Rockford, IL – Emmy-winning television personality, podcast host, and stand-up comedian Jonathan Van Ness will bring their bold humor, infectious positivity, and one-of-a-kind stage presence to Hard Rock Live Rockford on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.Hard Rock Casino Rockford is located immediately off the I-90 State Street exit at 7801 E. State St.
Tickets can be purchased at https://casino.hardrock.com/rockford/entertainment/hard-rock-live and Ticketmaster.
Best known as the grooming expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness has become a global pop-culture icon celebrated for their authenticity, wit, and empowering message. Their live show blends comedy, storytelling, and candid conversations about life, love, and self-acceptance, delivering an unforgettable evening filled with laughter and heart.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Venue: Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Casino Rockford
Doors Open: 7 p.m.
Show Starts: 8 p.m.
Must be 21 or older to enter with a valid photo ID
Hard Rock Casino Rockford features more than 175,000 square feet of gaming, entertainment and hospitality space, featuring a diverse array of attractions including more than 1,300 slots, 50 live table games including a poker room, a sportsbook, seven unique restaurants, and a Rock Shop offering authentic Hard Rock merchandise and more.
About Jonathan Van Ness
Jonathan Van Ness is an Emmy-winning television personality, 3x New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, comedian and hairstylist to the stars. They star on Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning reboot series “Queer Eye,” where they shines as the hair guru and self-care advocate; and they host the popular podcast, “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness.” Jonathan also starred on the Emmy-nominated web series “Gay of Thrones,” a witty social commentary series recapping HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Launched in 2013, the series ran for 8 seasons and garnered three Emmy nominations for ‘Outstanding Short Form Variety Series.’ Jonathan hosted and executive produced their first solo network series, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, based on their podcast of the same name, which premiered on Netflix in January 2022.
Jonathan’s passion project, his podcast “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness,” is a weekly exploration of all the things Jonathan is curious about. The podcast was named one of the Top Podcasts of 2018 by Time Magazine, won the iHeart Radio Award for Best LGBTQ Podcast, and was a 2020 People’s Choice Award nominee for Best Pop Podcast.
Fresh off two successful worldwide comedy tours, Jonathan Van Ness: Road to Beijing and Imaginary Living Room Olympian, which sold out theaters in 40 cities in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, Jonathan is bringing their new show, Hot & Healed to cities around the US, Canada and abroad. Unfiltered comedy, wildly entertaining and fun, the show is a celebration of joy and a showcase for all the sides of JVN you have never seen before.
In September 2019, Jonathan released their revelatory memoir, Over The Top: A Raw Journey To Self-Love, a New York Times Best-Seller. Over The Top won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Memoir & Autobiography and has been named a must-read book by The New York Times, TIME Magazine and NPR to name a few. Their appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to discuss the book, living with HIV and HIV stigma earned a GLAAD Media Award for ‘Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode.’ Their second book, Love That Story: Observations From A Gorgeously Queer Life, was released April 2022 and is now a New York Times Best-Seller. Jonathan is also the author of two children’s picture books – Peanut Goes For The Gold, about a gender non-binary guinea pig who does everything with their own personal flare; and Gorgeously Me!, an animated look at celebrating who you are and all the things that make you extraordinary. The book is a New York Times best-seller.
Jonathan is the founder of JVN, an innovative haircare line that sees all beauty, serves all beauty, and honors the uniqueness in each of us. Driven to change the beauty industry from within, Jonathan combined the best in effective and clean ingredients with patented, award-winning hemisqualane to create a first of its kind salon-level haircare collection that offers 2-in-1 treating and styling benefits.
As one of the most visible nonbinary media personalities, Jonathan uses their platform to raise awareness for a range of LGBTQ+ and HIV issues. They are a fierce advocate for social justice, trans lives and elevating queer voices and experiences. In December 2019, Jonathan made history as the first non-female solo cover star of Cosmopolitan UK in 35 years. Jonathan has worked extensively on campaigns with The Trevor Project and Planned Parenthood. Most recently, they’ve joined forces with Equality Texas in Austin to bring awareness to the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills being drafted and passed, galvanizing support of the Texas community against anti-LGBTQ agenda. In May 2023, Jonathan became the first non-binary recipient of GLAAD’s Vito Russo award (named after the GLAAD co-founder and ACT UP activist), which is presented annually to “a LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in accelerating LGBTQ acceptance.”
ABOUT HARD ROCK CASINO ROCKFORD®
Hard Rock Live https://casino.hardrock.com/rockford/entertainment/hard-rock-live is a premier entertainment destination in Rockford, Illinois, located just off the I-90 State Street exit. Anchored at its entrance by an iconic 63-foot replica of Rockford native and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen’s checkerboard guitar, the casino features over 175,000 square feet of gaming and entertainment space, including more than 1,300 slot machines; 50 live table games including poker; a
sportsbook; and a Rock Shop. As one of Illinois’ top-performing casinos, Hard Rock Casino Rockford attracts visitors from around the world.
Guests can enjoy diverse dining options at Hard Rock Café, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Brick’d Italian Kitchen, YOUYU Noodle Bar, Street Tacos, and Constant Grind. The property also showcases a museum-worthy collection of more than 500 pieces of authentic music memorabilia, including items from artists such as Cheap Trick, Eddie Vedder, Prince, The Blues Brothers and Taylor Swift.
Inside, guests can enjoy The Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, a 23,000-square-foot premium concert and event space with 1,086 square feet of LED screens to enhance the experience for up to 2,000 guests. Smaller stages throughout the casino play host to regional entertainment options daily.
In 2025, Hard Rock Casino Rockford earned significant recognition from industry-leading Casino Player Magazine, winning six “Best of Dining & Nightlife” awards, including Best New Restaurant (Council Oak Steaks & Seafood), Best Pizza (Brick’d Italian Kitchen), and Best Overall Entertainment. The publication also named the casino “Chicagoland’s Best” in 13 “Best of Gaming” award categories, securing first-place wins for Best Promotions, Best Table Games, Best Dealers, and Best High Limit Room.
Dedicated to making a positive impact, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford donates tens of thousands of dollars to area non-profits every year with casino tax revenue funding college scholarships for Rockford high school students.
About Hard Rock International®
Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 309 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. Its Unity by Hard Rock™ global loyalty program rewards members for doing the things they love across participating properties around the world. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 88,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock Hotels has been honored by J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study as the number one brand in Outstanding Guest Satisfaction for two consecutive years, and among the top Upper Upscale Hotels for four consecutive years. HRI became the first privately-owned gaming company designated a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal in 2021 and has since been honored fourfold. Hard Rock was also honored by Forbes among the World’s Best Employers, as well as Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming and Entertainment Industry. In the 2022 Global Gaming Awards, Hard Rock was named Land-Based Operator of the Year for the second time in four years. Hard Rock International currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.