New renovations announced for the Kentucky Expo Center

A ~$400 million, two-phase plan will add a new building and combine existing ones.

kentucky expo center rendering

The Exposition Center will increase its Class A space by over 70%.

Photo by Kentucky Venues.

The Kentucky Exposition Center is getting an upgrade — what else do you expect from the home of the Kentucky State Fair?

Kentucky Venues officials broke ground on Thursday on a multi-phase project to renovate the site of the Kentucky State Fair, among other events, with construction starting in 2025.

Phase I of the project will construct a new 350,000-sqft “multi-purpose building,” which will be capable of hosting livestock competitions, equine events, trade shows, and sporting events. The new building will be directly east of Broadbent Arena.

Phase II of the renovation will redevelop the West Wing, West Hall, and Pavilion into a single, 249,000-sqft building. This phase also bumps the food + beverage operations to 40,000 sqft — that makes room for a whole lot of corndogs.

Additionally, Kentucky Venues will redesign + renovate two entrance gates that are each 50+ years old.

Bonus: See more renderings on our Instagram.

More from LOUtoday
It pays to plan ahead.
You may have heard of Little Free Libraries, but this international movement is working to bring free films to people in its path.
Café LOUIE is a series of informal meetings designed to facilitate conversation between Louisvillians and both local and state officials.
Locals can take advantage of discounts + deals from Jan. 23-Feb. 1
If you’re taking a break from the booze this January, try these
Airbnb’s travel predictions for the year + how you can take part starting in Louisville.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.
We compiled all of the feedback from our Giving Campaign to learn what readers love most and want to see more of in our newsletters. Here’s a peek at what they said.
Let’s take a look at LOUtoday’s most-read articles of 2025.
Good tidings they bring to you and your gin.