, which garnered solid reviews, including with longtime fans.

 

The Uncasville resort will mark a decade’s worth of Sun BBQ Fest the weekend of June 17-18. Once again, there will be some mouth-watering grilled food, cold beer, hand-crafted cocktails and  performances by international Country artist Kameron Marlowe and American Idol star HunterGirl. Guests will have the chance to experience 50 different BBQ options, full plate vending from nationally acclaimed BBQ vendors, sample small bites in the “People’s Choice Competition” and taste up to five different styles of Wings & Ribs in the annual competition. Sun BBQ Fest will also showcase World Food Championship sanctioned barbecue teams that compete nationally. Tix are $15 for Saturday and $10 Sunday. Kids under 12 are free.

-- Summer goes by quickly, so don't miss it. Which reminds us: Multi-platinum pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer will kick off the North American leg of their 2023 world tour – The 5 Seconds of Summer Show -- at Mohegan Sun Arena on Aug. 10.Tickets are $89.50, $69.50, $59.50. As Mohegan Sun puts it: Since forming in 2011, 5 Seconds of Summer – comprised of Luke Hemmings (vocals/guitar), Michael Clifford (vocals/guitar), Calum Hood (vocals/bass), and Ashton Irwin (vocals/drums) – have released four albums and numerous hit singles. They were quickly hailed as the “biggest new Rock act in the world,” by Rolling Stone, and are the only band in history to see their first three full-length studio albums enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1. The band has sold more than 3 million concert tickets while touring the world several times over and sold more than 13 million albums.

-- The Jonas Brothers announced their most ambitious outing yet, a massive 35-date stadium and arena run – THE TOUR – where the band will perform five albums every night. The momentum comes after their successful sold-out Broadway engagement and their two-date Yankee Stadium sell-out that will kick off off the tour in August. They'll be at Mohegan Sun Arena on August 17. Tickets are $169.50, $149.50, $129.50 and $99.50 and go on sale Friday, May 12 via ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, May 13th, subject to availability. (Tickets for this run of shows will be in high demand, so the Verified Fan presale will be fans’ best shot at tickets. The tour is using this platform in order to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans directly. Fans can register now through Saturday, May 6.)

-- If you like your music dark and Gothic, the groups Motionless In White (right) and Grammy Award-nominated act In This Moment will co-headline a run across North America this summer featuring special guests Fit For A King and From Ashes To New. The Dark Horizon Tour arrives at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, July 8. Tickets are $59.50, $49.50, and $39.50. Notes Mohegan Sun: "Motionless In White harnessed the power of an unholy union between Industrial Metal dissonance, spellbinding Gothic Pop bombast, and big screen-worthy iconography to emerge as the 21st century Rock’s most iconoclastic and cinematic force. Climbing out of the shadows of the rustbelt in Scranton, PA, the group have tirelessly earned the undying allegiance of a devout worldwide audience one record at a time."

-- Multi-platinum Danish rock band Volbeat will perform this summer in Connecticut as part of their 18-date North American summer tour in support of their eighth studio album Servant Of The Mind. The heavy metal/rock/rockabilly group is due to perform at Mohegan Sun Arena with special guest Halestorm on August 3rd at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69.50, $59.50, and $49.50. If you'd like to avoid icky Ticketmaster, you can score tix at Mohegan Box Office. 

Says Mohegan: Since forming in 2001, Volbeat has gone from the clubs of Copenhagen to headlining stages around the world, including the famed Telia Parken stadium in Denmark (becoming the only domestic artist to ever sell out the venue). Over the course of eight record-breaking albums the band has picked up number one songs and...contributed a cover of “Don’t Tread on Me” to The Metallica Blacklist, with all proceeds from the track going to charity.