We have been coming for SC women basketball games. It is very easy to walk to from only few blocks away free parking. In addition to the front entrance there are three other entry's (I think) around perimeter. Inside, the concourse goes completely around with vendors, merchants, trophy cases, restrooms. There a few different eateries than the generic stadium food; Salsaritas, Mr Seafood, Oriental kitchen, Caribbean cafe, donuts, ice cream. The inner arena doesn't have a bad viewing seat to the floor, just depends on preference. One thing neither the upper or lower seats have are cup holders like the baseball stadium. IMO the upper deck seats are slightly more comfortable than lower deck. The arena capacity is around 18,000, big for college venues. read more

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I visited the arena for an NCAA Women's basketball tournament. The arena was approximately 10% occupied. Therefore, the parking deck ($20) was nowhere near full, and there was minimal traffic, no long waits to get in, or to buy from the few concession stands that were open. The temperature inside was pleasant, and we experienced no issues during our visit. The staff members encountered were pleasant and helpful. I imagine the USC Lady Gamecocks NCAA game on Saturday presented a much different look and feel. read more

Couldn't see stood on a chair staff named Ashley (black man) told me to get down after I paid a good buck for seats read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Came here to watch women's college basketball - USC vs. Penn State; the seating was comfortable, the food (chicken wings and fries) was good. The sound and lighting was good and the arena and the women's restroom was well maintained, although it was a little dated, but functional. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I have heard of this place for a while now and finally got to go. I was there for a band, and it was interesting. The place was clean, and there were lots of directions on where to go. The seats are not super nice and honestly kind of hard. The police were very good at making sure that everyone was being safe and respectful of the place. I think it was nice to go to, but I will not be back again. It was a lot for me and my mind. read more

Went here on Thursday November 6th 2025 with my aunt and Mom to go see The Jonas Brothers Greetings From Your Hometown Tour! This arena is located in columbia, SC, and is nearby restaurants as well. They did have places to get food inside, but oftentimes it may be more expensive. Now, we decided to go here because It is about 2 hours away from where we currently reside. Entered the arena, loaded our tickets on our phone. That night they were having issues scanning the codes on android phones for the tickets. the ticket agent sent us downstairs to get paper tickets. There also was many of others with the same problem. Luckily, my aunt had an Iphone, and was able to load the tickets on the app. Finally, we were in! Staff was also overall pleasant. I went directly to the merch line because I wanted the tour specific shirt. Waited there with my mom, while my aunt got 2 waters. They do remove the caps on the waters tho, and my aunt was able to get one paper cup to properly drink the water. BTW, I know people may be crazy, but Maybe give others paper cups instead of water bottles without the cap? Especially if one puts it down, it could spill easily. Anyways, also the merch line wasn't really organized, and people lined up for one person, but there was 4/5 other merch people. After a while, we just walked up to the front, and I was able to get what I wanted! Full stock of shirts too, which is always good. Finally the arena part! it is a nice arena, and was easy to find our section to sit at. We did have to go down lots of stairs, but our section was easy to find, and close to the stage! Absolutely had so much fun! Jonas brothers were amazing! Hope to be back for another concert!! read more

Colonial Life Arena - Jonas Brothers! Zoomed in photo! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I do not recommend this place to attend concert. This was my choice for The Boy is Mine Tour- never again will I purchase tickets for a concert in Columbia SC. This arena layout sucks. No fault to the arena, but the locals- do not have that southern hospitality. I enjoyed the concert though! read more

Colonial Life Arena is a good, but maybe not great, arena! I think that CLA is a little bit too big to serve as a high-quality basketball arena. It's kind of difficult to fill up, and doesn't quite generate as much noise as other college basketball arenas. In addition, the concessions are pretty expensive as compared to their actual quality, but that isn't exclusive to CLA. It's also a little bit outdated and is starting to show some signs of aging, and I don't think the university has done a great job of updating it. With all that being said, it is very accessible, the concourses are well-designed, and it's very easy to get in and out. All-in-all, it deserves a solid 4 stars! read more

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Great events center. There were no bad seats in the house. Local staff were very helpful. Food prices were about what I expected. I'm not sure what happened, but if you need something from your car, get it before you show your ticket. We were told you have to pay for another admission if you need to go outside and come back in. The seats and common areas were all clean. read more

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My husband, daughter, and I attended a 1 pm men's basketball game on a Saturday. We found a convenient place to park off Gervais St for $10 and walked a quick walk to the arena. Getting into the arena was quick but the security did not allow me to bring my Pom Pom's as they were attached to a stick. Our seats were comfy, the view was excellent of the court, and the price of water was $4,50 which was actually less than I expected. You could also get a hot dog and fries for $8, but since I just had lunch, I did not buy any food. I was amused with the half time entertainment of a baby race where they line up a few babies to crawl from their dads to their moms. I have never seen that, so give them an A for cute and original. Best part of the event was the nail biter ending, and perhaps the team we rooted for won, even though we found our pom poms in the trash (boo, hiss). Other than that one flaw, it would have been a perfect day with the family. Oh, and we even got free 8 piece nugget from Chik-fil-a for being at the game, so maybe 4.5 stars. I would come back, but word to the wise, leave your Pom poms with a stick at home. read more

Colonial Life Arena - SC Mascot Cocky - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I went to the Colonial Center for the women's basketball game. Parking wasn't as bad as we thought it would be, I guess because we chose to pay and park in the garage. It was plenty of space and actually well worth the few dollars. The event staff didn't let anyone in prior to the event's hourly start time, which of course caused lines to form at every entrance. That seemed to me to be a bit annoying and unnecessary because then we had to stand in a long line. Other than that, all was well. The line did move pretty quickly.  Concessions were crazy, and I wish there was a bit more variety. We had chicken tenders from Mr. Seafood. They were huge. Three 3 count chicken tenders, 2 fries, and 2 waters were $50. The chicken tenders were huge. They were almost the size and thickness of a chicken breast. I like normal-sized chicken tenders. The restrooms were clean. The view was great. The seats were decently comfortable. The sound was great. The interplay between entertainment and music was cool. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. read more

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Good selection of concerts and events at reasonable prices. Parking is plentiful and if you're willing to walk, you can save even more. Tons of concessions options - would love to see a few more local favorites v just your average burger and dog event options. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Trans Siberian Orchestra - 100 level seats - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Whoa Went to the Post Malone concert here on Sept 15th Twelve Carat and good gracious it was a blast! The area wasn't bad at all and our seats was pretty good and of course it sold out . We got a hotel and walked because parking would as always be a nightmare. We are and bad cocktails along our walk to the concert. Y'all know it's expensive inside lol however, we did get 2 beers and popcorn which was insane( to be expected ) The bathrooms are situated for easy access from where anyone is sitting. Great time! Great arena and well kept! read more

Here for the Journey -Toto concert. Beautiful arena we had excellent seats! Is to get in and out of parking and the arena. They have done a great job. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Went to CLA for the first time and I really enjoyed myself there. Went for the Kem, Ledici and Musiq Soulchild concert. I was impressed by the video display they had at the concert and I really like the fact that those with floor seats have a dedicated bathroom and drink spot nearby. I wish the drinkspot sold mixed drinks, but they only had wine and beer. Some food options at the location would have been nice too. Have to add that parking was convenient and priced right at $20.00. The doors to the venue don't open until 1 hours before the event starts so be prepared for that, especially if there is inclement weather. read more

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Monday night was date night to see Gamecocks women's basketball game and it was so much fun. For it to be downtown, finding parking wasn't bad at all and the walk was effortless. The stadium itself was pretty clean and I do like their cashless method to make the process of buying concessions quick and easy. All the staff was pretty nice and helpful getting to our seats. After leaving, the exiting process was smooth and we didn't wait long before getting outside. It is probably one of the nicer stadiums I have seen so I am not sure of the bad reviews. I'd give it is 8/10 read more

Acoustics were horrible. Just attended jelly roll. Don't waste your money at a counter here because you won't even understand. So sad. Cause I was really excited about this event read more

Colonial life is great! I've been there a hundred times for games, concerts, etc and I've never had a bad experience. The seats are fairly comfy, concession lines move quickly, and I've never noticed any issues with lighting or sound. Solid place to concerts and events. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Soul 2 Soul Tour with Kem, Ledisi, and Music Soul Child was amazing! I've always wanted to see Kembin concert, and he did not disappoint! He sung all of his hits and his band was nice as well! I saw Ledisi when she first came to Charleston years back and I love her as an artist and performer. Music Soul Child is so cute! This was my first time seeing him in concert and I must say I will most definitely love to see him again. The only thing I could say was that they did not use the big screen so we could see the performers better. They all had thier own bands as well. Oh and the host MC Lightfoot was hilarious and very entertaining! He's from Atlanta,GA I think. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Concert with my sis! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Had a great time at Mercy me show phenomenal seats!!! Have experience multiple shows here only down side was no souvenir cups! read more

There's no place like home! Home of the Gamecocks! Went to watch my Lady Gamecocks play the Auburn Lady Tigers! We got the win. There is a variety of concessions from popcorn to chicken & waffles! The cheese for the nachos was cold though. We'll be back of course!! read more

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Great small arena to see a concert. Easy in and out in a great location. We saw Alabama there last night. Will look for more events to come back for. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Stage at the Alabama concert. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I'm feeling Meh on this one. I was here for the 2017 USC Winter graduation ceremony. Getting in wasn't a problem, but I was traveling lite. The big screens did a nice job of showing the action, but I was also expecting to see someone (on screen) signing for the hearing impaired (unless maybe you had to sit in a special area to see a certain screen). Audio was OK too. Getting out seemed hectic, and the flow was not very good. It was a nice day, and not raining, so I can't imagine what it would be like if people were not motivated to get out. I will say it does have one thing going for it: Location. It is cool to have this so close to campus, the alumni center, and downtown Columbia, with all the food and drink options you could ever hope for (and hoping skipping the overpriced stuff inside). Bottom line: Meh sums it up. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Found ticket prices from reasonable to stupid in a matter of days. So what I'm telling you is purchase tickets online and well in advanced to save yourself some money and time. Columbia Craft should open up a small venue inside to improve the craft beer selection. Food could also improve bring in some local pizza or hot dogs. These venues love to charge the hell out of food and alcohol but sadly it's not at quality. Reach out to the local restaurant scene and breweries. It's 2019 and think the people of Columbia deserve better. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I went to see the A'ja Wilson statue and it was amazing time to see this. I recommend that you come and see it. read more

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My friend and I came here in September to see Carrie Underwood. We actually had a great time. The traffic we had to sit in to wait for parking wasn't fun, but totally expected. We definitely should've made sure we were able to park earlier, but we got in on time so it was fine. It would also be easier if they had a dedicated parking lot instead of a bunch of little parking garages. Getting out of the garage was pretty easy also. Our experience during the concert was great. We were able to see the performers fine, and didn't have any issues with anything. I bought a T-shirt which also was at a pretty good price. Overall we had a good experience. Much better than I thought it would be. I was dreading driving in and leaving, but it really wasn't bad at all. read more

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Was so excited that Pink decided to come so close to us in SC as it has been on my bucket list to see her live. We paid for some excellent seats very close to the stage and she put on a stellar show. The bad part is this place is a human trap if ever an emergency. A fire, a fight, a weapon, anything...most of us wouldn't make it out due to narrow narrow stairs and very tight exit halls with too many cheap vendors in the way. I would ever go again. read more

We came here for the Weezer/Pixies concert in March and had a fantastic time. Tickets were perfect and not too crazy on price. Seats were comfortable and security was decent too. When we had arrived someone was in our seats and we didn't have to deal with any of it- security had walked us to our seats and redirected the other individuals to their correct seats without any conflict! The drink process was a bit strange since cans were being sold yet you had to pour them into cups before entering the floor. The sound and quality of the show was great and parking was close by! read more

Colonial Life Arena - Weezer - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I was too excited for the day to arrive that I saw my musical idol, Janet Jackson for the fifth time here. I had saw her last year in Charlotte during The Unbreakable World Tour and vowed to myself that I would secure tickets to her revamped tour, The State of the World tour, after she delivered her bundle of joy, Eissa Al Mana. I kept my promise and secured tickets online pretty quickly. I had to be in the building again!!! This arena kept me in the loop of things by emailing me every so often when the date was coming. They emailed things like things you could or couldn't bring inside, the parking situation, when the doors opened, and how security would be enforcing their policies and procedures for each patron. As the email stated the doors would open at 7:00pm, which they did, and everyone could enter then. Parking was a breeze, but it was $20 for each car. I thought that was a bit much, but the lot was right across from the arena and you could park anywhere inside the lot. I got a pretty close park since I was one of the first ones to arrive at the parking lot. I stopped by the restroom before headed to my seat. There were several stalls so no one really had to wait very long. They also had a communal type hand washing trough, which I didn't like. It was very awkward washing your hands and looking at someone in the face while they are doing the same thing. They also had mirrors on the wall so people could check their appearance after using the facilities. I was able to locate and take my seat quickly. The ushers were very helpful. The seats and aisles were very spacious. I'm tall, so my knees weren't in the back of the seat in front of me. My hometown's arenas need to take note on how to construct seating properly. The place filled up pretty quickly and I still didn't feel cramped or squished up. There was no opening at for Janet just her deejay, DJ Aktive. He really got the crowd hyped for the amazing show that was about to happen. The show didn't start on time, I'm not sure why, but we were entertained until it started. Then, the show started!!! I was on my feet the whole 2 hours, singing and dancing to all of the music I love. Janet put on an amazing show even after giving birth. She danced and sung like she never took a break. She had that svelte body again, which she is known for. I say this every time I see her live. It was such a great show and I can't wait to see her again for the sixth time!!!! The only reason I'm giving this arena 4 stars is because when the concert was over the ushers and employees were rushing everyone out. I thought this was dumb because everyone can't leave at the same time and they can't clean while people are still there anyway. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at this concert. I will definitely be back at this arena, because it's spacious and has a well thought out layout. Janet still can do no wrong in my eyes if she keeps blessing us with amazing concerts like this!!!! read more

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Colonial Life Arena has been fantastic each time I've visited. I've attended sporting events and concerts and each time I've visited, the place is clean and well maintained. There are a variety of food vendors on the main level and multiple restrooms (in case some are full). It is one of the easier arenas to navigate if you are looking for seats. The major drawback is parking, but I think that is the case with most concert venues. read more

We have been here several times and the experience could be better. On our last visit, we were refused entry because the "bag police" (yes that's what they are), said my wife's little neck pouch was too big. She took it off, they measured it and said it was an inch too big. The only thing in it was her phone since she had no pocket. We emptied the little pouch and I folded it up neatly and put it in my pocket. They laughed and said I still couldn't go in, even though the pouch was 1/4 size of the limit. Plus it wasn't even being used. Consequently, we had to go to another gate where we had no trouble. That is until we went to our seats. Someone was sitting in our seats. The usher told us to wait for a supervisor to seat us. When the supervisor came, she didn't understand why the usher couldn't take care of us, and we were left waiting/standing. During basketball games, the speakers in the arena are very bad. You can hardly understand anything being said. Plus if your sitting directly under them, they are a little too loud. You'd think they could afford better equipment with the money they charge. Beers are $9. Ha! Ok that's only during non-college events. No beer during college games. I can get a beer at some Major League Baseball games cheaper than that. I don't understand the pricing. I'm not impressed overall. However, I love going to watch the games and other events. There's just several things that can put a damper on your evening especially if your not expecting it. It doesn't keep me a way, but maybe because I love the Gamecocks. read more

The arena seemed clean and I had amazing seats for the show that I attended (4th row center) however the seats are extremely CLOSE together! This was unacceptable in my opinion. I'm not considered a big girl and I don't feel that those sitting next to me at the show were either but these seats, (floor seats) were so close in proximity to each other that it was like the thigh of the person seated beside me was resting on my leg...this arena lacks a center aisle so the first seat in the row was 1 and the last seat was 50, My seat was 22 so with no center aisle I had to walk or squeeze in front of over 20 people in route to my centrally located seat, that made no sense! This place needs to be renovated to improve guest comfort and I mean soon! read more

Fantastic place to watch Basketball, shows, etc. Love that the concourses are big enough to handle the crowds. Always enjoy the different food vendors and the view from anywhere in the arena is great. Parkng tip: If they are charging for parking, try looking on the street around the SCDOT building esp on Pendleton to save a few bucks. read more

Came here to see the Imagine Dragons end it with an amazing show. Got in super fast, had great seats and felt very safe there. Also in a great location to hotel and restaurants. read more

Nice concert venue, the sound was excellent. Lots of parking in the area, be it a parking lot or parking garage. Will attend concerts here again. read more

I'm proud to have the Colonial Life Arena in our town. It's a great place for sporting events, concerts, or other large venues. It's a great auditorium. There's plenty of places to get drinks, snacks, etc. Also bathrooms are large and clean. That's a big plus. I was there for the Paul McCartney concert and had a blast. It was easy to find my seat. However, they have plenty of staff to assist. Parking can be a little bit messy. I wish they hired some shuttles, or the guys with the bicycles to help tote people around. That would help a lot! read more

The CLA is an awesome venue, however the crowd control at the high school graduation(s) could have gone a little smoother. My humble suggestions are as follows: - Allow entry and exiting through more doors before and after the events (Security is paramount of course) - Patrons with handicap placards on their vehicles be allowed closer access to the venue. I did see some shuttles, but it was not clear on how they operated. Looking forward to attending future March Madness games. read more

This is the best college arena around. Not a bad seat in the house. I have seen a couple basketball games, and never been disappointed. Many choices for food, goo restroom facilities, and comfortable seats. I have also been there for a couple other non sporting events and experience the same great feeling. read more

I've ateended shows, games, and graduations at the Colonial Life Arena and they have all been great. Tonight we went to see a USC basketball and the event staff that works the games are so sweet and helpful! Seats are a little cramped and parking/traffic can be annoying but you shouldn't expect anything different with a big crowd. read more

Colonial Life Arena - Mens USC basketball game against Missouri 2/10/15 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Beautiful and clean venue! Just be prepared to climb up to high seats! Yikes!