Are you from out of town? What Las Vegas event are you seeing?
Roughly 90 percent of ticket sales for Las Vegas events on secondary ticket marketplace StubHub this year were from out-of-market buyers.
Las Vegas’ huge entertainment and sports year included Taylor Swift, Adele’s residency, multiple music festivals, Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, the opening of Sphere Vegas, Raiders games at Allegiant Stadium, the Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup and the Aces winning their second-straight WNBA championship.
In a year-end report, StubHub called Las Vegas the “poster child for the year’s momentum in live entertainment.”
The abundance of events of all types that drew visitors to the Las Vegas Valley made 2023 a huge success, said Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, who also sits on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors.
“I think that is absolutely tremendous. It just paints the picture so well about the sports leagues that we’re able to get and the teams that we’re able to recruit to the community and the significance of the live entertainment business in Southern Nevada,” Naft said. “Each one of those people that are coming to a ticketed event and buying their ticket on StubHub are also staying at a hotel room, going out for dinner, lunch and brunch and enjoying everything we have to offer.”
Those visitors also directly impact job creation and create an economic impact that benefits the community, Naft noted.
StubHub also highlighted its list of the top 5 live events in Las Vegas. The list was generated by comparing the cumulative ticket sales for events in 2023 on StubHub.
Swiftie nation led to Taylor Swift’s two Eras Tour shows at Allegiant Stadium topping StubHub’s list of top-selling Las Vegas events in 2023.
Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, which took place last month on a 3.8-mile circuit on the resort corridor, was second best. The race was also the third best-selling sporting event globally. Event organizers reported 315,000 fans attended the four-day event.
U2’s Achtung Baby residency at Sphere Vegas was No. 3, with shows drawing ticket buyers from all 50 states and 91 countries on StubHub.
When We Were Young Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds came in at No. 4.
The Sept. 24 Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game at Allegiant Stadium was No. 5 on StubHub’s list. The Raiders were also the third top-selling NFL team of 2023 on StubHub, outselling the No. 4 Dallas Cowboys by 17 percent.
Although not making the top 5 list, the Las Vegas Aces were among women’s sports teams that saw a surge in interest between 2022 and 2023. The back-to-back WNBA champions saw a year-over-year increase of 165 percent on ticket transactions on StubHub. The Aces versus New York Liberty WNBA Finals was the highest-selling WNBA Finals on record for StubHub.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the third best-selling U.S. event for international buyers on StubHub, with Taylor Swift concerts in Los Angeles and Seattle taking the No.1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.