Philips Arena
From Hoopedia
Contents |
Considered one of the best dual-purpose facilities in the world, Philips Arena offers a guest experience unmatched in the industry.
Operated by Atlanta Spirit, LLC and home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers and AFL’s Georgia Force, Philips
Arena hosts more than 200 sports and entertainment events annually.
Ranked consistently among North America’s Top-10 arenas based on attendance by Billboard and Pollstar, the arena placed fourth in gross revenue from shows for all of North America (venues of 15,001 seats or more) in Billboard rankings in July 2004. And for the first half of 2003, Billboard ranked Philips Arena among the top five arenas in the U.S. based on attendance at concerts and special events.
The venue enters its eighth season with several world-class events under its belt, including the 2004 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and the 2003 NBA All-Star events. Philips Arena delivers top-ranked concert tours, professional and collegiate sports, family shows and conferences in a world-class setting with unparalleled customer service.
The 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue has hosted more than 11 million patrons since opening in September 1999. The venue’s grand entrance also celebrates the city, literally spelling “ATLANTA” in 65-foot high letters illuminated with fiber-optic lighting.
VENUE SCORES WITH CRITICS, PERFORMERS AND FANS
In the venue’s first seven seasons, Philips Arena, named for sponsor Philips, earned numerous industry, media and public accolades for its design, acoustics, amenities and spectrum of events.
In 2002, Philips Arena was one of only four U.S. arenas to earn an “A” grade among venue naming rights deals ranked by Advertising Age magazine. During 2002, Philips Arena hosted eight of the nation’s top 10 concert tours ranked by Billboard magazine. The venue also earned Facilities and Event Management Prime Site Award for the second year through votes cast by promoters and arena peers.
Philips Arena’s video production team and the Hawks and Thrashers have been recognized for excellence with multiple Golden Matrix Awards for video production at the annual IDEA Conferences, including awards in 2005 and 2002 for best overall video display for basketball and in 2004 for best overall video display for hockey.
ATLANTA’S SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
Philips Arena’s sports attendance record of 20,072 was set on Nov. 1, 2001 during the Hawks’ home opener against the Washington Wizards that featured the return of six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan. The venue hosts a variety of other sports/entertainment events annually including Harlem Globetrotters, Champions On Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Sesame Street Live, Disney On Ice and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rehab Summer Games.
MUSIC AND CONCERTS
Philips Arena’s vertical suite design featuring all 92 luxury suites “stacked” in opera house style brought the upper rows of seats closer to the floor than any venue built in decades. This design – with input from R.E.M.’s Michael Mills – has proven to be a hit both with concert performers and their audiences.
Every year the venue dazzles crowds with dozens of top-ranked tours. Elton John and Billy Joel’s 2001 dual concert sold out in 15 minutes, setting the arena’s record one-night gross with $1,990,010 in revenue. Similarly, Irish rock group U2’s “Elevation Tour” in 2001 sold out in one hour and set the venue’s all-time attendance record of 20,596. Other notable artists include Prince, who performed three concerts at Philips Arena in 2004 and Atlanta’s own Usher, who sold out two shows in 2004 and also filmed a live DVD. Country megastar Kenny Chesney sold out three straight shows at the venue in 2005 and again in 2006.
CAPACITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
Maximum seating capacity of Philips Arena is (numbers are approximate):
- 18,545 seats for hockey
- 18,729 seats for basketball
- 21,000 for concerts
Philips Arena meets all standards for accessibility by persons with disabilities. Disabled seating areas are accessible by wheelchairs and provide views of the arena floor equal to the sightlines for standing spectators.
Visit www.PhilipsArena.com for an up-to-date schedule of events at Philips Arena, which is operated by Atlanta Spirit, LLC. Capacity: Basketball 18,729 / Hockey 18,545 / Concerts 21,000
