Las Vegas Convention Center Completes $600M Renovation in Time for CES

Posted on: January 5, 2026, 08:34h. 

Last updated on: January 5, 2026, 08:34h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Vegas Myths Busted.

The Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall reopened Monday, Jan. 5, after a sweeping $600 million, eight‑year renovation. Leaders from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) cut the ceremonial ribbon one day before the opening of CES 2026, Las Vegas’ largest annual convention.

Leaders from the LVCVA and CES, and Las Vegas government officials, cut the ribbon on the Las Vegas Convention Center’s $600 million renovation in the Central Hall’s lobby on January 5. (Image: LVCVA)

The project modernizes the convention center’s three oldest halls (Central, North and South) so they match the look, feel and amenities of the $1 billion West Hall, which debuted in 2021.

The Las Vegas Convention Center’s newly renovated Central Hall, which opened in 1971 as an eastward addition to an original exhibit hall that dated back to the facility’s 1959 opening. (Image: LVCVA)

The centerpieces of the renovation are a glass curtain wall that floods the Central Hall’s lobby with natural light, three giant video screens, and a new climate‑controlled interior concourse. Linking the North and South halls for the first time, this enables navigating the entire convention center without ever stepping outdoors.

Additional upgrades include a redesigned South Hall entrance on the east side, improved signage and wayfinding, expanded food and beverage options, energy‑efficient lighting, water‑saving systems, and new administrative offices and boardroom facilities.

“This milestone signals the next leap for trade shows in Las Vegas, delivering a world-class convention center experience that reflects the scale and ambition of our city,” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA, said during the ceremony. “It’s fitting to share this moment with CES, the world’s most influential technology show and our long-standing partner.”

What’s New is Old

The renovation was first conceived roughly two decades ago but stalled during the Great Recession. Work restarted in 2023 and continued with the Central Hall largely open, closing only for the final two months before completion.

LVCVA president/CEO Steve Hill speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Image: LVCVA)

CES 2026 will be the first convention to avail itself of the convention center’s full 2.5 million square feet of indoor exhibit space — a figure beaten in the US only by Chicago’s McCormick Place at 2.67 million square feet.

Beyond the Convention Center, CES — first held in Las Vegas in 1978 — will again spill into 13 additional Las Vegas venues, continuing its citywide footprint. Running Tuesday, Jan. 6 through Friday, Jan. 9, the convention expects attendance similar to last year’s approximately 142,000 visitors, more than 40% of whom travel from outside the US.

According to the LVCVA, airlines added more than 360 flights, including service from nine countries, to accommodate the influx at Harry Reid International Airport.

The 8% tourism decline Las Vegas suffered in 2025 didn’t hit conventions nearly as hard: total convention attendance finished the year at around 5.9 million, only about 1% below 2024 levels.