Sands partnering with MSG to build Arena behind Venetian

Las Vegas Sands is partnering with The Madison Square Garden Company to build a 17,500 seat arena behind The Venetian.

The deal was announced in a press release earlier today.

Although the new arena looks to be in direct competition with the new T-Mobile Arena, this one will be slightly different as it will focus on music concerts first and foremost with limited sporting events.

 

WHAH? 2 huge arenas so close to each other? Can Vegas support both? I can't imagine the traffic that is going to be running through there with even 1 event.

 

You forgot about the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It holds over 17K people when in use.
And don't forget about the Thomas and Mack Center at 18K+ and Sam Boyd Stadium at 35K.

 

I guess now that everyone has a CVS, everyone needs an arena,

 

The question that has been asked since the beginning of Vegas. "Can Vegas really support ______?"

The answer is yes. The MGM Garden Arena is outdated, and the new sports arena is engineered for basketball and hockey. While they are holding large concerts there, there is NOTHING like having a single purposed stadium/ arena.

Everything from the sightlines and acoustics to geometry and floorspace is different in a music venue. It's a great idea. The old cookie cutter baseball/ football stadiums are a prime example of the inefficiencies you have in T Mobile and MGM Garden (Busch in STL, Riverfront in Cincy, Three Rivers in Pittsburgh) Yes, they were acceptable for both football and baseball, but they were great at neither.

Nick

 

I also read that this venue will have all 17K+ seats in front of the stage in a "first-of-its-kind, large-scale" venue. So this is no "arena" in the modern sense, where the seats are in an oval configuration, facing center. I'm not sure how they will do large-scale boxing matches with this configuration, but it's perfect for music and entertainment. And while the T-Mobile Arena can hold 20,000 guests for such events like boxing, it can only hold about 12,000 to 19,600 for concerts, depending on how the stage is configured and if the seats behind the stage are for sell or not. Most concerts have the stage set up at one end of the main floor and the seats behind the stage are not for sell.

We will see how Sands and Madison Square Garden set this venue apart from the rest.

 

MSG did a great job renovating the Forum here in LA. I'd love to see what they can do from scratch.

 

I think the issue is can they support the potential congestion. They maybe trying to cram too much in the area. I know it benefits Sands to have it right near the Venetian but at some point they need to consider spacing some of this out so that it is not only convenient to tourists and local as well as drives some development into another part of the city.

 

Blow up the MGM Grand arena and put up the BIGGEST CVS IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE! WITH ITS OWN CIRQUE SHOW IN THE SKY!

 

They probably want the congestion. There's nothing better for the restaurants, bars, and casinos around a stadium or arena than it being a complete pain in the ass to get to and from the arena. Even if you don't book the Venetian to attend the event, you'll show up early and/or stay after to avoid the traffic in and out.

 

I'm really not seeing the congestion problem. The two arenas are accessed by completely different streets and approaches unless you are a complete idiot and drive down the Strip.

 

Venitian, T mobile,MGM Grand , Mandalay Bay, Thomas and Mack so thats five 12000+ seat arena within 5-10 miles wow

 

As has often been said, a lot of this could be improved if they just did the logical thing and expanded the monorail to Downtown and McCarran - that alone would solve a huge amount of congestion issues (hell, I'd definitely use it every time).

It might be just a matter of time until they have to do this.

 

Just another step in Vegas' transformation from a one-of-a-kind tourist destination to a generic tourist destination. I live near NYC. If I just want to see concerts (that aren't residencies), I will go to MSG or any of the other thousand venues nearby. If I just want to gamble, I'll go to Atlantic City for the day (though never Pennsylvania because their casinos suck). Vegas is supposed to be a combination of gambling and experiences you can't get anywhere else. Hell, even the new casinos look really boring and generic like something you would find as a hotel in Houston.

 

I get what you're saying, generally, but I still think there are benefits. Where I live, we have an arena that does about 9-10k for concerts and the Packers have done more to bring in a concert about once per year in the summer. (Carrie Underwood was just at the Resch and Jim Gaffigan will there in August). Plus, the Bradley Center still attracts big names in Milwaukee.

However, with this many venues, it will ensure that big names consistently put Vegas on their tours. And if I go on vacation, it's nearly exclusively to Vegas--so having the chance to see great acts while I'm there is a good deal. The one semi-sad part of this that ties very well into your "generic destination" idea is that it's just another step in the evolution away from gaming for Las Vegas generally.

 

Las Vegas is the one location that can handle the congestion. With hotels that often have 10,000 occupants, smaller shows with 2500 people and boxing matches, UFC, concerts etc. with 10,000+, adding another venue doesn't cause issues whatsoever.

Unlike most venues, where you have 12,000+ people departing by car, in Las Vegas, you have a small amount of people departing by car, and at a major property like the Venetian, several thousand people going in multiple directions, again in facilities designed for major crowds. (wider hallways and corridors, multiple entrances and exits and multidirectional access points)

When you have a packed Cirque show leaving a theatre at TI or Mirage, they can have 2,000 to 3,000 guests. The casino floor is so large and efficient that within 5-8 minutes, the crowd disperses. With modern arenas, exits are intentionally located in varied locations to allow for quick dispersal. Older arenas have too many bottlenecks, but modern designs take into account these previous design flaws.

Nick

 

Obviously Sheldon hasn't tried to Park at either of his hotels around 7pm any day of the week.
When hotel guests can't even park because the lots are full from people seeing shows or Whatever
at those properties? Then they don't have room for a stadium!
Whats next.......another......Wheel?