Gene Simmons has confirmed that KISS will take the stage without makeup for the first time since calling it quits—sort of.
As part of KISS Army Storms Vegas, a three-day fan event running November 14–16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the band will perform stripped of their signature paint and spectacle.
“We will not do the makeup,” Simmons told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We will hold true to the promise.” That promise? No more full-blown KISS shows after their 2023 farewell gig at Madison Square Garden.
But this isn’t going to be your typical KISS production. There’s no pyro, no levitating drum kits, and no arena-sized circus. Simmons described it more like a “personal gathering,” featuring Q&As, meet-and-greets, and some loose live performances.
What exactly the band will play or for how long is still up in the air. The lineup is also unclear too. While Simmons and Paul Stanley are confirmed, there is no mention yet of guitarist Tommy Thayer or drummer Eric Singer being included. Former guitarist Bruce Kulick, however, is locked in for a guest appearance, and tribute acts are also on the bill.
It’s all part of a larger celebration marking 50 years since the birth of the KISS Army in Terre Haute, Indiana. What started as a ragtag group of diehards has become one of rock’s longest-running fan movement. And now, they’re getting a convention-style blowout in Vegas to match.
The event comes decades after the first official KISS convention and follows a cancelled 2021–2022 Vegas residency that never materialised. This time, it looks like it’s actually happening, just without the blood, fire, and full warpaint.
VIP pre-sales are already live and general sales open April 7. Tickets can be purchased here.
Whether this unmasked version of KISS still hits the same is anyone’s guess—but Simmons seems set on keeping the legacy intact, just without the greasepaint I guess.
For those needing a slight refresh, you can watch their full final show below.
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