The company that turned Las Vegas into the capital of American dance festivals is now moving to own a permanent room in the city. The Insomniac Sahara Event Center project took a major step when the Clark County Commission voted unanimously to set aside $10 million in public redevelopment money for the former Sahara Event Center at 800 Liberace Avenue, a building just east of the Strip that once hosted the Grateful Dead, the Doors and Bob Marley. According to Commissioner Tick Segerblom, Insomniac, the promoter behind Electric Daisy Carnival, plans to add $20 million of its own to rebuild it as a modern live music and events venue.

What the Insomniac Sahara Event Center vote actually approved

The commission vote took place on Tuesday, September 15, and the story spread nationally this week after the Las Vegas Review Journal reported the details. The key point is that no money has changed hands yet. The $10 million is an allocation, held until Insomniac and the county’s Redevelopment Agency sign a formal agreement on how the project will run. Whether Insomniac receives the full amount or only part of it depends on that negotiation.

The key facts so far:

• Public money: $10 million earmarked by Clark County, not yet paid out.
• Private money: $20 million pledged by Insomniac for renovation, per Commissioner Segerblom.
• Site: the former Sahara Event Center, 800 Liberace Avenue, in the Historic Commercial Center district off East Sahara Avenue.
• Timeline: Segerblom told FOX5 that Insomniac would present its plans to county officials within two weeks of the vote, and told KTNV that approval of the agreement is expected in October.

Segerblom framed the money as the piece that lets the deal close. Speaking to FOX5 Vegas, he said the funding would “enable Insomniac to complete their purchase and then invest $20 million to renovate it.” Casino.org reported separately that Insomniac had already leased and temporarily closed the space by September. The two accounts are not necessarily in conflict, since a lease can come before a sale, but the final ownership structure has not been made public, and Insomniac itself has not issued a statement on the project.

Why Insomniac wants a base in Las Vegas

Insomniac has built its business around Las Vegas since EDC moved to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from Southern California in 2011. The festival’s 30th anniversary edition in May 2026 drew more than 500,000 attendees across three days, and the week around it now fills clubs across the Strip. In 2027 the festival grows again, running over two consecutive weekends: EDC Dusk on May 14 to 16 and EDC Dawn on May 21 to 23.

What Insomniac has lacked in the city is a year round room of its own. A festival runs a few days a year; a venue can run most weekends. Segerblom described the company’s ambitions as bigger than one building, saying Insomniac also wants to use the neighboring New Orleans Square, a shopping center the county bought in 2024, for smaller attractions and museums. “They view Las Vegas as their home base,” he told FOX5.

That matches a wider pattern this year of promoters buying or building their own spaces rather than renting them. In Miami, Club Space founder Louis Puig is behind AIRE Miami, a new open air house club. Owning the room gives a promoter control over dates, production and bar revenue.

A rock landmark gets a second life

The building carries more history than most venues on the Strip. It opened in the early 1960s as the International Ice Palace, home to the Ice Capades and the Las Vegas Gamblers hockey team. Local historians date the construction to 1961 or 1962, depending on the source. When promoters laid plywood over the ice, it became the only place in town where young rock audiences could see touring bands that casino showrooms would not book.

The Grateful Dead and a young Santana made their Las Vegas debuts there on March 29, 1969. The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Creedence Clearwater Revival also played the room. Bob Marley and the Wailers appeared in October 1973, unbilled, as an opening act for Sly and the Family Stone. The building later became the Playland Skateland roller rink, then a roller hockey arena and finally the Sahara Event Center. Its previous operator listed the space at 60,000 square feet with a capacity of about 2,000 downstairs and 250 more upstairs.

Neighbors push back on noise and traffic

Not everyone is celebrating. At the commission meeting, residents from nearby high rises and the Las Vegas Country Club raised concerns about noise, crowds and congestion on Maryland Parkway. One resident told commissioners that the city already has hundreds of entertainment venues and does not need another in the neighborhood. Another argued that a zoning approval for events from 60 years ago no longer fits the area.

Segerblom answered that the site has been zoned for live events since the 1960s and that any new operator must follow county noise rules. He also apologized to residents for not reaching out earlier. Several Commercial Center tenants backed the plan. Damian Costa, owner of the Composers Room, told FOX5 that the neighborhood should feel “honored” that Insomniac wants to commit to it. Longtime shop owners told KTNV they want the plaza busy again after years of vacancies.

What happens next

The next step is the formal agreement between Insomniac and the Redevelopment Agency, which Segerblom expects to go to a vote in October. That document should answer the open questions: how much of the $10 million Insomniac actually receives, who ends up owning the building, what capacity the renovated room will have and when it could open. No opening date, name or booking policy has been announced.

For dance music fans, the practical question is simple: whether Las Vegas gets a promoter owned club and concert room outside the casino nightclub circuit. Strip nightclubs compete on promotions such as the free nightclub entry offer for newly turned 21 year olds; a standalone Insomniac room would be a different model entirely.

FAQ

What is the Insomniac Sahara Event Center project?

It is a plan by Insomniac, the company behind EDC, to renovate the former Sahara Event Center at 800 Liberace Avenue in Las Vegas into a modern live music and events venue, backed by $10 million earmarked by Clark County and a reported $20 million from Insomniac.

Has Clark County paid Insomniac $10 million?

No. The commission set the money aside. It will only be released, in full or in part, once Insomniac and the county’s Redevelopment Agency agree on terms.

When will the venue open?

No opening date has been announced. The agreement with the county is expected to be considered in October 2026.

Which artists have played the building before?

As the Ice Palace, it hosted the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Creedence Clearwater Revival, plus a 1973 show where Bob Marley and the Wailers opened for Sly and the Family Stone.

The bottom line

Insomniac already owns the biggest weekend on the Las Vegas dance calendar. With county money on the table and a historic building in play, it is now a step closer to owning a room it can program the rest of the year. The October agreement will show how much of that plan survives contact with neighbors, budgets and county negotiators.