Events & Tickets
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Open Wed & Fri 10AM-5PM. Open 2 hours prior to events.
OUR HISTORY
The historic Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium opened on Independence Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 11, 1955. Over the years, the multipurpose venues have hosted a wide array of shows, from concerts and sports to comedy, Broadway, graduations and more.
Bojangles Coliseum
Home to the Charlotte Checkers and a legacy of premier sports and entertainment.
Charlotte's First Coliseum
Bojangles Coliseum has played host to entertainment icons, rock legends, sporting greats, political leaders, graduates, convention-goers and even rodeo stars.
The landmark dome opened in 1955 as Charlotte’s first coliseum. At the time, it was the largest unsupported steel dome coliseum in the world and the first free-spanning dome in the U.S.—an architectural marvel and beacon of modern design. The coliseum served as the region’s major sports and entertainment facility for over 30 years.
VINTAGE PHOTO OF BOJANGLES COLISEUM
The Coliseum of Many Names
The facility has been known by many names: Charlotte Coliseum, Independence Arena, Cricket Arena and now Bojangles Coliseum. While the name has changed over the years, the coliseum continues to create memories that last a lifetime.
Charlotte native Julie Reece shared her experience seeing Elvis at the coliseum in 1977 when she was 8 years old. “I brought an ashtray I had made Elvis and asked the security guards if I could give it to him. On the last song, they put me on the stage. I handed Elvis the ashtray, and I got to stay on stage with him until the end of the concert. I look back now and can’t believe that actually happened.”
ELVIS PERFORMS AT THE CHARLOTTE COLISEUM
It's Getting Better All the Time
In 2016, the Coliseum debuted renovations that included: new, wider seats, bringing the capacity to approximately 8,600; a new scoreboard with more video capability; four new ribbon boards; a new sound system; updated concession stands, locker rooms and dressing rooms; a refurbished club area with new lighting and decor; a new entry pathway from the locker room to the ice; and other improvements, like signage and paint in select areas, new LED sports lights and aisle lighting.
AN ORIGINAL POSTER FROM JIMI HENDRIX'S 1969 PERFORMANCE AT THE COLISEUM
Front Row Seats for Sports
The coliseum played a key role in the rich history of amateur and professional sports in Charlotte, especially when it came to basketball. Within its first year, the coliseum hosted professional basketball teams and college teams. In 2017, Bojangles Coliseum became an official venue for The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and in 2019, the coliseum hosted several basketball events for the NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.
Chris Johnson shared a standout memory with The Charlotte Observer. “…I saw an exhibition (basketball) game in which Michael Jordan scored 56 points. This was the place my parents took me to show me that there is a big world out there…”
BOJANGLES COLISEUM HAS A RICH HISTORY OF BASKETBALL EVENTS
Home of the Charlotte Checkers
The Coliseum served as the home for hockey in Charlotte from 1956 to 1977 and again from 1993 to 2005. In 2015, the Charlotte Checkers returned home to the Coliseum as the anchor tenant and are the reigning 2019 AHL Calder Cup Champions.
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Ovens Auditorium
Charlotte's largest performance destination, hosting 7,000+ events since 1955.
Charlotte's First Major Civic Auditorium
If these walls could talk, they would have 60 years of amazing stories to tell. Multiple generations of Charlotteans have walked through the doors of these historic venues, which have become a defining piece of Charlotte’s storied history and bright future.
The first consumer event held at Ovens was a performance by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 4, 1955. Nearly 700 more symphony-related events have taken place since.
POSTER FROM A BEACH BOYS PERFORMANCE AT OVENS AUDITORIUM
What's in a Name?
Ovens Auditorium is named in honor of David Ovens, vice president and general manager of J. B. Ivey department store and the leader of the auditorium-coliseum citizen planning committee.
Ovens Auditorium has held the spotlight for performers at the pinnacle of their career and rising stars who would go on to be music and comedy legends. Ovens set the stage for soulful vocal icons like Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross, and Ray Charles; played backdrop to rock and pop superstars like Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Dylan and John Legend; and filled the room with laughs for comedians Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Jerry Seinfeld, Aziz Ansari and Jeff Foxworthy.
VINTAGE PHOTO OF OVENS AUDITORIUM
We've Upgraded
Our recent 35,000-square-foot addition includes hospitality space, new concession options, additional public restrooms and more.
Box Office
Purchase tickets for events at Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium at ticketmaster.com or with the Ticketmaster mobile app.
Tickets are required for everyone age two (2) years or older. Some shows require tickets for infants. You can confirm the age requirement for a show by calling (704) 335-3100.
Box Office Hours
| Mon | — Open 2 Hours Prior to Events |
| Tues | — Open 2 Hours Prior to Events |
| Wed | — Open 10AM - 5PM |
| Thurs | — Open 2 Hours Prior to Events |
| Fri | — Open 10AM - 5PM |
| Sat | — Open 2 Hours Prior to Events |
| Sun | — Open 2 Hours Prior to Events |