Oakland Arena posts its most successful concert season ever in 2022

Oakland Arena posted its most successful concert year ever in 2022.

The longtime East Bay venue, which opened in 1966, hosted more than 65 events that drew over a half million people last year, according to a news release.

The figures show that the venue has bounced back impressively from the COVID-19 shutdown of live entertainment venues that began in 2020. They also serve as a firm rebuttal to those who have questioned whether the Oakland Arena could survive and even thrive after the Golden State Warriors moved to Chase Center in San Francisco at the start of the 2019-20 season.

Fans certainly flocked to the venue in 2022, resulting in the arena posting its highest-grossing year of concerts and non-sports-related live shows in its 55-year-plus history.

The 500,000-plus fans who visited the arena for concerts and other non-sports-related live shows accounted for a 12 percent increase in ticket sales in comparison to 2019, which was the last fully operating year for venues before the pandemic derailed the worldwide concert industry.

Impressively, the Oakland Arena earned the 30th spot Pollstar’s annual worldwide arena ranking list, which was topped by the Big Apple powerhouse Madison Square Garden and also included Southern California’s Kia Forum in second place.

Highlights for the ASM Global-managed venue in 2022 included performances from Pearl Jam, Kendrick Lamar, Daddy Yankee and Paul McCartney, whose delivered the arena’s largest-grossing show in history. (Read our review of McCartney at Oakland Arena.)

Also, the neighboring RingCentral Coliseum — home of the Oakland A’s — hosted its highest-ever grossing event when Bad Bunny performed a sold-out show in front of 40,000 fans over the venue.

“We are truly proud of the success we experienced in 2022 at Oakland Arena and RingCentral Coliseum,” says general manager Nicole Strange. “The local team, together with ASM Global, has worked tirelessly to increase all offerings at the property and take the guest experience to new levels. We are excited to continue this momentum into 2023, welcome more guests and make fans out of everyone that walks through our doors.”

Upcoming shows at the Oakland Arena include Los Angeles Azules on March 11, The Entertainers Tour on March 12, SZA on March 14, Mana on March 18, Future and Friends on April 1, Burna Boy on April 8, New Edition on April 9 and Muse on April 14.

For more information, visit www.theoaklandarena.com.