Are you ready to rock? Hard Rock Casino is prepped for its smashing start in Rockford

August 29, 2024|By Kevin Haas|In Rock River Current, 815 News, Rockford, Business, Top Stories, Things to Do
The giant showpiece guitar was officially lit Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, at Hard Rock Casino in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Nearly three years ago, the stage was set for six guitars to be bashed to bits to mark the kickoff of A Hard Rock Opening Act, the name of the interim casino that operated on Bell School Road.

But the guitars were spared from smashing at the last second. Hard Rock executives said that tradition couldn’t be wasted on the interim casino — it had to wait for the real thing.

Today is the real thing.

This afternoon, the 175,000-square-foot casino and entertainment venue at 7801 E. State St. will open to the public for the first time.

And the guitars won’t survive this opening celebration.

A grand opening gala will be held complete with the guitar-smashing ceremony before the first guests are welcomed in roughly at 3 p.m. today.

It’s the culmination of an effort that started decades ago, when city officials and state representatives first began lobbying for the right to open a casino here in hopes it would be a shot in the arm for the local economy.

Those efforts broke through in 2019, when lawmakers approved legislation to allow for six new casinos in the state, including the one here.

Hard Rock will be the third to open its permanent casino. Golden Nugget Danville opened May 27, 2023, and Walker’s Bluff Casino opened Aug. 25, 2023. Neither of those two brands opted to open a temporary casino first.

Now, after roughly two years of construction, opening day has arrived.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some fast facts about the casino and its opening weekend.

When will the first guests be allowed in?

The doors are expected to open around 3 p.m. today. It’s a rough time depending on the length of the guitar-smashing ceremony to kick off opening weekend.

The casino will then be open 24 hours a day in perpetuity.

What’s inside Hard Rock Casino Rockford?

The casino includes nearly 1,300 slot machines, 50 live table games, a poker room, a sportsbook, seven restaurants, a shop for Hard Rock merchandise, roughly 150 items of memorabilia on display and a 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue.

What is there to eat at the casino?

There are seven restaurant inside the casino:

  • Brick’d Italian Kitchen: A chef-led brick-oven pizzeria.
  • Street Tacos: A Mexican restaurant focused on street food staples with a modern twist.
  • Constant Grind: A casual sit down coffee shop and bistro.
  • Council Oak Steaks & Seafood: An upscale American steakhouse that stems from its roots at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos in Florida.
  • Hard Rock Cafe: The classic bar and restaurant synonymous with the Hard Rock brand.
  • YouYu Noodle Bar: An Asian restaurant that offers a blend of freshly made noodles, broths and pot stickers.
  • Plum Lounge: Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s VIP dining experience

What’s the live music for opening weekend?

The inaugural show at the casino is an invite-only event featuring The Nielsen Trust, Rick Nielsen’s band with his sons Daxx and Miles and daughter-in-law Kelly Steward.

The rest of the lineup is:

  • Akon: 7 p.m. Friday
  • Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: 7 p.m. Saturday
  • Brad Paisley: 7 p.m. Sunday

Who else is going to play at Hard Rock Live in the future?

Looking further ahead you have:

  • Teddy Swims: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20
  • Brian McKnight: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28
  • Flannel Jam: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6
  • The Black Crowes: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25
  • Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1
  • In This Moment – The God Mode Tour: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
  • Aaron Lewis – The American Patriot Tour: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19

Learn more details or get tickets HERE.

Where do you park?

There are roughly 1,700 parking spaces in the main parking lot on the casino grounds. Across the street on the opposite side of Lyford Road is an additional lot with roughly 340 spaces. There is shuttle service from that lot if needed.

What will happen to that interim location?

The Hard Rock Opening Act at 610 N. Bell School Road closed on Aug. 12 in preparation for opening day at the new venue. The “leading idea,” as Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate has said, is to turn that location into a culinary and hospitality school. Hard Rock is in discussions with Rock Valley College to operate the school. Iafrate said Hard Rock would turn its attention to that idea after settling in to the new casino.

When will the hotel be built?

The next phase of the casino’s development will bring a hotel tower to the northeast side of the building, taking over some of the parking spaces that fill the lot now.

There’s no set timeline for building the hotel. Casino officials have said they’ll evaluate next steps as they monitor the success of the casino.

What’s next?

We’ll be following up with more coverage from the casino’s opening later today including giving a look inside the property for you to get a lay of the land before you go. Check back for more later today.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas