VAI Resort was scheduled to open in Glendale in late 2025. Will it? What we know Article originally posted on AZ Central on September 23, 2025 Spoiler: It’s not going to happen this year. VAI Resort, which promises an 11,000-capacity concert amphitheater, artificial beaches and restaurants including a celebrity chef’s first concept in Arizona, was scheduled to open in 2025. The opening was pushed back from 2024, after resort staff cited “delays in our timeline.” Now, it no longer lists an opening date. The new destination resort is highly anticipated because it aims to redefine tourism in the Valley and compete with Las Vegas resorts in terms of music and comedy residencies and, with its adjacent Mattel Adventure Park, to compete with Southern California destinations for family getaways. Construction on what will become Arizona’s largest resort remains ongoing, with a seemingly endless line of hurdles, including a referendum on parking garage and office construction and most recently, water. The resort’s staff recently received approval from the Glendale City Council to buy water to fill its large pools. Is VAI Resort opening in 2025? VAI has provided scant updates on its progress. Its last major announcement was in March when it offered a first look at the guest rooms in the Amphitheater Tower, a music-themed wing that will have views of the amphitheater stage. The resort last posted on Facebook on April 1 and Instagram on July 1. The Arizona Republic contacted VAI in June to ask whether the split outcome of a Glendale referendum concerning parking garage and office space construction would affect VAI’s ability to open in 2025 as scheduled; a VAI spokesperson did not respond to the request. VAI Resort’s website no longer lists an opening date, though a previous version of its website read that it was scheduled to open in 2025. The FAQ page of the resort’s website now reads: “We are not ready to provide a specific opening date. When we open will be a function of how much of the resort will be operational for a VAI-worthy guest experience.” VAI stated it expects to make an opening date announcement about nine to 12 months in advance of the grand opening, with concert tickets and/or hotel rooms available for pre-sale. VAI representatives did not respond to requests for more information at the time of writing. What is VAI Resort? VAI Resort is a 60-acre resort under construction south of State Farm Stadium on Cardinals Way in Glendale, Arizona. When completed, it will have 1,100 hotel rooms across four towers: Amphitheater Tower, Rhythm Tower, Cadence Tower and VAI Villas. The resort will feature an 11,000-seat amphitheater, sandy beaches with temperature-controlled water, a 50,000-square-foot, European-inspired “party island” called Konos Island, the Konos Sky Bar that offers food and drinks 130-feet in the air, and tethered hot-air balloon rides where passengers can view desert and mountain vistas from 400-feet above the ground. VAI’s website stated the resort will have 11 on-site restaurants, though resort staff previously said it would have 12. The first confirmed restaurant is Bar Mar, a seafood-focused concept that will be the first Arizona restaurant from Michelin-starred chef José Andrés. VAI’s second phase will include a second concert venue: a 2,000-person capacity, multilevel indoor theater. The 9-acre Mattel Adventure Park will open adjacent to the resort. Who is the owner of the VAI Resort?