The Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii is a major indoor arena that hosts concerts, sporting events, and other large-scale gatherings. Determining the total number of seats in this venue is an important detail for event organizers, ticket sellers, and potential attendees. In this article, we will examine the seating capacity of the Blaisdell Arena and look at how this capacity measures up against other similar venues.
Quick Overview of Seating Capacity
The Blaisdell Arena has a maximum seating capacity of 10,300 for concerts and 9,300 for sporting events. This includes both permanent arena seating and floor seating that is added for certain events. The arena was originally constructed in 1964 and has undergone renovations over the years to optimize the seating layout.
Compared to other major indoor arenas in the United States, the Blaisdell Arena ranks somewhere in the middle in terms of size and capacity. It is larger than most college basketball arenas but smaller than many of the major NBA and NHL venues. When filled to capacity, it creates an exciting and energetic environment for watching live entertainment.
Breakdown of Seating Sections
The Blaisdell Arena seating plan includes both permanent arena seating and convertible floor seating that allows capacity to be expanded for larger events. Here is a detailed breakdown of each seating section:
Permanent Arena Seating
– Lower Level: The lower bowl of permanent seating contains 6,026 seats surrounding the arena floor. This section spans from rows AA to V.
– Club Level: The club level partway up the arena contains 1,836 seats in rows W through Z. This section offers premium amenities for certain events.
– Upper Level: The upper level at the top of the arena bowl has 2,328 permanent seats labeled with rows numbered 1 through 13.
Convertible Floor Seating
– Floor Seating: For concerts and other high-demand events, the main arena floor can be converted to event floor seating. With the court or stage set up, floor seating can accommodate approximately 4,700 additional seats using folding chairs on the arena floor. When combined with the permanent seating sections, this brings the maximum concert capacity to 10,300.
Seating Capacity by Event Type
The overall seating capacity fluctuates depending on how floor seating is utilized for different events:
– Concert Capacity: 10,300 (6,026 lower level + 1,836 club level + 2,328 upper level + 4,700 floor seats)
– Basketball Capacity: Approximately 9,300 (6,026 lower level + 1,836 club level + 2,328 upper level)
– Other Sporting Events: 9,000 to 9,500 (using a portion of potential floor seating)
Concerts and other entertainment events that utilize the entirety of the floor for seating are able to surpass 10,000 total seats. Basketball and volleyball require the arena floor to be open, reducing the total capacity compared to concerts. Other sporting events can use some convertible floor seating to reach between 9,000 and 9,500 total seats depending on the event layout.
Seating Expansions Over the Years
The original Blaisdell Arena design had a much smaller seating capacity than it does today. Here is an overview of how seating has been expanded over time:
– Original 1964 Capacity: 6,300 seats
– 1976 Renovation: Expanded to 9,500 seats
– 1994 Renovation: Added club level seating expanding total to 10,000 seats
– Recent Years: Additional floor seating has brought concert capacity over 10,000
The introduction of club level seating in 1994 was an important expansion, elevating the Blaisdell Arena’s status for hosting major events. More recently, the arena has worked to maximize floor seating that allows concerts and shows to surpass 10,000 total seats when needed.
How Blaisdell Arena Compares to Other Arenas
The Blaisdell Arena seats over 10,000 people but it is still considered a mid-sized arena compared to major venues across the country. Here is how it compares in maximum seating capacity to some other notable indoor arenas:
Arena | Seating Capacity |
---|---|
Madison Square Garden (New York City) | 20,789 |
TD Garden (Boston) | 19,580 |
United Center (Chicago) | 19,717 |
Amway Center (Orlando) | 18,846 |
Blaisdell Arena (Honolulu) | 10,300 |
Viejas Arena (San Diego) | 12,414 |
While it may not stack up against NBA and NHL arenas in major metropolitan areas, the Blaisdell Arena has an impressive capacity given Hawaii’s smaller population compared to many mainland cities. The arena remains one of the premier indoor event venues in the state.
Types of Events Hosted
In addition to sporting events and concerts, the Blaisdell Arena serves as a venue for a wide variety of other events thanks to its substantial seating:
– College Basketball: The University of Hawaii men’s and women’s basketball teams play home games at the arena. It provides a much larger capacity than the campus Stan Sheriff Center.
– Professional Hockey: The ECHL minor league hockey team called the Utah Grizzlies played select home games at the Blaisdell during the 2016-2017 season.
– Family Shows: The arena regularly hosts family entertainment shows such as Disney on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters, circus performances, and more. These shows can utilize full floor and permanent seating.
– Conventions: Hawaii state Democratic and Republican conventions have been held on the arena floor due to the ability to seat thousands of delegates.
– Graduation Ceremonies: Local high schools commonly hold graduation ceremonies on the arena floor to allow room for families. The University of Hawaii held spring 2020 virtual graduations here.
The versatile seating capacity makes the venue suitable for this wide assortment of sports, entertainment, and special events.
Concert Capacity Utilization
One key advantage of the Blaisdell Arena is the ability to add floor seating on top of permanent seats for concerts. Here are some examples of top-drawing concerts that likely came close to reaching the full 10,300 capacity:
– Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll performed several high-selling shows at the Blaisdell Arena in the 1970s, packing in crowds.
– Michael Jackson: Jackson performed to multiple sold-out Blaisdell crowds during the 1970s and 1980s at the height of his popularity.
– Janet Jackson: Over 10,000 fans crammed in for Janet Jackson’s 1993 sold-out show during her janet. Tour.
– Britney Spears: Spears’ 2000 Oops!… I Did It Again Tour filled the Blaisdell to the brim with adoring fans.
– Aerosmith: The legendary rock band’s 2012 show featured floor seats and likely reached near the 10,300 capacity.
Thanks to these types of concerts, the Blaisdell Arena has seen plenty of events that have gotten close to reaching the full 10,300 seats that can be put in place when factoring in floor seating. This size gives it an advantage for securing major touring acts over other Hawaii venues.
Notable Sporting Events
In addition to concerts, the Blaisdell Arena has hosted many major college and professional sporting events over the years:
– NBA basketball: The arena hosted numerous NBA exhibition preseason games in the 1970s and 80s featuring teams like the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
– Volleyball tournaments: The arena regularly hosts major college volleyball tournaments such as the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic.
– NCAA basketball tournaments: The arena hosted early-round games for the NCAA Division I men’s tournament in 1981 and 1994.
– UFC mixed martial arts: UFC’s first-ever event in Hawaii took place at the Blaisdell Arena in 2014 featuring a dozen bouts.
– Tennis championships: The arena hosted the Virginia Slims of Hawaii WTA Tour women’s tennis tournament in the 1970s and 80s.
Thanks to seating capacities over 9,000 for basketball and volleyball, the venue has drawn in top NCAA and professional teams over the decades.
Concert Setup and Floor Seating
When the Blaisdell Arena hosts major concerts, how is temporary floor seating set up? Here is an overview:
– Arena floor space: The open hardwood floor provides around 9,000 square feet of space to add seating on top of the permanent sections.
– Stage and setup: A stage is typically set up along one sideline of the basketball court, leaving the rest open for floor seating.
– Chairs and spacing: Folding seats are set up across the remainder of the floor, aligned in rows spaced 3-4 feet apart for legroom and aisles. Wider aisles are included to meet safety codes.
– Capacity: Floor seating accounts for approximately 4,700 seats, though the exact number can vary based on the stage/seating layout.
– Clear lines of sight: The floor seating section is flat rather than sloped, but aisles provide some improved sight lines. The stage is also elevated high enough for most floor seats to have a direct view.
This temporary floor seating setup transforms the arena and maximizes capacity for popular concerts and performances.
Recent Notable Concerts
In more recent years, the Blaisdell Arena has continued attracting top concerts to fill the venue:
– Janet Jackson returned in 2015 as part of her Unbreakable World Tour, playing for another huge crowd.
– Achieving a rare Hawaii concert in 2016, Guns N’ Roses’ Not In This Lifetime Tour packed the arena.
– Bruno Mars, the famous pop singer from Honolulu, thrilled the home state crowd during his 24K Magic World Tour stop in 2017.
– Country music star Eric Church rocked a big audience during his 2018 Double Down Tour visit.
– Return visits from artists like Bob Seger in 2019 and James Taylor in 2020 continued drawing tens of thousands of fans.
The array of A-list headliners proves that the Blaisdell Arena still has a capacity and draw to bring major touring acts to perform in Hawaii. Fans are hoping for more big concerts when live entertainment fully returns after the pandemic.
Basketball and Volleyball Capacity
For indoor court sports like basketball and volleyball, the Blaisdell Arena seating capacity decreases compared to concerts since the floor cannot be used for seating. However, the permanent seats still allow substantial crowds.
Key details on the arena’s basketball and volleyball capacity:
– Typical capacity is 9,000 to 9,300 with just permanent seating sections utilized.
– University of Hawaii basketball averages over 7,000 fans per game.
– Some premier events like the Rainbow Wahine Classic volleyball tournaments can draw over 9,000 fans.
– The arena offers an intimate setting compared to larger NBA and NCAA venues.
– Fans are kept close to the action rather than being separated in a cavernous domed stadium.
While concerts may boast the ultimate max capacity, the Blaisdell Arena remains a hugely popular venue for basketball and volleyball thanks to its dedicated permanent seating arrangement for sports.
Luxury Suites and Premium Seating
In addition to the main seating sections, the Blaisdell Arena offers some premium seating options:
– Club Level Seating: The club level has 1,836 cushioned seats, a private club lounge, and an exclusive entrance for premium ticket holders.
– Luxury Suites: There are 20 luxury suites located on the club level that seat 6 to 16 guests per suite. Suites include VIP amenities and food/beverage service.
– Club Lounge Seating: For certain concerts and events, floor seating closest to the stage is sold as VIP club lounge seating.
This limited premium seating provides special upscale experiences for corporations, wealthy individuals, season ticket holders and high-paying fans. While comprising a small percentage of overall seats, premium seating generates substantial revenue.
Conclusion
In summary, the total seating capacity of the Blaisdell Arena is 10,300 for concerts, 9,300 for basketball and volleyball, and between 9,000 and 10,500 for other sporting events, depending on floor seating. This capacity provides a unique mid-sized indoor venue for Hawaii, larger than arenas used by college teams but smaller than pro stadiums on the U.S. mainland. Since opening in 1964, expansions and renovations have optimized the arena’s seating layout to accommodate crowds for concerts, sports, and special events. Going forward, the Blaisdell Arena’s substantial capacity will continue allowing it to attract top entertainment to perform in the heart of Honolulu.