The entertainment scene on the South Shore got a boost this fall thanks to the completion of the much-anticipated Tahoe Blue Event Center. With a flexible space able to host concerts, comedians, sporting events, conventions, weddings and more, the venue is bringing in big names and fun for all ages.
The Tahoe Blue Event Center, located in Stateline, Nevada, in the casino corridor, boasts a 27,000-square-foot arena with an additional 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms and a spacious outdoor event lawn.
“In Tahoe, there is the [Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys] which is 8,000 seats. There are the casinos that have ballrooms with about 1,000 seats, and we’re 5,000 seats. It’s that middle gap that allows artists who might not be touring in the summer to come in the winter,” explains Bill O’Malley, regional marketing director for the event center. “We’re an intimate arena, but we’re getting the big names like Pitbull and Adam Sandler. You get to see these artists up close as if you’re in a major market.”
Given the huge spike in tourism during the summer, the event center will only host events under 2,500 people from mid-June to Labor Day. But the schedule for the arena’s first winter is already chock full, with family-friendly events like “Paw Patrol Live!: Heroes Unite” (March 16-17) and Harlem Globetrotters World Tour (Feb. 21). Ring in 2024 with dubstep at “Excision Presents New Year’s” or opt for the Lake Tahoe Winter Reggae Festival on Feb. 17 and 18. “Dancing with the Stars Live!” takes the stage on March 18, while comedian Nate Bergatze, known for his comedy specials on Netflix and Amazon Prime, performs on April 4.
The event center is also bringing more major sporting events to the area, including Tahoe’s first professional hockey team. The new ECHL team, whose name has not yet been released, is owned by former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, and David Hodges, CEO of Hodges Management Group, LLC. The team will begin play in the 2024-25 season.
“The ECHL proudly welcomes the 29th Member Team to the League in the brand-new Tahoe Blue Event Center, expanding our geography in the western part of the continent, and creating natural rivalries for visiting fans with the Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies, and the entire Mountain Division,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin, in a press release.
The rink will, however, see its first action this winter with the Feb. 3 and 4 Xtreme International Ice Racing shows where motorcyclists with studded tires rip across the ice.
Naming rights for the event center went to sponsor Tahoe Blue Vodka, a spirits company founded in South Lake Tahoe in 2012 by local Matt Levitt. Since its inception, Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated over $200K of its proceeds to organizations that work to protect the lake and its natural environment.
“As the naming rights partner for the new Tahoe Blue Center, we are proud to support this spectacular, innovative and unparalleled venue that reflects our long-standing commitment to invest in the region, celebrate the unique Lake Tahoe lifestyle, and be a driving force as an ecological leader and innovator,” said Matt Levitt, founder and CEO of Tahoe Blue Vodka.
This past September, the Tahoe Blue Event Center hosted its inaugural event and it wasn’t a major concert — it was an 80-person wedding.
“As much as it is a convention space for out-of-towners, it’s also a space for the community,” adds O’Malley. “We are hosting Christmas parties, larger dinners and adding a lot more family-friendly events.”