- Smith Entertainment Group and Live Nation announced a 6,000-capacity concert venue.
- The venue will host 200 events annually and boost downtown Salt Lake City traffic.
- SEG can collect up to $900 million for the downtown revitalization project.
SALT LAKE CITY — The vision for a revitalized downtown Salt Lake City is starting to take shape — and it begins with live music.
On Tuesday, Smith Entertainment Group and Live Nation unveiled plans for a 6,000-capacity indoor concert venue just steps from the Delta Center. It marks the first official announcement regarding SEG's plans for the space east of the Delta Center.
"Our goal has always been to bring enormous opportunities to downtown," said Ryan Smith, SEG chairman and CEO.
The new venue is expected to host about 200 events a year — including 100 concerts — while also accommodating conferences, corporate functions and community gatherings. Smith said it will be a major driver of foot traffic, projecting the venue could bring up to 1 million visitors downtown annually.
While no firm construction timeline has been released — demolition of the future site is expected to begin in 2027, with construction to follow — Tuesday's announcement signals that after over a year's worth of meetings, SEG is eager to move forward with the project that will drastically alter downtown
Earlier this year, the Salt Lake City Council voted to adopt the Convention Center Public Infrastructure District, which they viewed as a "funding mechanism" for the downtown project.
The district serves as a centralized area where the 0.5% sales tax increase implemented this year and other tax sources — including sales/use and property tax increments within the Delta Center block and the other blocks tied to the Salt Palace east of the arena — will go to fund projects tied to the project area.
SEG can collect up to $900 million of funds through a state bill passed in 2024.
In April, SEG purchased portions of the Salt Palace from Salt Lake County for $55 million, securing the land just east of the Delta Center. The area will eventually feature an east-west walking route, featuring restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. The first of which was announced on Tuesday.
"Utah is a great market for live music, and Smith Entertainment Group is the right partner to help us deliver a world-class venue to fans in Salt Lake City," said Michael Rapino, Live Nation CEO. "This venue will be a hub for unforgettable experiences, connecting fans with the artists they love."
The Delta Center will remain home to the state's largest events and concerts, drawing 12,000 to 19,000 fans. But the announced venue will provide smaller acts with a new downtown stage.
In time, at least.
"Once the transformation of the Delta Center was underway, partnering with Live Nation on what a world-class concert venue could look like in downtown became a top priority," Smith said. "Not only will it bring the best artists in the world to Utah, but it will also bring a million people downtown to experience Salt Lake City every year."
