Madison Square Garden (MSG) does it again, beating all rivals for the number one spot in TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, March 15. For the third week running, MSG sits atop the list, power scoring 5.02. Helping to fuel its performance is the current season of New York Knicks basketball, a stop on the well-attended WWE tour, and upcoming appearances by the likes of the Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift with Kellie Pickler.
Once again, the Gershwin Theatre follows MSG, holding at number two. Power scoring a 2.87, the theatre enjoys continued strong sales for its long-running musical Wicked.
Radio City Music Hall returns to the list this week, arriving in the top ten for the first time since mid-December. In at number three with a power score of 2.53, Radio City boasts two dates on the popular Leonard Cohen tour in May. Ticket sales for the tour, which hits at number six this week in TicketNews’s Top Concert Events rankings, are the subject of some controversy, with fans and attorneys accusing Ticketmaster of diverting fans to its ticket brokering site, TicketsNow. Cohen’s camp and Ticketmaster have denied this. TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA holds steady at number four this week, power scoring a 1.76. The home to the ever popular Boston Celtics basketball team hosted a performance by Britney Spears on March 16 and will see a date by the Jonas Brothers in July. Boston’s more famous venue, Fenway Park, jumps five slots to finish at number five this week. The park is home to the legendary Boston Red Sox, which this week dominate TicketNews’s Top Sports Events rankings. The venue also will host the Dave Matthews Band for two performances in May. Fenway Park has a power score this week of 1.43.
Moving up two this week to the number six spot is the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The venue has booked a number of performances by top sellers in the coming months, including two dates for Britney Spears in April, Taylor Swift in May, and the Jonas Brothers and WWE in August. The venue is also home court for Los Angeles Lakers basketball, which maintains its hold on number four in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events rankings. The Staples Center power scores a 1.41. Also moving up two this week is the new Yankee Stadium, finishing at number seven. Also power scoring a 1.41 in the rankings, the stadium is home to the upcoming season of New York Yankees baseball, which lands at number two in the TicketNews Top Sports Events rankings.
Falling hard this week is Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX, as the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo draws to a close. With a power score of 1.39, the stadium drops five places this week to land in the number eight position. The venue stays in the top ten on strong sales for tours such as Taylor Swift’s on March 20 and the WWE in April. Just edged out for eighth place is the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, CA. Down four to the number nine spot and power scoring a 1.38, the Orpheum hosts a west coast production of “Wicked”, currently booked through September.
Finally, newcomer Nikon at Jones Beach Theater finishes at number ten in our rankings. The outdoor amphitheater will see a number of top selling tours this summer, including those of , No Doubt, Dave Matthews Band and Nickelback. The Nikon at Jones Beach Theater has a power score this week of 1.27.
As baseball season quickly approaches, the trend should be for more baseball venues to make their summer move to the list. Broadway’s showing over the past months seems a bit thin, with only one Broadway venue keeping a place in the top ten. Concert venues remain popular in the rankings, and they should continue to be as we move toward the summer concert season.
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.
| 1 | Madison Square Garden Tickets | 5.02 |
| 2 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 2.87 |
| 3 | Radio City Music Hall Tickets | 2.53 |
| 4 | TD Banknorth Garden Tickets | 1.76 |
| 5 | Fenway Park Tickets | 1.43 |
| 6 | Staples Center Tickets | 1.41 |
| 7 | New Yankee Stadium Tickets | 1.41 |
| 8 | Reliant Stadium Tickets | 1.39 |
| 9 | Orpheum Theatre Tickets | 1.38 |
| 10 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 1.27 |
| 11 | Toyota Center Tickets | 1.20 |
| 12 | Merriweather Post Pavilion Tickets | 1.05 |
| 13 | Virginia/August Wilson Theatre Tickets | 1.05 |
| 14 | AT&T Center Tickets | 0.91 |
| 15 | Wrigley Field Tickets | 0.90 |
| 16 | Prudential Center Tickets | 0.87 |
| 17 | Nassau Coliseum Tickets | 0.86 |
| 18 | O2 Dome Tickets | 0.85 |
| 19 | Mohegan Sun Arena Tickets | 0.84 |
| 20 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 0.83 |
