Madonna, AC/DC tickets help keep Madison Square Garden at the top of venues list

Madison Square Garden (MSG) maintained its dominance of the rankings for the fourth straight week, according to TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, October 5. With a power score of 3.51, MSG is benefiting from strong ticket sales for upcoming concerts by artists like Madonna, Metallica, Tina Turner and AC/DC, and shows like Cirque du Soleil’s “Wintuk.”

Up one slot this week to number two is the Gershwin Theatre, one of only two Broadway venues in our top ten. With Wicked still topping TicketNews’s Top Broadway Events and Top Theater Events rankings, the Gershwin continues to be a strong competitor among venues. The theater comes in this week with a power score of 2.68.

In at number three, Giants Stadium is the first of three football venues on this week’s list. The home field of the New York Giants and New York Jets hits with a power score of 2.16 this week. Next on the list at number four is Texas Stadium. Home to the ever-popular Dallas Cowboys, the stadium finishes this week with a power score of 2.00. Up an impressive three slots to the number five position is Cotton Bowl Stadium. The host of the legendary Cotton Bowl, the stadium has a power score of 1.59 in this week’s rankings.

The TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA drops one to the number five position this week, power scoring a 1.57. The Garden can thank sales for artists such as Tina Turner, Madonna, Metallica and AC/DC for its continued popularity. The Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA, drops again to the number seven slot in this week’s rankings, power scoring a 1.43. The Center maintains its top ten placement this week on strong sales for a list of artists similar to the Garden’s, such as Madonna, Metallica and AC/DC, but it also benefits from ticket sales for perennial favorites the Eagles, and for holiday performances by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Finishing in the number eight position this week, with a power score of 1.39, is the MGM Grand Garden Arena The Las Vegas venue also will host such popular acts as Madonna, the Jonas Brothers and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The Virginia/August Wilson Theatre makes a comeback into the top ten this week, finishing at number nine and power scoring a 1.36. The Broadway home to “Jersey Boys” benefits from the continued popularity of a show which has held the number two slot in TicketNews’ Top Theater Events rankings since December of 2007.

Rounding out the top ten this week is a new arrival, the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. This year offering Houston Rockets fans an innovative paperless ticketing system, the Center is host to a number of top-selling acts in the coming months, including Madonna, Celine Dion, Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, the Eagles, AC/DC, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

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.

Top VenuesWeek Ending 10/05/2008