Nassau Coliseum earns top ranking from Billboard

Teri West
Nassau Coliseum, which Billboard ranked eighth among venues of its size for 2018. (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)

Billboard Magazine named NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum one of the top 10 venues in the world of its capacity in the magazine’s Dec. 14 “Year in Music” issue.

While it ranked eighth among venues that hold 10,001 to 15,000 people, it was the highest ranked American arena for its size.

The Uniondale arena, which reopened in 2017, grossed about $29.3 million last year and had 462,153 patrons, according to Billboard.

It hosted 158 events in 2018, the most events out of all of the venues in its category and 23 more than an arena in Glasglow, Scotland that held the second most.

“Since opening 21 months ago, we have been thrilled with the success of NYCB Live and the Long Island community’s response to the events,” Brett Yormark, CEO of the venue’s managing company BSE Global, said in a statement. “Our programming strategy has been a combination of cross-booking major shows with Barclays Center, while also offering content unique to the Long Island market.” 

In late December, the county legislature unanimously gave BSE Global and RXR Realty the go-ahead to submit plans for developing in the space surrounding the arena.

The companies are seeking to create a new downtown for Long Island that will attract young professionals. Northwell Health has also signed on to open an “innovation center” there.

While the coliseum was the only local theater of its capacity on its Billboard list, New York metropolitan arenas appeared throughout others.

Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater ranked 10th among amphitheaters.

Three New York metropolitan venues all took the top ranking among venues of their size: New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. 

Taylor Swift’s MetLife Stadium performances in July with Camila Cabello and Charli XCX were the fourth highest grossing shows in the world last year, according to Billboard. They made $22 million dollars.

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