The company launched a $300 million renovation two years later, further scaling back on the Egyptian theme while adding new restaurants and clubs.

The Luxor has hosted various entertainers, including comedian Carrot Top, the Blue Man Group, and magician Criss Angel.

[9] Before the ancient Egyptian theme was chosen, Yates-Silverman had suggested developing the land with a moat and a real riverboat casino to traverse it.

He claimed county regulations, including improved fire precautions, added unnecessary costs to construction.

[15] Tupac Shakur, who was fatally shot in Las Vegas in 1996, had been staying at the Luxor during his visit to the city, although his injuries sustained from the drive by shooting occurred four miles from the resort.

[21][22] The casino interior, which was redesigned,[23] had initially included sections dedicated to space travel and the skyline of New York City, both of which were removed.

[29] Two years after the acquisition, MGM announced plans for a $300 million renovation of the Luxor that would remove much of the Egyptian theme.

[30] Luxor president and chief operating officer Felix Rappaport said, "We're not a British museum with ancient artifacts, we're a casino-resort.

[36][37][38] The victim, an employee at Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurant in the Luxor food court, was the intended target.

[47] The resort's exterior features a recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza, located in front of the pyramid and facing the Strip.

[61] On a clear night, it is visible up to 275 miles (443 km) away by aircraft at cruising altitude, such as over Los Angeles.

[67][68] The Luxor sued Bee in 2003, alleging that the lighting system contained design and construction flaws which resulted in frequent power shutdowns.

More than 100 computer-controlled fountains would spray water up from the lake by day, and as part of a free nightly show in which lasers shot out from the eyes of the sphinx.

[11][66][73] The show was meant, but ultimately failed, to rival a popular Strip attraction, the volcano at the Mirage resort.

[78] Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid, created by visual effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull,[11] also debuted with the resort.

[17][86][88] The 12,800 sq ft (1,190 m2) museum closed in June 2008, part of the Luxor's efforts to scale back on its Egyptian theming.

[89] The replica artifacts were donated to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum,[90][91] where they are displayed in its "Treasures of Egypt" exhibit, opened in January 2010.

[106][107] Company American Bistro opened in 2007, with Nick Lachey, Paris Hilton and Wilmer Valderrama as investors.

[117] Upon its opening, the Luxor included the 18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2) VirtuaLand video game arcade, created by Sega.

[147][149] Magician Criss Angel partnered with Cirque du Soleil to open a show at the Luxor,[150][151] titled Believe.

[153] The show initially received criticism, prompting Cirque to give Angel more creative control and fine-tune it.

In a departure from previous Cirque shows, R.U.N lacked any acrobatic acts and featured rock and roll music, as well as stunts such as motorcycle jumps and pyrotechnics.

R.U.N received mixed reviews and poor ticket sales, and it lacked the time and funds needed to make improvements, closing after four months.

Originally titled America's Got Talent Las Vegas Live, the show was a collaboration between MGM, Syco Entertainment, and Fremantle.

[167][168] Comedian Carrot Top has shared the Atrium Showroom with Fantasy since 2005, when he signed on for what was originally a three-year residency.

[178] A futuristic, abandoned version of the pyramid is seen in Blade Runner 2049 (2017), along with other famous landmarks in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas.

[179] Will Smith filmed the music video for "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" (1998) in the hotel's lobby and in front of its sphinx.

[183] A replica of the Luxor, named "The Camel's Toe", appeared in the Las Venturas area of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).

[184][185] The video game Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013) also features a mission set in Las Vegas, which includes an Egyptian-themed casino inspired by the Luxor.

[185]An Egyptian-themed nightclub appears in the Phantom Liberty (2023) expansion pack for the video game Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) that is inspired by the Luxor.