New Orleans Arena

This article is about the multi-purpose arena in New Orleans. For the similarly named venue found in Las Vegas, see Orleans Arena.

New Orleans Arena
The Nest
New Orleans Arena following the conclusion of the 2005-06 NBA season
Location	1501 Girod Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Coordinates	29°56′56″N 90°4′55″W
Broke ground	November 30, 1995
Opened	October 29, 1999
Owner	The State of Louisiana
Operator	SMG
Construction cost	$114 million ($157 million in 2013 dollars)
Architect	Arthur Q. Davis and Partners Billes-Manning Architects Hewitt Washington and Associates
Project manager	CS Associates
Structural engineer	Walter P Moore
Services engineer	Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
General contractor	Manhattan/Gibbs
Capacity	Concerts: 19,000 Basketball: 18,500 Basketball (Pelicans games): 17,188 Arena Football: 16,500
Tenants
New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) (2002–present) New Orleans Brass (ECHL) (1999–2002) New Orleans VooDoo (AFL) (2004-present) NBA All-Star Game (2008, 2014)

The New Orleans Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

It has been home to the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the Hornets) of the NBA since 2002, and is also home to some Tulane University basketball games as well as some high school basketball games and other special events. The now-defunct New Orleans Brass of the ECHL played in the New Orleans Arena their last three seasons before their demise in 2002, caused in part by the arrival of the Hornets. Since February 2004, the New Orleans VooDoo, of the Arena Football League (AFL), played their home games in the arena until the team folded in 2008. The VooDoo resumed play at the Arena in March 2011.

The arena was completed in 1999 at a cost of $114 million and officially opened on October 19, 1999. The Brass was the main tenant for its first three years until the team was forced to fold after Hornets management demanded priority upon moving. The arena seats 19,000 for concerts, over 18,500 for Pelicans games and 16,500 for arena football and has 2,800 club seats and 56 luxury suites.

The Arena is also used as a venue for concerts where it can seat from 7,500 for a half-stage setup to 17,221 for end-stage shows and at the most 17,805 for a center-stage show. For trade shows and conventions the Arena features 17,000 square feet (1,600 m²) of space. The ceiling is 65 feet (20 m) to beam and roof, 70 feet (21.5 m) to the top of the arena.

In 2006, the arena installed an LED centerhung video and scoring system from Daktronics out of Brookings, South Dakota. The centerhung installation is made up of two ring displays and eight video displays, as well as scoreboards. This installation is fully integrated with the more than 875 feet of ribbon display technology that was installed in the arena in 2002.

It hosted ArenaBowl XXI in 2007, the 2008 NBA All-Star Game and will host the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, ArenaBowl XXII in July 2008, the 2012 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament, and has hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007 and 2010, and the Southeast Regional of the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. On September 9, 2000, the arena hosted the light heavyweight title fight between Roy Jones, Jr. and Eric Harding. Jones won by TKO in the 10th round. The Arena has also hosted the 2004 Women's Final Four and hosted the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament South Regionals.

On March 11, 2008 the arena hosted 311 Day 2008. This bi-annual event held in New Orleans is a live concert and fan gathering celebrating the music and unity of rock reggae band 311. 14,000+ fans attended from all 50 states and 12 different countries.

Hurricane Katrina

Following Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, medical operations that had previously been housed in the Superdome were moved to the Arena. Medical personnel had been working in an area of the Superdome with poor lighting, leaking ceilings and soggy carpet. The Arena's design was tested in 1996 by CPP, a wind engineering consulting firm, so it fared far better than the Superdome during the storm and was in better condition to house sensitive medical operations. Thus, unlike the Superdome, the Arena reopened to activities only one month after the storm.

Events

Sports

• The New Orleans Arena hosted the first league championship game in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina with ArenaBowl XXI in 2007, the championship game for the Arena Football League. The arena also hosted ArenaBowl XXII the following year and hosted ArenaBowl XXV in 2012.
• The Hornets played their first game, since the start of the 2005-06 season, at the arena on March 8, 2006, to a sellout crowd of 17,744, as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Hornets, 113–107.
• In March 2007, the PBR brought its Built Ford Tough Series tour for an event in this arena (prior to Hurricane Katrina, the PBR visited the arena for a BFTS event annually from 2000 to 2003; prior to 2003 the tour was known as the Bud Light Cup).
• In February 2008, the arena hosted the 2008 NBA All-Star Game.
• In April 2010, the PBR again visited the Arena for a Built Ford Tough Series event.
• The 2012 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
• On February 17, 2013 it hosted the WWE Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View.

Concerts

List of Concerts

• ZZ Top - November 5, 1999, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies
• Shania Twain - November 16, 1999, with Shane Minor and June 29, 2004, with Emerson Drive
• The Backstreet Boys - November 20, 1999, with Mandy Moore and E.Y.C.
• Billy Joel - December 2, 1999 and March 6, 2007
• Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band - December 4, 1999
• Rage Against the Machine - December 11, 1999
• Korn - February 21, 2000, with Staind
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - March 19, 2000
• The LOX - March 24, 2000, with DMX, Juvenile, Lil Wayne and Eve
• Britney Spears - April 4, 2000, with LFO and Bosson, December 16, 2001, with LFO, March 3, 2009, with The Pussycat Dolls and July 15, 2011, with Nicki Minaj, Nervo and Jessie & The Toy Boys
• KISS - April 16, 2000, with Skid Row and Ted Nugent and August 7, 2004, with Poison and Drowning Pool
• Nine Inch Nails - May 25, 2000, with A Perfect Circle
• Ricky Martin - July 8, 2000
• The Up in Smoke Tour - August 5, 2000
• Pearl Jam - August 14, 2000, with Sonic Youth and Lukin
• Santana - October 3, 2000, with Everlast
• Tina Turner - April 19, with Lionel Richie and Janice Robinson and October 25, with Joe Cocker, 2000
• The Dixie Chicks - October 29, 2000, with Willie Nelson
• The Anger Management Tour - December 2, 2000
• Elton John - April 17, 2001, with Billy Joel and March 5, 2005
• Eric Clapton - May 15, 2001, with Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack, June 12, 2004, with Jimmie Vaughan, March 6, 2010, with Roger Daltrey & The No Plan B Band and March 23, 2013, with The Wallflowers
• Journey - June 12, 2001, with Peter Frampton and John Waite, September 26, 2009, with Night Ranger and September 10, 2011, with Foreigner and Night Ranger
• The Deftones - July 31, 2001, with Godsmack
• Sade - September 1, 2001, with India.Arie and July 22, 2011, with John Legend
• Aerosmith - September 3, 2001, with Fuel, October 24, 2002, with The Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock & Twisted Brown Trucker and Run–D.M.C. and December 6, 2012, with Cheap Trick
• Janet Jackson - September 16, 2001, with 112
• Rod Stewart - October 13, 2001 and April 13, 2004
• Ozzy Osbourne - November 7, 2001, with Rob Zombie, Mudvayne and Soil
• Creed - January 24, 2002, with Virgos and Tantric and September 19, 2009, with Staind and Lo-Pro
• Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience - February 3, 2002
• Kenny Chesney - April 6, 2002, with Phil Vassar, Sara Evans and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, March 18, 2005, with Uncle Kracker and Gretchen Wilson, July 20, 2006, with Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen, May 31, 2007, with Sugarland and Pat Green and August 14, 2008, with LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan and Luke Bryan
• Olga Wilhelmine Munding - April 9, 2002
• JJ Grey & MOFRO - May 4, 2002
• The SCREAM Tour - July 28, 2002, August 22, 2003 and August 13, 2005
• Cher - August 18 and November 14, 2002, with Cyndi Lauper
• Neil Diamond - September 5, 2002 and October 17, 2005
• Nelly - November 7, 2002, with The Cash Money Millionaires
• Paul McCartney - November 12, 2002
• Alan Jackson & The Strayhorns - November 17, 2002, with Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Joe Nichols, September 17, 2004, with Martina McBride, January 13, 2005, with Martina McBride and November 4, 2006, with Little Big Town and The Wreckers
• Tim McGraw - April 22, 2003, with The Dancehall Doctors, July 5, 2006, with Faith Hill (the arena's largest crowd ever, for any event) and April 10, 2010, with Lady Antebellum and The Lost Trailers
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers - June 11, 2003, with The Mars Volta and Snoop Dogg and October 4, 2012, with The Band of Skulls
• The Eagles - June 12, 2003 and January 23, 2009
• Justin Timberlake - July 8, 2003, with Christina Aguilera and March 1, 2007, with P!nk
• Jay-Z - August 4, 2003, with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Sean Paul and Fabolous, April 9, 2008, with Mary J. Blige and The-Dream, February 25, 2010, with Young Jeezy and Trey Songz and December 3, 2011, with Kanye West
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - October 18, 2003, with Franky Perez
• R. Kelly - October 26, 2003, with Ashanti, October 14, 2004, with Jay-Z and November 30, 2007, with Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday
• The Crown Royal Comedy Soulfest - November 14, 2003
• Beyoncé Knowles - March 14, 2004, with Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott and Tamia
• Yanni - March 24, 2004
• Jessica Simpson - June 4, 2004, with Ryan Cabrera
• Simon & Garfunkel - July 8, 2004, with The Everly Brothers
• Sarah McLachlan - July 24, 2004, with Butterfly Boucher
• Usher - August 14, 2004, with Kanye West and December 28, 2010, with Miguel and Trey Songz
• Hilary Duff - August 15, 2004
• Incubus - September 19, 2004
• Earth, Wind & Fire - October 18, 2004, with Chicago
• WQUE 93's Teen Summit XII - October 23, 2004
• Metallica - November 14, 2004, with Godsmack and November 23, 2008, with Down and The Sword
• Bette Midler - November 21, 2004
• Gretchen Wilson - April 26, 2005
• Maureen McGovern - October 4, 2005
• A Night for New Orleans - March 4, 2006
• A Celebration of Hope - March 11–12, 2006
• Kirk Franklin - June 9, 2006, with Mary Mary and Da' T.R.U.T.H.
• Young Jeezy - June 18, 2006, with Keyshia Cole, Shawnna and Yung Joc and November 28, 2009
• Brooks & Dunn - August 6, 2006, with Allen Toussaint and Brian McKnight
• Maze - August 19, with Cameo and Teena Marie and December 29, with Chaka Khan and KEM, 2006
• New Orleans: Rebuilding The Soul of America…One Year Later - August 29, 2006
• LeToya Luckett - September 24, 2006, with Donell Jones, Tyrese Gibson and Lyfe Jennings
• CeCe Winans - October 7, 2006, with Donnie McClurkin
• Chris Brown - October 20, 2006, with Cherish, Jibbs and Dem Franchize Boyz, January 12, 2008, with Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, The Shop Boyz and Lil Mama and October 13, 2011, with Bow Wow, T-Pain, Tyga and Kelly Rowland
• Def Leppard - November 17, 2006, with Journey and Stoll Vaughan, August 18, 2009, with Cheap Trick and Poison and September 22, 2011, with Heart
• Willy Mason - December 16, 2006
• Ron Tyson - February 28, 2007
• Delirium - March 29–30, 2007
• Lil Wayne - April 8, 2007, with Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, Baby and Rich Boy, January 11, with Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain, Keri Hilson and Keyshia Cole and December 28, with Drake and Nicki Minaj, 2009 and April 14, 2011, with Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Travis Barker
• The Blue Man Group - April 10, 2007, with Mike Relm and March 18, 2008, with Mike Relm
• Hank Williams, Jr. - May 27, 2007, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Chris Janson and September 24, 2010, with Eric Church, Gretchen Wilson and Lee Brice
• The Police - June 30, 2007, with Fiction Plane
• T.I. and Ciara - August 3, 2007, with T-Pain and Yung Joc
• Nickelback - August 17, 2007, with Puddle of Mudd and Finger Eleven and April 17, 2009, with Seether and Saving Abel
• 50 Cent - November 1, 2007
• The Trans-Siberian Orchestra - November 10, 2007, December 18, 2008, December 17, 2009 and December 9, 2010
• Tool - November 17, 2007, with Trans Am
• Keri Hilson - January 11, 2008
• The Big Easy Blues Festival - January 19, 2008 and February 14, 2009
• Miley Cyrus - January 26, 2008, with Everlife and October 20, 2009, with Metro Station
• Van Halen - February 8, 2008, with Ky-Mani Marley and June 26, 2012, with Kool & the Gang
• Michael Bublé - February 26, 2008 and July 14, 2010, with Naturally 7
• Rascal Flatts - February 28, 2008, with Kellie Pickler, March 6, 2009, with Jessica Simpson and February 4 and March 13, 2011, with Chris Young and Luke Bryan
• Bell Biv DeVoe - March 8, 2008, with Keith Sweat, Tony! Toni! Toné! and Dru Hill
• 311 - March 11, 2008
• Rush - April 20, 2008 and June 10, 2011
• Alicia Keys - May 22, 2008, with Jordin Sparks and Ne-Yo and March 21, 2013, with Miguel
• Kid Rock & Twisted Brown Trucker - August 8, 2008, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Back Door Slam and February 21, 2013, with Buckcherry and Hellbound Glory
• New Kids on the Block - October 18, 2008, with Natasha Bedingfield and Tami Chynn
• Big Sam's Funky Nation - December 20, 2008
• Celine Dion - January 10, 2009
• Brad Paisley & The Drama Kings - January 17, 2009, with Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker and October 13, 2012, with The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery
• Mötley Crüe - February 28, 2009, with Hinder, Theory of a Deadman and The Last Vegas
• The Domino Effect Show - May 30, 2009
• Coldplay - June 9, 2009, with Snow Patrol and The Howling Bells
• Fleetwood Mac - June 20, 2009
• Green Day - August 7, 2009, with Kaiser Chiefs and The Soul Rebels Brass Band
• The Jonas Brothers - August 15, 2009, with Jordin Sparks, Honor Society and The Wonder Girls
• Star Wars in Concert - October 27, 2009
• AC/DC - October 28, 2009, with The Answer
• George Strait & The Ace in the Hole Band - March 5, 2010, with Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack and April 13, 2013, with Martina McBride
• John Mayer - March 10, 2010, with Michael Franti & Spearhead
• The Budweiser Superfest Tour - September 3, 2010
• Randy Montana - February 19, 2011
• Lady Gaga - April 9, 2011, with Semi Precious Weapons
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - May 3, 2011
• Katy Perry - September 8, 2011, with DJ Skeet Skeet and Janelle Monáe
• Dralion - September 14–17, 2011
• Taylor Swift - October 5, 2011, with Needtobreathe and Charlie Worsham
• Fireflight - January 29, 2012
• Michael Jackson: The Immortal - February 15–16, 2012
• Shaila Dúrcal - June 29, 2012
• The Al Haymon Festival Tour - August 5, 2012
• Stevie Nicks - September 22, 2012, with Gladys Knight and Melissa Etheridge
• Madonna - October 27, 2012, with Paul Oakenfold and Nero
• Justin Bieber - January 15, 2013, with Carly Rae Jepsen and Cody Simpson
• Quidam - March 13–17, 2013

Other info

• In the summer of 2008, new Daktronics "see through" shot clocks were installed, replacing the existing box units.

See also

• Mercedes-Benz Superdome
• Champions Square

External links

• Official New Orleans Arena website

Events and tenants
Preceded by Charlotte Coliseum	Home of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans 2002 – present	Succeeded by current
Preceded by first arena CenturyTel Center	Home of the New Orleans VooDoo 2004 – 2005, 2007 – 2008 2011 – present	Succeeded by last arena current
Preceded by Thomas & Mack Center	Host of the NBA All-Star Game 2008	Succeeded by US Airways Center
Preceded by Madison Square Garden	Home of the Royal Rumble 2001	Succeeded by Philips Arena
Preceded by Thomas & Mack Center US Airways Center	Host of the ArenaBowl ArenaBowl XXI - ArenaBowl XXII ArenaBowl XXV	Succeeded by Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena TBA