Ahead of the facility’s 2020 opening, Las Vegas Stadium operator AEG is confident that it can build a busy event schedule that extends beyond Raiders and UNLV football games.
Currently under construction, the $1.9 billion Las Vegas Stadium is set to be completed next year as the new home of the relocating Oakland Raiders, UNLV football, and the annual Las Vegas Bowl. While football will be the central attraction at the facility, the upcoming stadium has always been envisioned by project officials as a draw for other large events, including concerts.
AEG Facilities, which was unveiled last month as the stadium’s operator, is planning for the venue to have an active event calendar. Las Vegas Stadium has been billed as venue that will host 46 events annually, and AEG officials are confident that that number can be reached, thanks to the appeal of the market and the intrigue surrounding the facility. More from the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
“This is a very special market,” Chris Wright, facilities regional vice president at AEG, said at Thursday’s Las Vegas Stadium Authority board meeting. “There’s a lot of interest. When you look at event planning and the number of folks who are looking to get into the market, I feel very confident about that number.”
The destination and the state-of-the-art stadium are a perfect pair to draw acts that have historically skipped Las Vegas due to the lack of an adequate venue, he said.
Wright has been working with groups to gauge interest in being the first musical act to perform at the stadium. He said they’ll have a good idea of what the first year of events will look like early next year.
“Everyone is excited. I regularly speak with touring managers, touring entities and large concert promoters in the market, and they’re very excited to have an opportunity to come to the entertainment capital of the world in a brand new stadium,” he said. “We should be a regular touring destination for most artists on the stadium level.”
Las Vegas is a popular event destination with numerous arenas and other facilities, but Las Vegas Stadium should no problem finding a niche. That will especially be true for large sporting events, with the stadium likely among the top options for future Super Bowls and Final Fours.
Rendering courtesy MANICA Architecture.
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