Provo Canyon amphitheater faces review over preservation plan concerns
At the mouth of Provo Canyon, a proposed 20,000-seat amphitheater is headed for city review, and the fight is over whether it protects the gateway or overwhelms it.
Provo planners were preparing to judge whether the proposed Vesper Amphitheater at the mouth of Provo Canyon fit the city’s Hillsides and Canyons preservation framework. The site, a gravel pit in one of Utah County’s most visible canyon gateways, has made the project as much about the view from the valley floor as about concerts, hotels, and parking.
Bryan Bayles is seeking general plan and zone map amendments for about 100.7 acres near 6622 N. Hwy 189. The land is now zoned A1.5 agricultural, public-facilities, and open-space-preservation, and the request would switch it to SC3 regional shopping center zoning with a related change on the general plan map from agricultural and parks, recreation, and open-space designations to commercial. The project is not yet approved, is not a city project, and still needs both zone-map and general-plan map amendments before it can advance. The usual path for a project like this includes a zone change, a development agreement, project-plan approval, and environmental and traffic studies. No development agreement had been approved as of June 11, 2026.
The proposal includes a more than 20,000-seat amphitheater, 75 hotel rooms, a parking garage, and retail and dining space, with a winter indoor configuration for 8,000 and a summer outdoor capacity of 20,000. The developers currently own 26 acres there, hope to swap land with Provo City for the rest of the site, and plan to place more than 50 acres into a conservation easement. The project could add more than 20 new trails and improve access.
An online petition opposing the amphitheater had passed 1,500 signatures in early June and later climbed to about 4,000, while opponents raised concerns about wildlife, noise, traffic, and fire hazards. Provo adopted its Hillsides and Canyons Plan on December 12, 2023, to balance growth, recreation, conservation, and the hazards that come with building in steep terrain. The commission hearing is set for 6 p.m. at Provo City Hall Council Chambers.
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