Protect Provo Canyon
Aerial view of the Provo Canyon corridor with highway and river

The Proposal

What is actually being proposed?

Before forming an opinion, it helps to understand the project as described in public filings — including what is still unknown.

Project information

The table below separates project information from campaign analysis. Where a figure is an estimate or awaiting verification, it is labeled.

Project name
Vesper
As referenced in publicly available applicant materials.
Described use
Large-scale outdoor event venue
Project information, not campaign characterization.
Described capacity
Up to 20,000 attendees
Applicant materials. Verify against the current filing.
Events per year
Up to 142 shows
Mainly May–September, plus indoor events (8,000–9,000 seats) through the week and in winter. Community presentation, Sept 2026.
Parking spaces
6,500
Community presentation, Sept 2026; the development agreement discussed by the Council allows up to 8,000. Applicant statements have described ~7,000.
Retail
150,000 sq ft
Roughly the size of the Riverwoods shops, plus hotel villas, restaurants and bars, and a bridge overpass. Community presentation, Sept 2026.
Estimated vehicle trips
~8,000 cars
Estimate: about 8,000 cars for a 20,000-person event, arriving 5:00–7:00 PM and departing 9:00–11:00 PM. No published traffic study.
Primary access
US-189 canyon corridor
Corridor geography, publicly documented.
Current status
Amendment pending
Council decision delayed; amended application announced Sept 2, 2026, not yet public.

Original documents are linked in the document room.

ShareX

Timeline

How we got here — and what comes next

Every date below comes from a public filing, meeting record, or cited reporting. Items marked pending have no published date as of our last review.

  1. 2026 — filed

    Completed

    Application PLGPA20260220 filed

    The applicant requests a General Plan Map Amendment redesignating approximately 100.7 acres at 6622 N Hwy 189 from Agricultural and Parks, Recreation, or Open Space to Commercial for an entertainment and hospitality development.

    Provo City Planning Division

  2. May 19, 2026

    Completed

    Project announced to media

    The Vesper amphitheater is publicly announced. Provo City later confirms the announcement came before the City's own approval process was completed.

    Provo City FAQ

  3. June 1, 2026

    Completed

    North Timpview neighborhood meeting

    Residents meet with the City. The official synopsis records repeated requests to slow down, complete studies first, and allow more public review before any zoning change.

    Provo City meeting record

  4. June 24, 2026

    Completed

    Planning Commission public hearing

    The Planning Commission holds its hearing on the zone-change application, with staff report, findings, and exhibits published in the official packet.

    Provo City Planning Division

  5. June 25, 2026

    Completed

    Planning Commission votes not to recommend approval

    Following the hearing, the Commission recommends against the zone changes, citing traffic and canyon capacity concerns.

    Daily Herald

  6. July 20, 2026

    Completed

    Rezone and proposed purchase of 75 acres reported

    Reporting confirms the proposal requires a rezone and a proposed purchase of 75 acres from Provo City, and publishes the applicant's official renderings.

    KUER 90.1

  7. August 11, 2026

    Completed

    City Council work meeting and regular meeting

    The Municipal Council takes up the proposal in a work session and regular meeting. Provo City states this meeting was discussion, not a vote.

    Provo Municipal Council

  8. September 2, 2026

    Where we are

    Council decision delayed; amendment announced

    The Council's decision is reported as delayed while the developer plans to amend the initial application.

  9. Pending

    Ahead

    Amended application released for public review

    The amended submittal is not yet public. When it is filed, the review clock effectively restarts: new packet, new analysis, new hearings.

  10. Pending

    Ahead

    City Council vote

    The Council will ultimately vote on the zone change and related approvals. No vote date has been published as of our last review.

Sources linked inline. Full originals live in the document room.

Applicant renderings

How the project has been depicted

These images come from the applicant's own project materials. They show the venue as proposed — not a campaign illustration.

Aerial rendering of the proposed Vesper amphitheater, hotel villas, retail buildings and parking lots set in a canyon at dusk
Applicant rendering of the proposed Vesper venue, showing the amphitheater bowl, covered pavilion, hotel villas, retail buildings and surface parking. Rendering by the project team; conditions shown are illustrative and may not reflect the current or amended application. Additional rendered views are in the document room.
The canyon mouth today, looking toward Mount Timpanogos across the former quarry site near US-189
The same area today: the former quarry ground at the canyon gateway, with US-189 running along the canyon floor and Mount Timpanogos beyond.

Where it would sit in the canyon

The gateway ground today, photographed from the hillside above US-189.

Photograph from the hillside above the canyon gateway, showing the graded former quarry ground, US-189 curving along the canyon floor, and the mountain rising beyond
The gateway area photographed from the hillside above US-189: the graded ground where the project is proposed, the highway along the canyon floor, and the mountain beyond.

What we are still asking

Several core details are not yet available for public review. We track each one openly, and we update the status when information is published.

See the question tracker
Donate to Protect the Canyon