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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
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!!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!
11 months ago
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
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
7 months ago
6 months ago
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
11 months ago
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
11 months ago
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
2 years ago
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
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
3 years ago
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
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
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
3 years ago
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
4 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
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
4 years ago
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
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
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
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
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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
9 years ago
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More info about Colonial Life Arena
801 Lincoln St
Columbia, SC 29208
Gervais Street Corridor
Directions
(803) 576-9200
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.columbiaarena.com
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Ask the Community - Colonial Life Arena
Can we bring in a purse or do they have to be clear bags?
Yes, but subject to search and passing through metal detector.
How old do I have to be to enter the building with my ticket?
It depends on the event.
Review Highlights - Colonial Life Arena
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