How Big is Madison Square Garden?

The size of Madison Square Garden can be summed up as follows. For wrestling it is 22,292, for boxing 20,789 and for concerts it is 20,000. For ice hockey and lacrosse it is 18,200. For basketball it is 19,763. The Garden Theater has a capacity of 5,600. The arena has a total floor space of 20,976 square feet (1949 m2).

General Information

The Garden or MSG can be found at 8th Avenue between the 31st and 33rd Streets. It is atop the Pennsylvania Station. The arena opened on February 11, 1968. It is the longest serving sports facility in the city. The Garden is the oldest used stadium in the National Hockey League. It is also the second oldest in the NBA.

Seating Arrangements

Seat configuration is arranged as six ascending levels. Level one is only used for concerts and basketball games. This is also known as the court side seats. The next level is the loge seating. Next to this are the 100 level and 200 level promenades. This is followed by the 300 and 400 level promenades.

Notable Events in the Garden

The size of Madison Square Garden and its history has made it a popular choice for concerts and sporting events. In 1972 and 1994, the Garden simultaneously held the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. It was also the host of the 1998 NBA All-Star Game and the 1973 and 1994 NHL All-Star Games. The 1999 San Antonio Spurs, 1972 Boston Bruins and 1994 Rangers all won their championships at the Garden.

Several recording artists have performed at MSG. From 1969 to 2006, the Rolling Stones performed 24 times there. As of 2011, Elton John has had 62 sold-out shows at MSG. The first female country artist to sell-out MSG was Lynn Anderson in 1974. On July 1, 1998, the Spice Girls held a show at the Garden. They sold out tickets in 12 minutes.

Some of the famous rock bands to perform at the Garden include Metallica, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam. Led Zeppelin played three nights straight at MSG. All were sold-out. Other popular artists that have performed include Michael Jackson, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Taylor Swift, Deep Purple and Justin Bieber.

The size of Madison Square Garden is sufficient to hold many events and concerts. However, it is currently being renovated at a cost of $850 million. Improvements are being made. HDTV, LED video systems, interactive kiosks and new lighting are among the latest additions.