Allegiant Stadium Events Draw Huge Tourist Crowds Despite Lower Vegas Visitation

^{The record-breaking crowd files into Allegiant Stadium for the first boxing match in the history of the venue. (Photo: Allegiant Stadium on X)}

LAS VEGAS — Allegiant Stadium continues to attract tourists to Las Vegas, even as visitation slumps behind last year. Despite the downturn, the stadium pulls in millions in visitor spending on hotels, dining, and entertainment.

Nearly 7 million people have attended events at Allegiant Stadium since it opened in 2021, according to data from the Las Vegas Stadium Authority. More than 540,000 people bought tickets to football games, concerts, and a huge boxing match during this year's third quarter as well. Only three quarters since its opening have posted higher attendance. 

Not coincidentally, two of those are third quarters in past years. That period of time tends to perform well since it marks start of the football season and the gradual end of stadium concert season.

During the last three months, more than half of those in attendance were from outside Las Vegas. As many as 96% of visitors for one event traveled to Vegas specifically for the stadium. This isn’t a new trend, but it’s always interesting to see which events bring the most visitors to the stadium and the city.

Historic Fight Night Draws the Biggest Summer Crowd

Terence "Bud" Crawford’s victory over Canelo Álvarez on Sept. 13 marked a historic night for boxing in Las Vegas and at Allegiant Stadium. It was the first boxing match held at the stadium and the most-attended fight in Las Vegas history. It also helped that the fight was during Mexican Independence Day weekend, so it makes sense people came out to support Mexican fighter Canelo Álvarez.

The crowd of 70,482 fans set an Allegiant Stadium record, surpassing the 2024 college football game between LSU and USC with the previous record of attendance. That number includes all tickets sold along with complimentary tickets distributed for sponsors, celebrities, and guests. 

The actual number of tickets sold was 65,302, which still made it the stadium's largest event in its' third quarter.

Tourists really dominated the audience, since 85% of ticket buyers were from out of town. A whopping 95% of those tourists traveled to Las Vegas solely to see Crawford defeat the favored Álvarez.

The fight was a monumental event for Las Vegas, outdrawing every past concert. It even managed to perform well among the two Beyoncé shows this year and all football games at Allegiant during the quarter.

Raiders Still Feel Like a Road Team in Las Vegas 

Allegiant Stadium rarely sounds like a home game for the Las Vegas Raiders, since visiting fans usually outnumber those cheering for the home team.

That was the case again during the third quarter. The splits weren’t as dramatic as usual because the Raiders faced mostly regional opponents, and many of those teams’ fans already live in Las Vegas.

• Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers: Attendance of 54,186 with 58% from out of town.
• Raiders vs LA Chargers: Attendance of 58,679 with 58% from out of town.
• Raiders vs Chicago Bears: Attendance of 59,036 with 66% from out of town.

With the game against the Bears specifically, a striking 90% of out-of-town visitors at that event traveled specifically for the matchup.

I was at the Raiders-Cowboys Monday Night Football game in November, which ended up being the most expensive Raiders ticket of the year. 

The cheapest seat a week before kickoff cost more than $400, with many selling for over $1,000. Who could blame a local for selling to tourists? One season ticket holder told me he used the proceeds from this game to cover their entire annual expense.

It’s impossible to explain how strange it was to hear a visiting team crowd drown out the few times home fans cheered. My estimate of 99% Cowboys fans can’t be accurate, and I’m curious to find out the actual number.

The trend continued this weekend with a sea of Broncos fans in orange boisterously cheering the team from Denver as it scored a touchdown.

Concert Attendance at Allegiant Stadium Driven by Tourists

More than half the crowd at every concert at Allegiant Stadium came from outside Las Vegas. More than 90% of them visited the city specifically for the show.

• The Weeknd: 58% from out of town, 91% visited to see the show.
• Beyoncé (Night 1): 76% from out of town, 91% visited to see the show.
• Beyoncé (Night 2): 83% from out of town, 95% visited to see the show.
• Chris Brown (Night 1): 64% from out of town, 95% visited to see the show.
• Chris Brown (Night 2): 69% from out of town, 97% visited to see the show.

No fewer than 42,768 people attended each of the five concerts during the quarter. One surprise: the 51,103 people at The Weeknd’s show exceeded the attendance for both Beyoncé concerts, which drew 43,642 and 49,049.

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