DOWNTOWN SHUFFLE
By all accounts, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center has been booked and busy. In the last year, the outdoor live entertainment venue has hosted everything from Punk Rock Bowling and the Best Friends Forever Festival to large-scale EDM events. But changes appear to be on the horizon.
In a statement to the Weekly, a spokesperson for DLVEC confirmed part of the venue will be repurposed to adapt to evolving neighborhood needs.
“For the past decade, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center has been a hub for unforgettable concerts, festivals and community moments that helped energize and shape Downtown. As the neighborhood continues to grow, the demand for accessible, everyday parking has become a pressing need for locals and visitors,” the statement reads. “To ensure this space benefits the community year-round, we’re transforming a portion of the venue into a well-lit, clean and convenient self-parking lot. DLVEC will continue to welcome large format events, preserving its role as a destination for standout entertainment.”
Due to these changes, the Best Friends Forever Festival announced on Instagram that it will be pausing its 2026 edition. “The good news: Our team has already begun working on bringing Best Friends Forever back to you in 2027,” the festival said, adding that its in the early stages of planning and has a few surprises set for the future.
As of right now, DLVEC still has events scheduled through April, including a two-night concert for dubstep DJ Excision. Derek Stevens, who owns DLVEC, Circa, the D and Golden Gate, has also been all-in on the venue up until this point, even utilizing it for his non-ticketed Neon City Festival.
BTS MANIA STRIKES AGAIN
BTS
The boys are back. Korean pop phenoms BTS have announced their return to Allegiant Stadium on May 23, 24 and 27 as part of a 79-date world tour. It’s been four years since the K-pop group took over our town, becoming Allegiant Stadium’s highest-grossing concert of 2022. The show will feature a 360-degree, in-the-round stage design so every fan has an unobstructed view of their favs singing hits like “Dynamite” and “DNA.” Presale tickets go on sale January 22 at 1 p.m., and the general sale begins January 24 at ticketmaster.com.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Madison Beer will perform at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau on June 13. Vegas will be one of the first cities in the U.S. to hear Beer’s new studio album, Locket, performed live. And if you think “Yes Baby” is impossible to get out of your head now, just wait until thousands are screaming it beside you. Presale tickets go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. and general sale is set for January 21 at livenation.com.
DANCE, GOBLIN, DANCE!
If Beer isn’t your taste, how about some Bowie? Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert will perform the iconic soundtrack of the 1986 musical fantasy film in full—complete with David Bowie’s vocals—at the Pearl Concert Theater on October 25. Labyrinth was a visual feast when it debuted 40 years ago. Bowie and his gang of goblins stole every scene, and Jennifer Connelly, then only a teen, held her own. Trevor Jones’ synthy film score, paired with Bowie’s breakout tracks “Magic Dance” and “Underground,” should leave little to the imagination. Tickets go on sale January 16 at 10 a.m. at axs.com.
LIVE MUSIC LEADS
San Diego honky-tonk Moonshine Flats is the latest live music venue planned for Durango Resort's new north expansion. The two-story, 29,000-square-foot venue will have a stage for nationally touring bands, a dance floor, an outdoor patio and optimal party potential.
Ikons of Rock, a new Strip show paying tribute to rock greats like Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, KISS and Queen, has hit full throttle at Hard Rock Cafe. The year-long residency features authentic costumes and all the anthems these legends have become known for. Tickets are at ikonsofrock.com.
