Kiss are bringing the Kiss Army back to Sin City — and this time, the weekend’s centerpiece is a heartfelt farewell to a fallen founder. The band has unveiled the full programming for the second “Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked In Vegas“, set for November 13–15, 2026 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, headlined by two unmasked Kiss performances and a historic all-star tribute to the late Ace Frehley.
The tribute is the emotional heart of the event. Billed as a one-night-only affair, the Ace Frehley All-Star Tribute will see current members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer come together with special guests to honor the founding guitarist, who died in October 2025 at the age of 74 after suffering a fall at his home studio. In a rare and personal touch, each of the four has hand-picked a song to perform individually in Frehley‘s memory. Backed by the Ace Frehley Band, the set is set to span every era of the Spaceman’s career.
Paul Stanley said: “Another year of the ‘Kiss Kruise‘ experience and the best one yet is on the way. Everything we’ve learned at sea and on land over the past years is going into making this the ultimate weekend with us. No ship?!? No problem! What’s so awesome about ‘Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked‘ is that it’s a full-scale resort takeover created to give us all 100% of what we’ve come to love and expect. We can’t wait to be back together with the Kiss Army and Navy from around the world for more killer performances, incredible artists, events, and exclusive experiences you won’t find anywhere else.”
Beyond the tribute, Kiss will play two “unmasked” sets over the weekend, one acoustic and one electric, the only scheduled live Kiss performances anywhere in the world this year. The bill also features Night Ranger, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick, Slaughter, Faster Pu**ycat, Keel and Chris Jericho‘s 1980s Kiss cover band Kuarantine. A November 12 pre-party kicks things off with Enuff Z’Nuff, Beasto Blanco, and the Ace Frehley Band performing the band’s 1976 album Rock And Roll Over in full.
The weekend also leans hard into fan immersion through an expanded “Kissperience,” with each member anchoring his own activity: Gene Simmons‘ Private Kiss Collection Show & Tell, Paul Stanley‘s Kiss Cook-Off, Tommy Thayer‘s Kiss Army Live Band Karaoke (backed by Frehley‘s solo band) and Eric Singer‘s Kiss Kruiser Drum Off and Q&A. Rounding out the schedule are artist panels — including a “Future Of Kiss” session — Q&As with guests such as Psycho Circus drummer Kevin Valentine, look-alike contests, karaoke, meet-and-greets, museum and archival displays, and theme nights.
The event carries extra weight as a continuation of the tribute Kiss first paid Frehley at the inaugural 2025 edition. That weekend, the band kicked things off with an outdoor unplugged performance on November 14, 2025 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, where Stanley asked the crowd to raise electric candles — handed out before the show — in Frehley‘s honor. Stanley, Simmons, Singer and Thayer also played an electric set that same weekend, marking the first time Kiss had performed together since retiring from touring in December 2023. The 2025 debut drew fans from all 50 U.S. states and 32 countries.
The “Land-Locked In Vegas” concept, co-produced with Pophouse, Vibee and Topeka, is the land-based successor to the band’s long-running Kiss Kruise, which set sail for the first time in 2011. Packages and pre-sale details are available through the event’s official website.
