MGM Casino vs Verizon Center: Which Will Have the Bigger Stars?

Now that the new MGM Casino is just weeks away from opening Dec. 8 in National Harbor, Md., it's raised an interesting question -- is the new venue going to best the Verizon Center in terms of the quality of the entertainers? If these next few months are any indication, it's a possibility.

Of course, the question is not entirely a fair one, as Verizon Center will be hosting at least 82 Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards games through April, not counting playoff games after that. But it shows that Verizon Center is no longer the only place in D.C. that can draw the big stars.

MGM Casino is starting big in December, first welcoming Boyz II Men on Dec. 15 and then singing legend Lionel Richie on Dec. 22. After that, pop sensation Bruno Mars arrives for a Dec. 27 show. Also on Dec. 27, Verizon Center will be countering with its own megastar: Kanye West.

The stars will keep coming after that for MGM Casino, which is gradually filling out its lineup. Duran Duran will perform Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, followed by comedian Jim Gaffigan Jan. 6 and 7 and then Kings of Leon on Jan. 12. Cher will be performing at some future date, and ZZ Top has a March 5 show scheduled.

Verizon Center, on the other hand, is going to be almost entirely sports-focused in the first few months of 2017 between the Capitals, Wizards and Georgetown basketball team, in addition to a monster truck show. But pop superstar Ariana Grande is scheduled to make a stop at Verizon Center on Feb. 27 for her Dangerous Woman Tour, and Green Day will be paying a visit in March.

Of course, once the NBA and NHL seasons end in the summer of 2017 and Verizon Center really starts filling out its schedule, and the sheen of a brand new venue in National Harbor wears off, we'll find out if the MGM Casino can keep up.

Image via MGM Casino