Las Vegas Cultural Groups Plan to Turn Downtown Cinema into $5M Theater Hub

A new arts venue is poised to transform the artistic landscape of Las Vegas as a group of local cultural organizations prepares to revitalize a space for storytelling and talent development. Renamed THIRD Street, the space located in the previous Eclipse/Art Houz/Downtown Cinemas in Downtown Las Vegas is planned to launch in spring 2026, with $5 million dedicated to renovations.

The Vegas Theatre Company and Vegas City Opera are leading this project, which will feature a 250-seat proscenium theater, a black box theater with seating for 150, and adaptable event spaces. This facility will fulfill the long-sought need for a venue dedicated to producing art as well as contributing to the community.

Ginger Land-van Buuren, executive director of Vegas City Opera, expressed excitement about the project's potential, stating, “THIRD Street is the answer to a question Las Vegas has been asking for decades. Where do we go to tell our stories, train our talent, and create something truly our own? This is where Vegas-made creativity takes center stage.”

The venue will cater to a wide range of patrons, including creatives, students, parents, and theatergoers attending matinee performances or preshow dinners, according to Daz Weller, executive artistic director of the Vegas Theatre Company. “Our patrons are going to include creative people arriving at eight in the morning and possibly students and parents of students arriving throughout the day, [people arriving] for matinee performances and preshow dinners,” Weller says.

Weller envisions the incubator as a space where collaboration thrives, likening it to a “WeWork for the arts.” The theater will serve as a home for resident companies, while also offering resources and accommodating external arts groups.

The first major fundraising event for THIRD Street will take place on Aug. 15, with a musical reading designed to showcase the venue's mission and engage the local community. Plans are in progress to raise money for the project, focusing primarily on smaller donations from the community.