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Since its founding in 1965, the Mr. Olympia competition has remained the pinnacle of bodybuilding. Competitors worldwide try to make their way through the national competitions. If they can earn qualification, they can start to dream of holding the iconic Sandow trophy in their hands.
Dan Solomon, president of the Mr. Olympia sits at the head of a 100 billion dollar fitness industry. In a recent episode of OlympiaTV, he discussed plans for this year’s event. In his recent announcement, he confirmed that the 2025 Mr. Olympia will be returning to Las Vegas. He also teased that they will award ‘the largest prize money by far’ to this year’s winner.
Key Takeaway
- On February 6, 2025, Olympia president Dan Solomon announced that the 2025 Mr. Olympia will return to Las Vegas. The event will be held at the Resorts World Venue from October 9–12, 2025.
- During the announcement, he also teased that this year’s prize money would be the biggest by far. Last year’s Olympia prize money was a record-breaking $600,000.
- Many believe the prize money will continue to be raised. This is as they compete with the Arnold Classic competition for the number one spot. The prize money for that currently stands at $500,000.
The Record-Breaking Announcement
On February 6, 2025, Olympia president Dan Solomon revealed significant plans for the Mr. Olympia. In a recent episode of OlympiaTV, he announced that the 2025 Mr. Olympia event would return to Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’re going back to Resorts World. A tremendous home for the Olympia. A lot of people who came to the event got to experience the next-level environment.”
The event will be hosted on October 9–12, 2025 at the Resorts World and Las Vegas Convention Center. Dan discussed the frequent relocations over the past years and plans to build on the previous success.
This included moving between Orlando and Las Vegas while using several venues such as Planet Hollywood and different convention centers. He feels that the constant changes meant the organization had to reset and couldn’t build on its previous momentum.
“We have not ever had the luxury in the last 6 or 7 years to hit redo. And when you hit redo, it allows you to grow and take things to a whole nother level.”
The 2024 Olympia made headlines after announcing that the Open winner would take home a record-breaking $600,000. This was in response to the $500,000 awarded in the Arnold Classic as both compete to be the best.
Following the event announcement, Solomon promised the largest prize money by far in this year’s competition.
“You’re going to come to the Olympia. You’re going to see the best in the world compete. You’re going to see the largest prize money–by far–play out on that stage.”
What Does It Mean For Bodybuilding?
The Mr. Olympia competition is a globally recognized event. Most people regard it as the pinnacle of bodybuilding. Competitors train for years to try to get their hands on the Sandow and the huge prize money it offers.
Its deep-rooted history has seen iconic champions such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, and Jay Cutler take home the prize. However, the incredible rise of the Arnold Classic has led the Olympia to finally face some stiff competition.
Mr. Olympia remains the showpiece event. The 2024 Mr. Olympia made history by awarding nearly $2 million to the athletes. In the men’s open, new champion Samson Dauda took home a record-breaking $600,000 in prize money.
However, the Arnold Classic continues to make bigger waves in the bodybuilding community. In a few weeks, the winner of the Arnold Classic Open division will take home $500,000. Because of this, Dan Solomon and the rest of the team are fully aware of the new challenges they’re facing.
Healthy competition between iconic events can only be good for bodybuilding. It creates fresh ideas, more prize money, and new conversations. With Solomon promising to increase the prize money once again, time will only tell if Arnold will do the same.
The decision by Solomon to return to Las Vegas was largely influenced by the exceptional facilities and environment. Intending to elevate the overall experience, Solomon discussed how the facilities and surroundings produced a world-class setting.
“When you walk down the strip in Las Vegas and you see all the Olympia imagery and the love videos, we even had our final posedown and the announcement of our winners aired lived on the side of Resorts World for the entire city of Las Vegas to watch in real-time.”
Resorts World is well-known for hosting some of the biggest global events and acts. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the Olympia chose there to provide a world-class setting.
Solomon went on to discuss how they were able to create an immersive Olympia experience when they were there last.
“What Resorts World was able to do, we basically built an entire pavilion, attached it to the property, and put on much of the Olympia experience within that.”
The Future Of The Mr. Olympia Competition
The 2025 Mr. Olympia continues its tradition of increasing the prize money and production value. However, Solomon discussed a broader vision and how the event is looking to integrate modern views and technology going forward.
“It’s about bringing more corners of the fitness lifestyle. It’s about bringing wellness. It’s about bringing longevity. It’s about bringing anti-aging. It’s about bringing all these other elements of the world and these innovations and these technologies.”
In addition, he discussed how the Olympia is trying to take previous criticisms on board. He emphasized that the organization is listening to the fans and working hard to make the event better for everyone.
“We really work hard to listen to the feedback, we do. But there’s a lot of hypocrisy that goes on. Some of the same people that will talk about the importance of growing the event, bringing more money into the event, will also criticize the things we do and suggest things that actually make the event feel smaller.”
Alongside this, he admitted that moving the Open prejudging to an earlier time affected the crowd’s interest. He added that this is something they’ll have to think about when planning this year’s event.
In terms of future aspirations, Solomon talked about hopefully holding the Olympia event in stadiums one day. He likened this to popular events such as WrestleMania, where entire stadiums are sold out within minutes.
“I am convinced we can grow the venue and grow the venue and sell our arenas and sell out stadiums.”
While the unique nature of the Olympia certainly presents some challenges, Solomon certainly seems to be up to the task.
Conclusion
As initial preparations continue, the 2025 Mr. Olympia is set to be a spectacle like no other before it. With exciting new athletes and innovative technology being integrated, we’re sure it’s going to live up to its name.
Save the date in your calendar and enjoy the start of the competitive season. First up is the 2025 Arnold Classic. With this, we get a first glimpse at some of the top athletes as they battle it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2025 Mr. Olympia event will be held at the Resorts World and the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is the same venue as the previous year as the Olympia looks to build on its recent success.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia prize money was a record-breaking $600,000, which was announced near the event. While we still don’t know this year’s prize, Dan Solomon has hinted that it will be more.
The 2025 Mr. Olympia event will take place on October 9–12, 2025 in Las Vegas. The event runs over three days, including an expo followed by the main event.
Samson Dauda, also known as The Nigerian Lion, won the 60th Olympia anniversary. In doing this, he took home the Sandow trophy and $600,000.
About the Author
Chris Marshall, MSc, PT Personal Trainer
