The Fort Worth Convention Center’s iconic “flying saucer” arena is going out with a bang, and the public is invited. The City of Fort Worth will host a free farewell party on Sunday, September 20, giving residents one last chance to step inside the downtown arena before it closes for remediation and demolition in early 2027.

Dubbed “It’s Goin’ Down,” the family-friendly event will run from 1-4 pm, with doors opening at 12 noon at 9th and Main streets. The afternoon will feature live music, a DJ spinning hits from performers who have taken the arena stage over the decades, a historical exhibit, commemorative merchandise, concessions, and other activities.

The event will be the final public gathering inside the arena, which has been a fixture on the Fort Worth skyline since it opened in 1968 as part of the Tarrant County Convention Center.

The Olympic torch passes by the Fort Worth Convention Center in 1984.Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth

“In true Fort Worth form, we will say farewell to our storied arena with a finale for North Texas residents and visitors,” says mayor Mattie Parker in a release. “Fort Worth continues to lead as an 'unexpected city', one that celebrates who we are, honors where we've been, and most importantly, celebrates where we're going as we look ahead to the exciting convention center expansion in 2030.”

Parking will be available in two garages near the convention center and in surface lots. Downtown meters are free on Sundays. Visitors can also take Trinity Railway Express or TEXRail to downtown or use the free Blue Line circulator.

Thanks for the memories
The arena has hosted an impressive roster of performers and events over its nearly six decades, as the release notes. Its opening weekend in November 1968 included the opera La Traviata, the Bob Hope Show, Rowan & Martin, and the Eddy Arnold Show.

Paul McCartney's first U.S. show after the Beatles was at the Fort Worth Convention Center.Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth

Over the years, the Convention Center welcomed musical acts ranging from AC/DC and BTS to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Paul McCartney’s first U.S. show after the Beatles, with "Wings on the Wings Over America" tour, took place in Fort Worth.

Elvis Presley played three sold-out shows at the arena in 1974, attracting a combined 55,000 fans.

The arena also played a role in U2 history: The band filmed portions of its 1987 Joshua Tree Tour documentary Rattle and Hum there, with B.B. King joining as a special guest.

Elvis played three sold-out shows at the Fort Worth Convention Center.Photo courtesy of the City of Fort Worth

Sports and entertainment memories run just as deep. Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci, the Harlem Globetrotters, the Fort Worth Fire and Fort Worth Brahmas hockey teams all drew crowds, while generations of Fort Worth kids remember seeing the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus under the arena’s domed roof. Hundreds of thousands of local graduates have also walked across its stage.

“Like many Fort Worthians, I attended the circus and sporting events in the arena and worked behind the scenes in operations here for more than a decade,” says Cynthia Sanchez Serrano, director of the City’s Public Events Department and general manager of the Fort Worth Convention Center. “We look forward to welcoming everyone to reminisce and make new memories in this space. A lot has gone down in this building and we're excited about what's coming up.”

Fort Worth Convention Center rendering. Rendering courtesy of City of Fort Worth

What's coming up is the second phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center's expansion and modernization. The $606 million Phase 2 project will replace the 1968 arena with a new flexible convention building while also updating the existing convention center. Phase 1, a $95 million expansion, was completed in 2025.

The project is part of the city’s larger economic development strategy to attract meetings from across the state and nation.

Before the saucer disappears, the city is asking Fort Worth residents to help preserve its history. Photos of arena memorabilia — including concert photos, ticket stubs, posters, T-shirts, programs and other keepsakes — can be submitted to the Fort Worth Public Library’s History Center at this link for possible inclusion in a historical exhibit.