TicketNews has released its exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Sunday, March 8, and for one more week, Madison Square Garden (MSG) dominates all competitors. Helping MSG to stay at number one are a number of top-selling tours arriving in the coming months, including those of Taylor Swift with Kellie Pickler and Jimmy Buffett. Later this month, the WAMU Theatre at MSG is scheduled to host a production of The Wizard of Oz, currently number nine in TicketNews’s Top Broadway events, and in April MSG will have the WWE tour. The venue is also home court to New York Knicks basketball, currently holding the number nine spot in TicketNews’ Top Sports Events rankings. MSG has a power score of 2.69 this week.
Next in the rankings comes the Gershwin Theatre. Moving up one this week to the number two position and power scoring a 2.50, this venue performs extraordinarily well week after week on continued robust ticket sales for its hit musical Wicked. Jumping six slots to the number three position this week is Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. With a power score of 2.23, the venue is scheduled to host the popular tours of Taylor Swift and the WWE in the coming weeks.
TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA also shows upward mobility this week, moving up two to the number four slot. The Garden will host a performance by pop superstar Britney Spears on March 16, and of course it is home turf to Boston Celtics basketball, this week hitting number five on TicketNews’s Top Sports Events rankings. The Garden has a power score of 1.77 this week.
The Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, CA moves up three to take the number five spot this week. The Orpheum presents Broadway-style shows to west coast audiences, and currently it is home to a production of “Wicked” which is scheduled to run through September. The theater power scores a 1.61 this week.
A newcomer to the list, the Rose Garden in Portland, OR, finishes at number six this week. With a power score of 1.53, the venue is due to host Taylor Swift in May.
Holding steady at number seven is the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. On March 9, the Center hosted popular band Nickelback, which currently holds the number ten slot in TicketNews’s Top Concerts rankings. Nickelback is nearing the end of this leg of its Dark Horse tour, but the band is scheduled to swing through the UK and then play amphitheaters in the U.S. this summer. The venue also will see a date on the Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood tour in June and on the WWE tour in July. The Wachovia Center power scores a 1.34.
The Staples Center returns to the list this week, landing in the number eight spot. The Staples Center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers, currently holding tight to the number four slot in TicketNews’s Top Sports Events rankings. The venue also will host two April dates on the Britney Spears tour, a performance by Taylor Swift in May, and the WWE in August. The Staples Center power scores a 1.33 this week.
The new Yankee Stadium makes it into our top ten for the first time this week. The new digs for the iconic New York Yankees power scores a 1.27 this week. Following closely behind the new Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park returns to the list at number ten. Host of hometown favorites the Boston Red Sox, the park power scores a 1.25 this week.
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 | Madison Square Garden Tickets | 2.69 |
| 2 | Gershwin Theatre Tickets | 2.50 |
| 3 | Reliant Stadium Tickets | 2.23 |
| 4 | TD Banknorth Garden Tickets | 1.77 |
| 5 | Orpheum Theatre Tickets | 1.61 |
| 6 | Rose Garden Tickets | 1.53 |
| 7 | Wachovia Center Tickets | 1.34 |
| 8 | Staples Center Tickets | 1.33 |
| 9 | New Yankee Stadium Tickets | 1.27 |
| 10 | Fenway Park Tickets | 1.25 |
| 11 | Toyota Center Tickets | 1.22 |
| 12 | Verizon Center Tickets | 1.14 |
| 13 | MGM Grand Garden Arena Tickets | 1.13 |
| 14 | Mohegan Sun Arena Tickets | 1.06 |
| 15 | Virginia/August Wilson Theatre Tickets | 0.98 |
| 16 | Radio City Music Hall Tickets | 0.97 |
| 17 | Wrigley Field Tickets | 0.94 |
| 18 | Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Tickets | 0.93 |
| 19 | Vivian Beaumont Theatre Tickets | 0.87 |
| 20 | Quicken Loans Arena Tickets | 0.85 |