Former names | Mandalay Bay Events Center (1999–2021) |
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Address | 3950 South Las Vegas Boulevard |
Location | Paradise, Nevada |
Coordinates | 36°5′26.44″N115°10′44.33″W / 36.0906778°N 115.1789806°W |
Owner | MGM Resorts International |
Type | Arena |
Capacity | 12,000 |
Construction | |
Built | 1998 |
Opened | April 10, 1999 |
Tenants | |
Las Vegas Aces (WNBA) (2018–present) NBA G League Ignite (NBAGL) (2021–2022) Las Vegas Desert Dogs (NLL) (2022–2024) | |
Website | |
Venue website |
The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. [1] It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International, and was opened on April 10, 1999. MGM and brewing company Anheuser-Busch entered a naming-rights agreement in 2021, naming the arena after the company's Michelob Ultra beer. [2]
It is the home arena for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association and was previously home to the Las Vegas Desert Dogs of the National Lacrosse League. The arena also hosts a variety of music, sports, and entertainment events.
The facility opened as the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 10, 1999, with a performance by opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. [3] It was his first Las Vegas concert since 1985. [3] [4] The facility opened a month after the Mandalay Bay resort, and included a 30,218 sq ft (2,807.3 m2) floor. [5] The venue was originally planned to include 8,000 seats, but boxing promoter Bob Arum convinced Mandalay Resort Group to increase this to 12,000. [6] The Mandalay Bay Events Center gave Las Vegas its third musical arena, joining the Thomas & Mack Center and the MGM Grand Garden Arena. [7]
MGM Mirage acquired Mandalay Resort Group and the venue in 2005, and was later renamed MGM Resorts International. Around 2014, MGM considered turning the facility into a theater, before deciding to build the Park Theater instead. [8] In February 2021, the venue was renamed Michelob Ultra Arena, through a partnership with brewing company Anheuser-Busch. It is named after the company's Michelob Ultra beer. [9] [10]
The arena hosts boxing matches, including the high-profile Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah Light welterweight title unification, match on July 23, 2011.
As of July 2018, the Mandalay Bay Events Center has held 31 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, starting with UFC 33, and most recently, UFC Fight Night 88. It held the largest UFC weigh-in show in history in conjunction with International Fight Week 2012 ahead of UFC 148 welcoming 10,000 fans. [11] UFC cards in Vegas have since moved to T-Mobile Arena as part of a comprehensive marketing and tenancy agreement.
The 999th episode of WWE Raw was held at the arena on July 16, 2012, the first time the WWE performed at Mandalay Bay.
The first National Basketball Association game on the Las Vegas Strip since 1981 was at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on October 6, 2012, a preseason contest between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. The teams returned for preseason games in 2013 and 2014. [12] [13]
During the 2021–22 NBA G League season, the Michelob Ultra Arena would serve as one of the temporary home arenas for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México during their inaugural season at the NBA G League despite also being temporarily stationed at Fort Worth, Texas at the time due to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. [14] [15] Not only that, but it would also serve as the neutral hosting site for the Showcase Cup Tournament for the G League (which would continue its existence following the 2021–22 season), as well as the home arena for the NBA G League Ignite during that entire season for them, including a couple of exhibition games played against the Capitanes. [16]
The NBA and WNBA officially announced on October 17, 2017, that the San Antonio Stars would relocate from San Antonio, Texas, and would be playing at the Mandalay Bay Events Center starting in the 2018 season as the Las Vegas Aces. They played their first home game on May 27, 2018. [17] The arena has hosted the Aces in the WNBA Finals twice, in 2022 and 2023. The Aces have four banners hanging from the rafters at the arena: one for the retirement of Becky Hammon's number 25, two for their WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023, and one for their 2022 Commissioner's Cup championship.
The arena has hosted the WNBA All-Star Game and related All-Star events three times: 2019, 2021, and 2023.
In 2021, Michelob Ultra Arena hosted a training camp for USA Basketball prior to their departure for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
The arena hosted the NCAA Men's basketball postseason tournament Vegas 16 in its only season, 2016. In 2021, the arena hosted the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball for a game against Seattle Redhawks while the National Finals Rodeo occupied UNLV's home arena, the Thomas & Mack Center. Michelob Ultra Arena also played hosted to the Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament from 2021 to 2023.
On August 29, 2017, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) announced that Las Vegas had been awarded an NLL franchise to begin playing in December 2022 for the 2022–2023 season. The team became known as the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. [18] The team moved to the Lee's Family Forum starting with the 2024–25 season. [19]
The 2016 Spring North American League of Legends Championship Series Finals were hosted at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 16 and 17, 2016.
From 2016 to 2023, the Evolution Championship Series fighting game tournament has held its final day of competition at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Rock band Journey performed at the arena in December 2000 which was filmed for the Journey 2001 DVD.
VH1 held the first two Rock Honors ceremonies in this facility in 2006 and 2007.
It was the host of Yanni's Yanni Live! The Concert Event, in 2006.
The arena hosted Crüe Fest on August 1, 2008.
It played host to 311's biennial 3-11 Day concert on March 11, 2010. The band played four sets with 60 songs total.
The arena hosted the 2010 revival of the Lilith Fair on July 9.
On August 23, 2010, the arena served as the venue for Miss Universe 2010 where at the conclusion of the event Ximena Navarrete of Mexico was crowned as the winner.
January 28, 2011, Ozzy Osbourne performed as part of his tour for his new album Let Me Hear You Scream.
The cast of Glee were there on the first stop on their Glee Live! In Concert! tour on May 21, 2011.
On May 14, 2017, the arena hosted Miss USA 2017 pageant. [20]
The 25th Billboard Latin Music Awards was held in the Events Center on April 26, 2018. [21]
British heavy metal band Iron Maiden are slated to perform their The Future Past World Tour on October 5, 2024. [22]
The arena has hosted the Latin Grammy Awards seven times. The Latin Grammys were held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in 2007 and from 2009 to 2013. The arena hosted the Latin Grammy Awards for a seventh time in 2022. [23]
Footage of a boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Oba Carr, taking place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, was used in the 1999 film Play It to the Bone . [24] The final boxing match in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa was also filmed at the venue. [10] [25] [26]
Footprint Center is a multi-purpose arena in Phoenix, Arizona. It opened under the name America West Arena on June 6, 1992, at a cost of $89 million.
MGM Resorts International is an American hospitality and entertainment company. It operates resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Macau, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Sanya, including the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and Park MGM.
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas".
Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street, and has since been considered a part of L.A. Live. Owned and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), it is the home venue of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL)—which are both owned in part by AEG's founder Philip Anschutz, as well as the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circus Enterprises and completed at a cost of $950 million. It opened on March 2, 1999, on the former site of the Hacienda hotel-casino. MGM acquired Mandalay Bay in 2005, and The Blackstone Group became a co-owner in 2020. Vici acquired MGM's ownership stake in 2022.
The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena within the MGM Grand resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The venue opened on December 31, 1993, with a concert by Barbra Streisand, and subsequent concerts by Luther Vandross, Anita Mui and Janet Jackson.
Mandalay Bay Convention Center is attached to the Mandalay Bay resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The 2,100,000 sq ft (200,000 m2) facility is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. It is among the largest convention centers in the U.S.
The Las Vegas metropolitan area is home to many sports, most of which take place in the unincorporated communities around Las Vegas rather than in the city itself. Currently, the Las Vegas Valley has three major league professional teams: the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL), which began play in 2017 as the region's first major pro team, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) which began play in 2020 after relocating from Oakland, California, and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) plan to move to Las Vegas to play at a new ballpark which is estimated to be complete by 2028. When this relocation happens, Las Vegas will have progressed from being the largest market in the U.S. with no teams in the men's major professional leagues to being one of the smallest markets with at least three such teams within less than a decade. In addition, the National Basketball Association has publicly confirmed Las Vegas is being considered for an expansion franchise, which would potentially make Las Vegas by far the fastest market to progress from no teams in the Big Four leagues to having teams in all four leagues.
Mexico City Arena, marketed as Arena CDMX, is an indoor arena in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. It hosts concerts, sports, and other events. It officially opened on February 25, 2012. The total cost of the arena was $300 million. The arena has a maximum capacity of 22,300 spectators. It is operated by Zignia Live. It is located in Avenida de las Granjas, close to Ferrería metro station, Fortuna railway station of the Suburban Railway, and next to TecMilenio University.
T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), T-Mobile Arena is situated on the Las Vegas Strip behind the New York-New York and Park MGM casino hotels.
William J. Hornbuckle IV is an American businessman who is the chief executive officer and president of MGM Resorts International.
The 2017 WNBA season was the 21st season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Its regular season began on May 13 with three games, highlighted by the defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Seattle Storm. It concluded on September 3. The playoffs began on September 6, and concluded on October 4, with the Minnesota Lynx defeating the Sparks in five games to win their fourth WNBA title.
The National Basketball Association has undergone several rounds of expansion in the league's history, since it began play in 1946, to reach 30 teams. The most recent examples are the additions of the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in 1988; the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic in 1989; the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995 ; and the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. In September 2024, Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the NBA would have discussions about a potential expansion of the league sometime during the 2024–25 season though not during the league's 2024 fall meetings, with an ESPN article stating that a number of factors including the potential sale of the Boston Celtics has led the league to go slower with the expansion process. In addition, the article stated that the potential expansion teams may begin play in the 2027–28 season should one occur.
The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team plays their home games at Michelob Ultra Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and is headquartered in Henderson, Nevada. The Aces won the 2022 WNBA Commissioner's Cup and WNBA Championship. The Aces also won the 2023 WNBA Championship, becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since 2001-2002, when the Los Angeles Sparks completed that feat.
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The Las Vegas Village was an open-air venue located on the Las Vegas Strip on Las Vegas Boulevard in Paradise, Nevada. Opened in 2013 as MGM Resorts Village, the venue was 15 acres (6.1 ha) and owned by MGM Resorts International.
Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter was a welterweight professional boxing match contested between WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, and two-time former welterweight champion Shawn Porter. The bout took place on November 20, 2021 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada, U.S. 11,586 fans gathered inside the Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada to witness Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter. Crawford won the bout via 10th-round technical knockout.
The 2022 Evolution Championship Series was a fighting game event held in Las Vegas from August 5 to 7, 2022 as part of the long-running Evolution Championship Series. The event offered tournaments for various video games, including Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Dragon Ball FighterZ, as well as the newly released Melty Blood: Type Lumina, Granblue Fantasy Versus and The King of Fighters XV. It also marks the first time that Skullgirls was a main event game 10 years after its release. This is the first tournament held in-person since 2019. This is the first tournament sponsored under the co-sponsors Sony Corporation and Pokimane-led RTS.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by | Home of the Las Vegas Aces 2018–present | Succeeded by Current Arena |
Preceded by First Arena | Home of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs 2022–2024 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Fed Cup Final Four venue 2000 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Ultimate Fighting Championship venue UFC 33 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Miss Universe Venue 2010 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Miss USA Venue 2017 | Succeeded by |