Bunkhouse Saloon Closes in Downtown Las Vegas

By Scott Roeben, on July 20 2015
2 min read 1 comment
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The baffling news just keeps on coming from downtown Las Vegas. The latest: Live music venue Bunkhouse Saloon has closed.

The Bunkhouse Facebook page shared this statement about the abrupt closure: “The Bunkhouse Saloon regrets to announce that we have closed our doors, effective immediately. Ticketholders for future shows will be contacted by Ticketfly regarding refunds. On behalf of our staff, management, and production team we would like to thank every artist who graced our stage and every person who visited us for a show or a cold beer. You made Bunkhouse something we will never forget.”

Bunkhouse Las Vegas
We have no idea why Bunkhouse closed. This is the best one we could fabricate on short notice.

DTLV.com (a subsidiary of Vegas Seven magazine) says some currently-scheduled shows may proceed as planned.

Here’s a look at the shows, some of which may still happen. Or not.

Bunkhouse Las Vegas
Numb Bats and Rabbit Hole should play together sometime, if you get our drift.

It’s also being reported “several new operators” have expressed interest in taking over the venue.

Not to be confused with The Venue (unrelated to Bunkhouse), of course, a new “multifunctional facility” near the Downtown Container Park. Which we just today noticed is looking like a real thing.

The Venue
Yes, it’s really called The Venue. Stop your sniggering. (Look it up before you say something mean about us in social media.)

Bunkhouse Saloon was a beloved live music venue, although apparently not beloved enough to make it a viable business. Downtown Project purchased Bunkhouse for $1.4 million in 2013. Downtown Project has operated Bunkhouse for about a year. The closure of Bunkhouse follows rumblings that Downtown Project is becoming increasingly impatient with its business endeavors and partnerships that aren’t turning a profit.

Bunkhouse closes on the heels of the shuttering of another beloved bar, Insert Coins (unrelated to Downtown Project), Bar + Bistro restaurant and a clothing boutique, Coterie (a Downtown Project joint). Here’s a list of Downtown Project endeavors.

There seems to be a consensus that the recent string of downtown closures has to do with “growing pains,” including increased competition in the area. It’s also been suggested each lacked “various keys to business success.” Read more.

We’ll keep an eye on all things downtown to see how all the recent changes shake out. If you hear anything juicy, let us know. We hate hearing news from other Web sites. It’s embarrassing.