Cancel

Open app

Search

Santander Arena

3.1 (57 reviews)

Santander Arena Photos

Business Info

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Santander Arena

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Concert
Thomas K.

This was my third concert here and I loved it. They have good concessions and there is tons of parking nearby. The Reading police were fun and seemed happy to be working the pay job. Big shout out to those guys. Of course the performers were awesome but whoever was working the sound board was a mess. There was a lot of feedback and while I love bass, especially when it moves my wife's hair, it was overbearing. I know it's not a facility thing. Between acts I went down to the men's room and was standing in a long line. An employee came up and told a few of us about a small bathroom nobody notices. Awesome job!

the mascot of a hockey team
Mary F.

I will start with the major glaring problem with this arena and why it is getting one star. When the fire alarm goes off during an event the arena staff should know that it is a fire alarm and what to do and how to direct people. The usher in our section had no idea what the noise was and neither did other employees we saw. After a few minutes an announcement was made that there was a fire emergency and for everyone to please exit the building. We were walking out the doors when problem began yelling it was a false alarm and to return to our seats. I did smell something that resembled burnt popcorn so wonder if it was something like that which caused the false alarm. Luckily there was no real emergency. However, I hate to think if it had been. Train your staff and teach them how to handle a building evacuation or emergency. We were visiting friends and decided to go check out a Reading Royals hockey game. Our friends knew where to park and where to go for getting into the arena. It was very cold inside, even for a hockey arena. It's definitely a loud environment. It seems they try to do fan activities and get people involved. It was a family environment for sure although not all the fans (even with kids) acted that way. We didn't eat at the arena, but a few in our group got drinks. The selection seemed decent for a venue of this size.

Paul D.

This was my first time visiting Santander Arena. I saw Jordan Peterson here. Overall, I was very pleased with my experience in this arena. The parking garage was conveniently located across the street, so it wasn't a very far walk at all. The arena itself was better than what I had expected. The staff that I interacted with all seemed friendly too. The one negative thing I will say is that the seats weren't that comfortable. However, I definitely would go back to this arena in the future though for other shows!

Winter Jam
Kathy T.

The Santander Arena and Santander Performing Arts Center are not only a symbol of the revitalization of downtown Reading but have also been the premiere downtown entertainment, meeting and convention venues for more than 15 years. They are located on Penn Street in Reading, PA. This was my first experience at this venue. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Seem to really enjoy there jobs. We had VIP seating for Winter Jam, which is floor seating, so much leg room, was pretty impressed. We were able to walk right in with these tickets, which was a blessing, since the temperature outside was in the teens. There was a line around the arena for the general admission The concert and selection of bands were perfect. What a great first time experience. Will be making this a yearly tradition. Keep up the great work.

a hockey game in progress
Zanna H.

Came here for a Royals charity game and it was pretty easy to pick up tickets at will call and then find our seats. All the staff I talked to from the event staff to vendors everyone was friendly. It looks like a lot of big acts come through and play this arena as well for concerts and comedians so I'll be sure to check it out in the future for other events.

Sign out front.
Regina M.

I am not generally a 'sports' person, so it might surprise you how much I enjoy watching ice hockey...but not the NHL. I love ECHL hockey, perhaps because that was my first league, when the league itself was new and working to establish itself as a place for player development rather than brawling. When we lived in Virginia I had season tickets for many years, and I missed it. As life would have it, my son is not a hockey person (yet), however my nephews love it. The AHL team in Philly had moved out once the Spectrum had gotten demolished, we went to an AHL game elsewhere and then found the Reading Royals ECHL. I eagerly bought tickets. The Royals play at Santander Arena, which is an older venue but not ancient. It's decently sized, with public parking garages very close by that were pretty inexpensive - yay! We had no problem getting through security - bag check, metal detector, then to the ticket gate, which is up a level. Everyone was pleasant and helpful. Our seats were great - for hockey there's really not a bad seat in the house, and they had a ton of contests and such in between periods and at stops in play to keep everyone entertained. The arena has a *lot* of food choices! From Chickie & Petes to the generic pizza and hamburgers, a specialty BBQ stand, Carvel Ice Cream, Dippin Dots and more. I was impressed with the offerings and while they weren't cheap, this IS after all an arena, it wasn't highway robbery either. We opted for the $10 meal with fries, a drink and a cheeseburger. Fries were great, soda was soda, hamburger...well, that's where it was not so good, a little chewy and even with added BBQ sauce not a whole lot of taste. I am not totally surprised, hamburgers are difficult to do well in this setting. Next time I'll maybe get the BBQ or a hot dog. Overall it was a fun experience and one we are looking forward to having again.

Not comfortable seats
Rhonda M.

The chairs were so close together and uncomfortable that I will probably not return. The idea is to pack in any many paid seats as possible so no arm rests. The lady next to me caught her sweater on a hook under her seat and was unable to stand. She blamed me for sitting on it until I stood up.

a man standing on a basketball court
Andy A.

The venue was clean. The staff, including security were very friendly. I would return for another show

See all

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 10
Thanks 0
Love this 9
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 0
Love this 10
Oh no 0
Photo of Dana S.
1374
887
5400

7 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Al T.
0
407
1125

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Andy A.
0
96
189

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Good concession options, avoid parking garage if possible, only one entrance and exit

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Drinks were overly expensive, Cash only. The venue itself was spacious not over crowded. Sound quality was very good.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Bruce F.
128
28
22

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Chris A.
179
1490
1174

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

I love going to shows here! Such an awesome, intimate venue and the sound quality is great

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jeff S.
627
2513
1365

14 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Steve S.
8
704
51

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Luis P.
25
32
21

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Santander Arena

Review Highlights - Santander Arena

As for the Center itself, it's a very intimate venue, maybe 6000-7000 seats, so you get right up close to the band from most seats.

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Santander Performing Arts Center

Santander Performing Arts Center

(22 reviews)

The Santander Performing Arts Center is one of the venues I frequent locally. It's absolutely…read moregorgeous! The architecture and design details are breathtaking, especially the ornate ceiling work and vintage theater charm. Every time I walk in, I'm reminded why I love live shows so much. The acoustics here are usually fantastic, making it a great place for concerts, comedy shows, and everything in between. I've been to many events here over the years and always enjoy the experience. I usually sit toward the front right side of the venue, where the view is clear and unobstructed by the structure it really feels like there isn't a bad seat in the house. There are several bars and snack stands throughout the venue, plus a small area for merch tables, so everything you need is within easy reach. Tickets are generally very reasonably priced for the quality of the experience. Parking is probably the only minor consideration there's on-street parking as well as multiple garages nearby, but you'll want to plan for a short walk. Overall, it's a beautiful, historic theater that delivers great shows and great vibes every single time. Highly recommend catching a performance here if you get the chance!

The Santander is a beautiful venue. The acoustics and ambience are on point. I would go here to see…read morea show anytime. We had dinner on The Mezz and I would not recommend that. The food was just ok - very difficult to manage plates etc. Supposed to have wine with our ticket, but they were out of white wine entirely. So , go for the show, skip the dinner!

Berks Sinfonietta - Dr. David McConnell, co-founder, artistic director and conductor.

Berks Sinfonietta

(2 reviews)

Berks Sinfonietta is a unique community chamber orchestra based in Berks County, PA. The orchestra…read morecurrently presents between six and eight concerts annually, and has been doing so since 2014 (currently celebrating their 10th Season starting in August, 2023). As community support grows through increased ticket sales and through greater support from individuals and area businesses, the concert schedule will expand accordingly. I should probably mention that Berks Sinfonietta is a 501(c)(3) organization and that means donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by state and federal tax regulations. The orchestra is unique because it is made up of residents of Berks County and it focuses on diverse programming that includes compositions by women composers, composers from minority communities and contemporary composers that are often overlooked by more mainstream orchestras. Tickets are extremely affordable with special consideration given to children and to student IDs! Information about the current concert schedule is posted on the orchestra's website. Concert tickets are also available through their website. Life is about creating memorable experiences, and live music provides that in abundance! If you're looking for a great live music experience, grab a couple tickets and catch the next concert with a friend! If you're new to classical music, Berks Sinfonietta is a great place to get into it without breaking the bank!

The Sinfonietta has been playing on a little different level all year -- subtle but noticeable…read more Consistently high musicianship throughout each program. And the programs are always interesting and reflect thought. Good stuff.

Santander Arena - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...