Best Friends Forever going on "pause" in 2026 as venue becomes a parking lot

"For the past decade, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center has been a hub for unforgettable concerts, festivals and community moments that helped energize and shape Downtown. As the neighborhood continues to grow, the demand for accessible, everyday parking has become a pressing need for locals and visitors. To ensure this space benefits the community year-round, we're transforming a portion of the venue into a well-lit, clean and convenient self-parking lot. DLVEC will continue to welcome large format events, preserving its role as a destination for standout entertainment."

"The revenue potential of parking is greater than live entertainment, which is a tough damn business. Entertainment is perilous, and add to that it's an outdoor venue. It's just tough to make money."

"We'll be right back! Hi friends! We have loved sharing the past two years with all of you at Best Friends Forever Music Festival. This fest means the world to us and we appreciate all of the fans and artists who helped make these first two editions truly special. As you may have heard, our host venue the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center will no longer be functioning as a regular venue. Due to this unexpected change, we have made the call to pause in 2026. The good news: our team has already begun working on bringing Best Friends Forever back to you in 2027. We are in the earl"

Best Friends Forever (BFF), a second-wave-emo-centric music festival, will pause in 2026 after two editions at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC). DLVEC is transforming a portion of the venue into a well-lit, clean self-parking lot to meet growing demand for accessible, everyday parking while stating it will still welcome large-format events. DLVEC ownership and Circa operations cite greater revenue potential from parking compared with outdoor live entertainment, which is difficult to profitably produce. BFF organizers express appreciation for fans and artists and say the team is already working to return in 2027.

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