The Pepsi Center in Denver, CO makes a big move to into the number one spot as the nation’s Top Venue, according to TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, May 17. Last week’s number seventeen surged to the top spot this week as its home team Denver Nuggets won its Western Conference semis against the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets now move to the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in a series that holds the number three spot in this week’s Top Sports Events rankings. Game one of the Western Conference final is scheduled for tonight, May 19, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, with the Nuggets’s first home game of the series on May 23. Game Four at the Pepsi Center is already the focus of controversy due to a scheduling conflict with the WWE. The center also has scheduled a number of top artists this season, including Green Day and the Jonas Brothers, who hit at numbers three and five, respectively, in this week’s Top Concert Events rankings. The Pepsi Center power scores an impressive 3.19.
Fenway Park in Boston, MA holds steady this week at number two, power scoring a 2.66. The city’s legendary Boston Red Sox are winners with their fans, enjoying ticket sales that put the team in second place in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events. The Dave Matthews Band helps Fenway in the rankings with its two-day appearance at the park scheduled for May 29 and 30.
Two teams in playoff contention appear to be good news for TD Banknorth Garden. The venue moves up to the number three spot this week, as its Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins both participated in conference semifinal play. On Sunday, the Celts lost their bid to defend their NBA championship title after the Orlando Magic forced a game seven and won the Eastern Conference semis 4-3. Also pushing their series to a game seven, the Bruins lost their Eastern Conference semifinals in OT on May 14 against the Carolina Hurricanes, giving up the series 4-3. This series was a popular one with fans, peaking at number nine in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events. In concerts, the Garden has July dates for the Jonas Brothers and Green Day and an August date for the American Idols Live tour, which is still smashing all competition in Top Concert Events. TD Banknorth Garden power scores a 2.55.
Despite having dropped from last week’s leader position, the Gershwin Theatre remains a heavy hitter on the list, landing at number four this week. The Gershwin’s repeat appearance in the top ten week after week is due to the continued popularity of its hit musical Wicked, which this week dominates TicketNews’s Top Broadway Events, Top Theater Events and Top Combined Events rankings. The Gershwin power scores a 2.53.
The new Yankee Stadium drops two to the number five spot this week, power scoring a 2.51. Strong ticket sales for New York Yankees baseball keep the Stadium firmly in the top five and allow the team to edge out the BoSox for the number one spot in Top Sports Events.
Next on the list is the Staples Center, which moves up one to the number six spot. With a power score of 2.22, the Center benefits from its Los Angeles Lakers’s winning performance in their Western Conference semi’s against the Houston Rockets. On Sunday, Staples hosted the Lakers’s ousting of the Rockets in Game Seven and will host tonight’s Game One of the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets. This summer, the venue also will see dates for a number of top artists, including the American Idols Live tour in July and the Jonas Brothers and Aerosmith with ZZ Top in August.
The United Center in Chicago, IL moves up three to number seven this week, power scoring a 1.94. Hometown favorites the Chicago Blackhawks are in a popular Western Conference final series against the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, hosted game one of the series, won by the Red Wings, and game two, also in Detroit, is scheduled for this evening. The United Center also has a number of performers scheduled for this summer, including Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood in June and Green Day in July.
The Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, CA, drops two to the number eight spot this week. The Orpheum, known for presenting Broadway-style shows to west coast audiences, currently enjoys strong ticket sales for a production of the musical “Wicked”, with dates booked through September. The Orpheum power scores a 1.57. This week marks Madison Square Garden’s (MSG) return to the rankings after a three week hiatus. Power scoring a 1.40, MSG hosts a who’s who of top performers this summer, including Andrea Bocelli in June, Green Day in July, Taylor Swift with Kellie Pickler in August and Aerosmith with ZZ Top in September.
Closing out the top ten this week is Wrigley Field, which drops two to the number ten position. Also power scoring a 1.40, Wrigley’s hometown heroes the Chicago Cubs are selling tickets at a brisk pace, landing the team at number six in this week’s Top Sports Events. In concerts, Wrigley will see two dates on the popular Elton John and Billy Joel tour in July.
NHL and NBA playoff venues remain strong this week, as do baseball stadiums and indoor and outdoor concert venues. The Gershwin and the Orpheum remain the only two theater venues in the top ten.
TicketNews Exclusive Rankings and Power Scores are based on ticket sales for venues from the TicketNetwork Exchange™, the world’s largest secondary market exchange. A Power Score illustrates a given venue’s category-specific significance. Two factors are used to calculate a power score: total ticket sales for a venue, and total ticket sales within the category. As such, power scores should only be used to compare venues within a particular category.
| Venue | Score | |
| 1 | Pepsi Center Tickets | 3.19 |
| 2 | Fenway Park Tickets | 2.66 |
| 3 | TD Banknorth Garden Tickets | 2.55 |
| 4 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 2.53 |
| 5 | New Yankee Stadium Tickets | 2.51 |
| 6 | Staples Center Tickets | 2.22 |
| 7 | United Center Tickets | 1.94 |
| 8 | Orpheum Theatre San Francisco Tickets | 1.57 |
| 9 | Madison Square Garden Tickets | 1.40 |
| 10 | Wrigley Field Tickets | 1.40 |
| 11 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 1.37 |
| 12 | Verizon Center – DC Tickets | 1.32 |
| 13 | Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tickets | 1.09 |
| 14 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 1.00 |
| 15 | Virginia/August Wilson Theatre – NY Tickets | 1.00 |
| 16 | Toyota Center – TX Tickets | 0.99 |
| 17 | Comcast Center – MA Tickets | 0.94 |
| 18 | Imperial Theatre – NY Tickets | 0.88 |
| 19 | American Airlines Center Tickets | 0.87 |
| 20 | Joe Louis Arena Tickets | 0.82 |