This SLC music venue was sold to one of the world’s biggest live entertainment companies – The Salt Lake Tribune

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Complex in Salt Lake City on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
A live music venue in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City has a new owner.
The Complex — which has hosted big names like Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Vampire Weekend, Macklemore, Billy Idol and more, has sold to a global live entertainment company — AEG Presents according to a news release from the company’s communication team.
This is the first venue the company will own and operate in Utah. The sale comes just four months after the venue’s previous owner was “sentenced to probation on marijuana conspiracy charges” according to reporting from BuildingSaltLake.
Located just down the street from The Gateway outdoor mall, The Complex was established in 2010 and is true to its name. The area consists of five separate venues: Rockwell, Vertigo, The Grand, Papa Wolf’s and The Lot.
(Migpxl Media) A photo of Billie Eilish performing at The Complex on April 7, 2018.
The release stated, “The Complex will continue to employ the existing staff, with shows booked by Talent Buyer, AEG Presents, Xavier Frey and the venue managed by General Manager Paul Brucks.”
Brucks said in the release, “After 15 years as an integral part of the Salt Lake City music scene, we’re looking forward to taking things to the next level as an AEGPresents venue …”
The Complex also hosts local events like DJ Ricky Barrera‘s pop dance/sing-along events, dedicated to artists like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Complex in Salt Lake City on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
AEG Presents operates across five continents and helps facilitate music festivals such as Coachella and promotes tours for artists like Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber and Elton John.
Don Strasburg, the president of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest regional offices for AEG Presents, called The Complex the “backbone of live music in Salt Lake City.”
Strasburg, in an email to The Salt Lake Tribune, said the balance between national artists and local ones, will be “similar as in the past.”
AEGPresents also own music venues across the U.S. — like The Roxy in West Hollywood and and The Masonic Temple in Detroit.
The company has ties in all areas of live entertainment — from concerts to sports. In Los Angeles, they helped create an entertainment district called L.A. Live, home to: Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater, the Novo, The Conga Room, Lucky Strike bowling, a movie theater, the Grammy museum, a convention center and more than a dozen restaurants.
Downtown Salt Lake City will see it’s own revitalization in the coming years. Construction for an entertainment and culture district will start in 2027 or 2028.
This month, The Complex is set to host artists like Daughtry and Hippo Campus, as well as a Taylor Swift ‘Eras Night’ hosted by Barrera.
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