Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

As UNLV contemplates new stadium, valley has other venues of all sizes

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

Fans head into Sam Boyd Stadium as Boise State and Utah get set to face each other in the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Boise State came away with a 26-3 win.

What size should the UNLV stadium be?

That’s one of the key questions the UNLV stadium authority board must answer in its interim report to state lawmakers in September 2014.

A UNLV-commissioned stadium consultant found earlier this year that Las Vegas was among a few major cities nationally that lacks a stadium that can seat 55,000 people or more. The study did not consider the Las Vegas Speedway, which seats more than 140,000 people.

After protests from the Strip resort community over the size and scope of UNLV’s previous stadium proposal – which went as large as 60,000 seats – the UNLV stadium board is now looking at building a stadium with between 45,000 and 55,000 seats.

However, Las Vegas has a number of arenas and stadiums that can seat from hundreds to tens of thousands of people. Here are the arenas and stadiums in town and their capacities, from smallest to biggest:

    • UNLV Performing Arts Center

      Built in 1976

      Capacity: 1,832 seats

    • Reynolds Hall at the Smith Center for Performing Arts

      Built in 2012

      Capacity: 2,050 seats

    • Henderson Pavilion

      Built in 2002

      Capacity: 2,444 seats

    • Jay-Z in concert at The Pearl in the Palms.

      The Pearl Concert Theatre at The Palms

      Built in 2001

      Capacity: 2,500 seats

    • UNLV’s Cox Pavilion

      Built in 2001

      Capacity: 3,200 seats

    • Imagine Dragons perform a sold-out concert at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013.

      The Joint at the Hard Rock

      Built in 1995

      Capacity: 4,000 seats

    • The Colosseum at Caesars Palaces was named the "Venue of the Decade" by Billboard, thanks to robust box office numbers during its seven years on the Strip.

      The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

      Built in 2003

      Capacity: 4,100 seats

    • South Point Arena and Equestrian Area

      Built in 2006

      Capacity: 4,600 seats

    • The official opening night of "CeeLo Green Is Loberace" at Planet Hollywood on Saturday, March 2, 2013.

      PH Live at the Planet Hollywood

      Renovated in 2000 and 2012-13

      Capacity: 7,000 seats (4,600 seats for residency show)

    • The Orleans Arena

      Built in 2003

      Capacity: 9,500 seats

    • Cashman Center

      Built in 1983

      Capacity: 10,000 seats in stadium / 1,922 seats in theater

    • Mandalay Bay Events Center

      Built in 2010

      Capacity: 12,000 seats

    • MGM Grand Garden Arena

      Built in 1993

      Capacity: 16,800 seats

    • Thomas & Mack Center

      Built in 1983

      Capacity: 18,500 seats

    • AEG and MGM Resorts International released renderings of their $350 million arena off the Las Vegas Strip.

      Proposed MGM Arena, near New York-New York

      To be built in 2016

      Capacity: 20,000 seats

    • Sam Boyd Stadium

      Built in 1971

      Capacity: 40,000 seats

    • Las Vegas Motor Speedway

      Built in 1996

      Capacity: more than 140,000 seats

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