The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, known for hosting big electronic artists and curated events, is slated to be turned into a parking lot. A petition to “save” the venue has been launched.
Seven Lions, deadmau5, Excision, Zomboy, Sara Landry, Alison Wonderland, and many more have all graced the stage at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center (DLVEC). Co-owner Derek Stevens cleared out the city block’s parking lot in 2014 to turn it into the entertainment-focused venue that many have come to love. That venue is now set to be converted back into a revenue-generating parking lot.
“It was not a profitable venture, but the owner covered the losses for 11 years because it provided really joyous experiences for so many. But he (Stevens) has chosen to stop covering losses and do something else with the land,” Vice President of Operations for Circa, which Stevens also owns, Jeff Victor, told EDM Identity via text.
“I am really grateful for the many beautiful experiences we provided through the years, am thankful for the owner’s generosity through the years, and am proud to have been a part of it all.”
Victor told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “The revenue potential of parking is greater than live entertainment, which is a tough damn business. Entertainment is perilous, and add to that it’s an outdoor venue. It’s just tough to make money.”
The landscape of live entertainment is indeed a tough business, and as the climate in Las Vegas changes, keeping those businesses afloat has been a challenge. EDM Identity briefly chatted with Victor about the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center closure, who shared that he would provide more details in the coming days.
The announcement to turn one of the city’s most notable outdoor concert venues back into a parking lot came this week, to the chagrin of electronic music lovers everywhere. With spaces to enjoy some of the best acts in the electronic dance music scene in the Downtown Las Vegas area slowly dwindling, efforts to save DLVEC are underway.
“I was sitting there in my living room. I saw the news about it being shut down and turned into a parking lot center, and I was like, ‘There has to be something we can do about this,'” Serenity Erwin, a 25-year-old resident, said. In response, she posted the “Save Downtown Las Vegas Events Center” petition on Change.org.
I was so, so sad. I was sitting there, I was just scrolling and looking at everyone’s comments. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening, especially for a parking lot of all things… So, I started the petition and I shared it with as many friends and family as I could. I didn’t expect it to get this much this tracition, this soon, honestly.
Serenity Erwin, “Save Downtown Las Vegas Eventer Center” Petition Organizer.
The petition has already garnered more than 4,000 signatures.
“The petition is really beautifully written, and the comments are a beautiful testament to how loved the venue was. My heart is full from the words,” Victor said.
Mayor Shelley Berkley and Las Vegas City Council Members Olivia Diaz and Nancy Brune are listed as decision-makers.
“The event center is privately owned, and the owner has a right to do what he wants with his property as long as the owner complies with the law,” Berkley said via text.
Downtown Las Vegas is in need of additional parking. If this change from an events center to a parking lot helps to ease the parking shortage, I would not oppose it, nor do I have the power to do so.
Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley
Olivia Diaz, the Councilwoman for the district where the DLVEC lives, also shared a statement with EDM Identity, saying in part, “That property is privately owned and operated.”
Stevens, who owns Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, Circa, the D, and Golden Gate with his brother Greg, has been a strong advocate for the venue to this point, even using DLVEC for his free Formula 1 alternative, the Neon City Festival.
“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,” DLVEC officials said in a statement.
As the neighborhood continues to grow, the demand for accessible, everyday parking has become a pressing need for locals and visitors. 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.
DLVEC Officials
DLVEC was built on the site of the former Clark County Courthouse, located at 200 S. 3rd Street, a block south of the Fremont Street Experience. Since its inception, the venue has hosted concerts, music festivals, sports watch parties, and other large-scale events, with a capacity of up to 20,000.
Two festivals taking place at the venue have already announced that they will be on pause this year. Three-day outdoor music festival Punk Rock Bowling (PRB) announced late last year that there would be no 2026 edition. But, there’s no word out just yet connecting the lapse in the event to DLVEC halting operations. EDM Identity reached out to the PRB organizers but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
However, Best Friends Forever Music Festival shared a statement on Instagram about its “pause” of this year’s edition. “We are in the early stages of planning the what / when / where and there isn’t much to share at the moment,” they said. “However, we are hoping to come back with some nice changes (dare we say, surprises) and present to you the third edition of Best Friends Forever that will be worth the wait.”
More than a hundred events were hosted at DLVEC in 2025. While the change comes as a shock to many, representatives insist that this is an “evolution” and not the end of the space as a venue. As of right now, the venue still has events scheduled through April, including a two-night event hosting Excision.
Victor shared that the last concert will be on May 14, when the venue will once again host the kickoff to EDC.
“I expect that the space will light up on occasion for certain events, but it just will not be dedicated to entertainment as it is now,” Victor said.
“I just love it! It’s just such a good space. I love that it’s outdoors. We barely have anything like that here,” Erwin said.
“I feel like a lot of the concerts, and stuff like that, end up in the clubs or the casinos. I work downtown, on Fremont Street. So for the events to be right there, right after I get out of work, is perfect. Now I know that the event center is privately owned by Derek Stevens, but I do hope at least that (the petition) can just gain enough traction to get him to see it. And maybe change his mind.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available.
