In the eternal battle between rivals, Fenway Park beats out the new Yankee Stadium in TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, April 26. The Park’s rise to the top is fueled by continued strong ticket sales for the Boston Red Sox, which takes the number one spot in TicketNews’Top Sports Events rankings this week as well. The venue also is helped by sales for two appearances by the Dave Matthews Band scheduled for May. Fenway Park ends the week with an impressive 3.06 power score.
The Gershwin Theatre makes a move this week, jumping two spots to the number two position. This move happens as its hit musical Wicked takes top honors in this week’s Top Broadway Events, Top Theater Events and Top Events rankings. The Gershwin finishes with a power score of 2.61.
Madison Square Garden (MSG) also makes a big jump, up from number six last week to number three. Power scoring a 2.23, MSG’s New York Rangers share a 3-3 tie against the Washington Capitals in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoffs, with game seven on for tonight at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Hockey fans are keeping this series popular, hanging in at number nine in this week’s Top Sports Events rankings. Should the Rangers win game seven, MSG will host games in the next round of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins. MSG also has scheduled dates from a number of top artists in the coming months, including Andrea Bocelli, Beyonce (hitting at number three this week in Top Concert Events), and Metallica, as well as a stop on the popular WWE tour.
The new Yankee Stadium takes a hard fall this week, down from last week’s leader position to number four. The stadium benefits from continued strong ticket sales for the iconic New York Yankees, certainly keeping it a solid top five contender. The new Yankee Stadium power scores a 1.95. The Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX drops two to the number five spot this week. Power scoring a 1.93, the stadium is host to Dallas Cowboys football, which stays strong in the Top Sports Events rankings this week at the number five position. In the coming months, the stadium also will host dates on the top-selling tours of U2 and the Jonas Brothers, at numbers one and four, respectively, in this week’s Top Concert Events.
The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater makes it back to the top ten for the first time in five weeks. Returning in the number six slot, the outdoor amphitheatre will see dates from Aerosmith and ZZ Top, the Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney this summer. The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater has a power score of 1.66 this week. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas also returns to the list this week, hitting at number seven. The venue is preparing for the highly anticipated May 2 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. The MGM also has some top artists on its roster in the coming weeks, including the Dave Matthews Band, Aerosmith and Nickelback. The MGM Grand Garden Arena power scores a 1.53 this week.
Next on the list is the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. Returning to the top ten this week at number eight, the Wachovia Center is home court to the Philadelphia 76ers, currently in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Orlando Magic. The two teams have a 2-2 split in the series thus far, with game five scheduled for tonight at the Amway Arena in Orlando, FL. This summer, the Center also has live performances scheduled for Beyonce, the Jonas Brothers and Keith Urban with Taylor Swift. The Wachovia Center power scores a 1.50. Wrigley Fielddrops one to the number nine spot this week. Wrigley is home field to Chicago Cubs baseball, currently holding the number three spot in this week’s Top Sports Events rankings. The venue also will host two July dates for the popular Elton John and Billy Joel Face 2 Face tour. Wrigley Field has a power score of 1.49 this week.
Finally, at number ten for the second week in a row is the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, CA. Bringing Broadway-style shows to West Coast audiences, the Orpheum is currently housing a long-running production of the hit musical “Wicked.” The venue power scores a 1.22.
Baseball venues remain big this week, and stadiums in general seem to be picking up steam as summer concert season approaches. The Gershwin and the Orpheum are once again the only theaters making it into 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 | Fenway Park Tickets | 3.06 |
| 2 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 2.61 |
| 3 | Madison Square Garden Tickets | 2.23 |
| 4 | New Yankee Stadium Tickets | 1.95 |
| 5 | Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tickets | 1.93 |
| 6 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 1.66 |
| 7 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 1.53 |
| 8 | Wachovia Center Tickets | 1.50 |
| 9 | Wrigley Field Tickets | 1.49 |
| 10 | Orpheum Theatre San Francisco Tickets | 1.22 |
| 11 | Caesars Palace Colosseum Tickets | 1.11 |
| 12 | Staples Center Tickets | 1.09 |
| 13 | American Airlines Center Tickets | 1.09 |
| 14 | Giants Stadium Tickets | 1.09 |
| 15 | TD Banknorth Garden Tickets | 1.05 |
| 16 | Toyota Center – TX Tickets | 1.03 |
| 17 | United Center Tickets | 1.01 |
| 18 | Virginia/August Wilson Theatre – NY Tickets | 1.00 |
| 19 | Churchill Downs Tickets | 0.96 |
| 20 | Palace Theatre New York City Tickets | 0.94 |
