WrestleMania is headed to Las Vegas next year, and a new report has details on how the city won the bid for the show. WWE announced in May that WrestleMania 41 will take place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on April 19th and 20th, 2025. Wrestlenomics has published a report confirming earlier news that WWE is getting a grant of $5 million as part of a group of incentives from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in exchange for holding the show in the city.
The report notes that the deal came together in a period of less than two months before the official announcement and that, according to emails obtained as part of a public records request, WWE will have rent-free use of the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall. That is likely where WWE’s The World fan experience will be held. The LVCVA will also provide a branding awareness campaign.
The records, which include some redactions including estimates of the benefits to the local economy, also included a note that LVCVA paid WWE a $300,000 site fee for SummerSlam in 2021 and $30,000 in marketing value.
The report goes on to note that LVCVA Senior Director of Sports and Special Events Lisa Motley was heavily involved in landing WrestleMania 41 for Vegas. She set up a meeting with TKO live events executive Peter Dropick for March 4th, before there seemed to be any serious discussions about WrestleMania taking place there at that time and as Minnesota was considered to be the frontrunner to land the event. Motley responded to a local advertising executive who had passed along an article about Minnesota Sports & Events President Wendy Blackshaw strongly hinting at WrestleMania coming to Minneapolis by saying that a UFC executive had told her that Minneapolis had not been informed they weren’t in contention anymore and said, “They [WWE/TKO] should probably do that soon.”
Motley and LVCVA COO Brian Yost traveled to Philadelphia to attend WrestleMania 40 in person and meet with WWE staff. A pitch deck was obtained in the records request that was used to sell Las Vegas on WrestleMania, which included a slide that read, “WWE and Las Vegas form a powerful and profitable partnership that combines WWE’s global popularity and worldwide audience with local attractions and infrastructure to create an entertainment destination.”
Blackshaw said after the Las Vegas announcement that the change was “due to a change in direction by new ownership” and added, “Although disappointed, we are in discussions with WWE about future events in Minnesota. We are optimistic that Minnesota will host WWE events here in the future.” WWE announced on May 23rd that a two-night SummerSlam would be hosted at US Bank Stadium 2026.
