Las Vegas Is Still a Big Event Town -- Allegiant and the Sphere Prove It

^{Nearly 85% of attendees at WrestleMania 41 were from outside of Las Vegas with 98% visiting just for the event. (Photo: Allegiant Stadium / X)}

There’s no denying that overall visitation to Las Vegas continues to slump. But tourists are turning out in droves for big events at Allegiant Stadium.

During the second quarter, most attendees at the stadium’s concerts were from outside Las Vegas. As many as 98% of those visitors came specifically for events such as WrestleMania and Kendrick Lamar, according to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority (LVSA). WrestleMania alone was projected to generate a $215 million economic impact for Las Vegas.

The 481,994 people attending various events during the period helped push Allegiant Stadium past a milestone. Since opening in 2021, the venue has hosted more than 6 million fans for concerts, sports and other events.

That trend isn’t new and should continue for years. In addition to hosting concerts and NFL games there are major sporting events planned for the next few years.

Allegiant Stadium will host its first boxing match between Canelo Álvarez and Bud Crawford on Sept. 13. Looking ahead, the venue is set to host WrestleMania again next year, the College Football Playoff Championship in 2027 and the NCAA Final Four in 2028. The tourism board has also requested to host the Super Bowl again between 2029 and 2031.

Las Vegas has always been a big-event town, and there’s no end in sight.

Visitors flock to Las Vegas for WrestleMania

There were nine major events at Allegiant Stadium during the second quarter. They accounted for 450,267 of the venue’s 481,994 attendees.

The largest event was the second night of WrestleMania, which drew 60,103 fans. According to the LVSA, 84% of attendees were from outside the city and 97% traveled specifically for the event. Opening night had a higher share of locals, but 98% of out-of-town visitors came solely for WrestleMania.

The quarter’s biggest concert was Post Malone, which drew 53,738 fans. While “only” 69% of attendees were from outside Las Vegas, 92% came specifically to see the show.

This trend continued for all of the concerts during the three month period:

• Kendrick Lamar: 52,328 attendance (66% from out of town, 98% specifically for the show)
• Coldplay: 50,518 attendance - (79%/94%) and 49,950 - (77%/95%)
• AC/DC: 48,899 attendance - 78%/94%) 
• Shakira: 46,120 attendance - (59%/93%)

Interestingly, only 42% of attendees at the international Concacaf Gold Cup soccer match between the United States and Mexico were from outside Las Vegas. Of those, 80% traveled specifically for the match.

Home-Field Advantage for the Raiders? Nope

The New York Post recently called Las Vegas “America’s most exciting sport town.” While that might be great for fans, it’s not so great for the city’s NFL team.

Out-of-town fans packing Allegiant Stadium for NFL games is nothing new. The influx of visitors is good for tourism and casinos, but it doesn’t help the Raiders establish a true home-field advantage so many teams depend on for success.

Since moving to Las Vegas, Raiders home games have often been dominated by fans of visiting teams. About 65% of attendees at the final five home games in 2022 were from out of town, a figure that climbed to 68% last season, according to reports prepared for the Las Vegas Stadium Authority Board of Directors.

The football results haven’t been stellar. The Raiders are just 19-23 at Allegiant Stadium since 2020, with only one winning season during that span.

The trend could continue this year with big-market teams such as the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys coming to town. Demand is high, and so are ticket prices on the secondary market.

According to StubHub, the cheapest seat for the Bears game is $369 after fees. Cowboys tickets start at $485, and seats in the first 10 rows are listed for more than $10,000.

Sphere Also Drawing Tourists

Allegiant Stadium isn’t the only Las Vegas venue attracting visitors. Anecdotally, the Sphere is having a similar impact.

It’s harder to measure the effect on tourism since the venue doesn’t release attendance figures like the LVSA. But the company appears to be turning the corner after a slow start with only one major residency in its first year of operations.

The Sphere still isn’t profitable, but it’s heading in the right direction as it adds more residencies, limited engagements and corporate events. In the second quarter, the company reported revenue up 16% year over year, while losses narrowed by 20%.

Tourists have been flocking to the venue not only for concerts by the Backstreet Boys, the Eagles, Kenny Chesney and others, but also for The Sphere Experience featuring “Postcard from Earth.” More than 4 million tickets have been sold for the film since the venue opened.

Sphere reps say the venue has presold 127,000 tickets for its upcoming “Wizard of Oz” production, which opens this week. Tickets started at $109 and are currently as high as $349 for early shows this weekend.

While the best seats for opening weekend are sold out, tickets remain available for under $150. Prices are expected to hold in a similar range through September.

Las Vegas may be struggling to bring in the same number of casual visitors, but there are still plenty of tourists. Whether it’s WrestleMania at Allegiant or a night inside the Sphere, tourists are still showing up for the big moments.