Just in time for Blake Shelton's big return to Tulsa tonight, the River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge is opening to the public.

"Everyone is excited to welcome Blake back to Oklahoma. I would say tonight, the doors open at 5:30, but the doors to the River Spirit Casino Resort Lounge will open at 4:30 so come early, have a good time," said Evan Falat, the interim general manager of the BOK Center.

Despite the exclusive sounding name, this is a lounge for all ticket holders, opening an hour before big events and staying open later.

"It's a place you can come early, get a drink, meet your friends, get in early. It's always a challenge here downtown here, before and after concerts where you're going to meet up, have a drink, and wait for the traffic to clear. I think the product came out very nice," said Muscogee Nation Casinos CEO Pat Crofts.

In addition to a massive monitor, there is a bar, and a menu with food and drinks not available anywhere else in the BOK Center.

The idea is to spur economic growth in the arena district by giving people more reasons to be here.

"The longer we hold people for pre and post event activity, they spend more money. It's just what we do right? You decide oh, let's eat, let's get a drink instead of getting in your car and leaving," said Ray Hoyt, president of Tulsa Regional Tourism.

The new lounge was actually supposed to debut last May, but the pandemic put a stop to that. But BOK management say it is now full steam ahead.

"In the past we might have had a year where someone was not going on tour because they were recording a record or wanted a break. Well now everybody is going on tour and it means a lot for Tulsa," said Falat.

He says not just will 2022 be a big year for concerts, but so will 2023.

The Lounge, they say, will be a destination.