About the Memorial
The Forever One Memorial
A Place of Healing & Remembrance
The Forever One Memorial will be a permanent monument honoring the 58 lives lost, their families, the more than 22,000 survivors, our emergency and first responders, and all those impacted by the tragedy that occurred on 1 October 2017 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, NV.
With the site located on two acres of the festival grounds at the corner of Reno Ave. and Giles St., there is sacred significance to the land upon which the memorial will be consecrated.
The Heroes
While there was much darkness on the night of 1 October 2017, the stories of compassion, heroism and community remind us that goodness prevails.
The heroes—emergency medical and first responders, concertgoers, hospitality workers, and passersby—risked their lives and wellbeing to protect those around them. When our community needed it most, ordinary individuals became extraordinary heroes.
From strangers tending to those with gunshot wounds, providing transport to the nearest hospital, to spouses and significant others shielding their beloved from gunfire, the acts of humanity were countless. Rows of first responders from every jurisdiction in Southern Nevada lined up to answer the call of duty. Nurses in emergency rooms received the critically wounded.
In the weeks and months after the tragedy, the world opened its heart to Las Vegas— just as Las Vegas has always opened its heart to the world.
The Forever One Memorial honors all the acts of courage, compassion and resilience shown that night and that continue to shine through those impacted, Forever.
The Team Behind Forever One
Appointed by Governor Sisolak and the Clark County Commission, the 1 October Memorial Committee’s primary mission was to facilitate a public process and design competition that reflected the collective wishes of the community and the memorial’s most important stakeholders — those directly impacted. Their work began in October 2020 and concluded in September 2023. They led a multi-year public process that included surveys, focus groups, and creative expression submissions that culminated in a competitive process between five architectural firms.
In June 2023, those five design teams presented their concepts to the 1 October Memorial Committee. A month later, the committee selected the concept presented by JCJ Architecture, the Forever One Memorial. It was officially approved by the Clark County Commission later that year.
The guiding principles that shaped the committee’s mission were driven by the community and included: remembrance, respect, honor, healing, unity, peace, community, and love.
You can learn more about that public process and what emerged from their work by visiting the 1 October
Memorial Committee webpage on Clark County’s website here.
In the spring of 2024, the Clark County Commission voted unanimously to designate the Vegas Strong Fund with the critical responsibility of overseeing the fundraising, design, and construction of the Forever One Memorial.
The Vegas Strong Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in the immediate aftermath of the October 1 tragedy, was established by members of Nevada’s resort gaming industry to provide relief and support to those most impacted. Over the past seven years, the VSF has raised funds for the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund, established a scholarship program, and made grants to support annual remembrance events.
In partnership with Clark County, JCJ Architecture, and Burke
Construction Group, the Vegas Strong Fund is working diligently to deliver the Forever One Memorial by 1 October 2027, 10 years after that tragic night.
With devoted civil servants staffing the Clark County 1 October Memorial Committee and a group of experienced industry and community leaders volunteering to serve on the nonprofit Vegas Strong Fund board of directors, this public-private partnership brings together those with the necessary expertise and heart to honor the mission of the Forever One Memorial.
Meet the Board Members
Jan Jones-Blackhurst
Chair
Scott Nielson
Vice Chair
Punam Mathur
Secretary
Ashley Eddy
Treasurer
Tennille Pereira
Director
Jennifer Carleton
Director
Kelly McMahill
Director
Sam Nicholson
Director
Brian Rogers
Director
Peggy Selesner
Director
Virginia Valentine
Director
Lisa Kremer
Ex Officio
County Representative
Alex Bybee
Ex Officio
Executive Director
Forever One, Imagined
Memorial Features
- The Entry: Prelude
- Opening Verses at the ramp leading down to the surround
- The Bridge: The Surround (Below)
- 58 Candles / 58 Stories
- Closing Verse
- The Bridge: The Tower of Light (Above)
- The Chorus: “Courage to Connect” / The Community Plaza
Every facet of the Forever One Memorial concept is designed to reflect the idea of infinite memory, and our community becoming One with the lives lost on October 1, 2017. The memorial’s architectural design also draws deep inspiration from the transcendent power of music, a force which connects us all even through the darkest days of tragedy.
Explore the Memorial
ETERNAL LOVE & INFINITE MEMORY
SACRED SOIL
THE SURROUND
THE REMEMBRANCE RING & 58 CANDLES
THE ANGEL WALL
THE TOWER OF LIGHT
COMMUNITY PLAZA