The first 100% capacity event at Allegiant Stadium is just a few weeks out: Illenium’s Trilogy concert on July 3. It won’t reach the stadium’s actual capacity of 65,000—an official from promoter AEG Presents estimated it’ll sell 35,000 tickets max—but the rescheduled Garth Brooks concert on July 10 originally sold out and is expected to pack the venue.
That’s when Las Vegas will finally get to see how an event of that magnitude will affect the Strip and its traffic and visitation patterns. The Las Vegas Raiders recently announced details of the stadium’s transportation and parking program for the upcoming NFL season, and, as expected, the plan leans heavily on the 22,000 parking spaces at resort properties and other businesses within a one-mile radius.
Another key component is the Hacienda Bridge, an Interstate 15 overpass that will be closed to vehicular traffic on game days, enabling a safe 15-minute walk from the Strip to the east stadium gate.
MGM Resorts, which operates the six casino resorts closest to the stadium, is looking to make the most of the Raiders home game experience and all that pedestrian traffic with its Stadium Walk experience, situated on the southeast tip of the Luxor property on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Hacienda Avenue.
“This is something that was in the works as soon as the schedule was announced last season, but without fans at games, it didn’t make sense to have a tailgating experience,” says Lance Evans, MGM’s senior vice president of sports and sponsorships. “That gave us some time to refine what the fan experience looks like and how both Raiders fans and away-team fans can engage with it.”
At the heart of Stadium Walk will be the Bud Light Beer Garden, an outdoor party with no admission fee, offering DJs and other live entertainment; games like cornhole, life-size chess and different football skill challenges—plus plenty of food and drink options, including MGM restaurant brands Beerhaus, Diablo’s Cantina, International Smoke and Public House.
“We look at the pregame experience as more than the beer garden [because] we think it won’t be limited to that space. People will tailgate inside the bars and restaurants at Mandalay Bay and Luxor,” Evans says. “But with no cost to get in, we are creating this immersive experience for fans where it’s all about getting together and enjoying each other’s company in a fun atmosphere.”
Though food and drinks will have their own price, there will be an all-you-can-eat-and-drink option at the beer garden for $99, one of many elements that could potentially attract locals to the experience. For out-of-towners, Mandalay Bay and Luxor are offering Strip to Stadium hotel packages that include a two-night stay and a $150 food and beverage credit that can be used at the Bud Light Beer Garden.
Stadium Walk is also planning to host pregame “chalk talks”— live onstage discussions featuring former players from both teams breaking down the game. It’s part of a larger strategy to appeal to what’s expected to be a unique-to-Vegas football crowd.
“If you know Raider fans, you know this is a global team, and fans will travel from all over. And while there will be a lot of Raider fans from outside [Las Vegas], we think there will be a large quantity of away-team fans coming to town as well,” Evans says. “The programming we have at the beer garden will support that.”
Considering the success MGM has experienced with programming at its venues surrounding T-Mobile Arena during Vegas Golden Knights games, it’s a safe bet this new sports and entertainment experience will come up big.
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