Demolition of Fort Worth’s Iconic Arena | Dallas News

Fort Worth’s legendary circular arena, a music and event hub since 1968 that hosted Elvis, B.B. King, and countless memories, is set for demolition to make way for a $700M convention upgrade. City leaders say it’s time for progress — the aging venue was underused as newer venues like Dickies Arena take center stage. Funded by hotel taxes and airport revenue, the project aims to boost Fort Worth’s competitiveness with cities like Nashville and Charlotte. For locals, it’s more than concrete — it’s history: graduations, concerts, and even political roots tied to former Congressman Pete Geren’s family. A free farewell on Sept. 20 invites fans to relive the magic, while artifacts like 1970 booking logs (Led Zeppelin to Lawrence Welk) will be displayed. While some see this as smart growth, others mourn the loss of an irreplaceable cultural icon — its unique roof and stories will be missed, but the city hopes the future holds brighter economic prospects. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/0d6d03251bf73de4