CES 2026 Debuts the Las Vegas Convention Center’s $600 Million Renovation

CES 2026, January 6-9, is the first trade show to fully occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) following the completion of its $600 million renovation.

The most visible change is the redesigned grand lobby, now the primary entrance linking the north and central halls. More than a pass-through space, the lobby is being used for CES programming, exhibitor activations, and expanded food service. 

“CES 2026 marks an exciting new chapter as the first show at the completely renovated Las Vegas Convention Center,” said Kinsey Fabrizio, president, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the owner and producer of CES. “These renovations aren’t just cosmetic; they’re shaping the experience for every attendee who walks onto this campus. Attendees now have more space to connect, a bright and open design, and state-of-the-art screens.” 

CES 2026 spans more than 2.6 million net square feet of exhibit space and features over 4,100 exhibitors, with the LVCC serving as the show’s primary hub, according to organizers. 

Technologies and themes are grouped by hall: immersive entertainment in the central hall, vehicle technology and advanced mobility in the west hall, and design and sourcing exhibitors in the south hall.

CES Extends Beyond the LVCC

While the renovated convention center anchors the show, CES continues to operate across multiple venues throughout the city. The Venetian hosts digital health, smart home, and the startup-focused Eureka Park. C Space at ARIA serves as a gathering point for advertisers, marketers, and media executives. New this year is CES Foundry, focused on AI and quantum technologies, taking place January 7–8 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Chinese technology company Lenovo hosted the only CES 2026 keynote at Sphere, with Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang joined by executives from partner companies including NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, and Microsoft. Sphere Entertainment also highlighted its ultra-high-resolution production capabilities. The keynote concluded with FIFA President Gianni Infantino discussing Lenovo’s role as the organization’s official technology partner ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Delta Air Lines, which held a Sphere keynote during CES 2025, returned this year with the opening of the Delta SKY360° Club, Sphere’s first branded lounge. The space is part of a multi-year partnership and offers a private hospitality experience on the venue’s event level, with Delta branding also featured on its exosphere’s 580,000-square-foot LED exterior.

Group Business More Important Than Ever

Transportation infrastructure also expanded during CES, with The Boring Company introducing limited Vegas Loop service to Harry Reid International Airport. The new route connects Resorts World and Westgate stations to Terminals 1 and 3 for $12 per ride, adding to a network that now includes more than 10 miles of completed tunnels and multiple LVCC stations.

The scale of CES and the debut of the renovated LVCC come as Las Vegas leans heavily on meetings and conventions amid a broader tourism slowdown through much of 2025.

“2026 has a chance to be the best group meeting and trade show year in the history of Las Vegas,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We are headed into a 16-month stretch where Las Vegas has never had the lineup of meetings and trade shows that we have. These are all booked.”

That optimism is echoed by American Express Global Business Travel’s 2025 Meetings and Events Forecast, which ranked Las Vegas as the top North American business travel destination for 2026, citing continued investment in venues, hotel capacity, and experiential infrastructure.