I haven't checked any official ranking, but I think Tucson Arena feels like the most expansive indoor venue in town. I came here to watch my first arena football game in eons, and while I had a good time it was in spite of the accommodations. As many others have said, the seating here is so old it's built for a much more petite cohort of Americans. If you are a larger person, it is absolutely unforgiving and I cannot imagine how they would manage a sold-out crowd comprised of the general population. The refreshments are mediocre (my popcorn was almost room-temperature) and I was waiting in line for 15 minutes despite arriving well after the game started. Even just getting here feels like a hassle. I took a Lyft, and the drop-off was far away from the entrance, with minimal signage directing you toward where you're supposed to go. It's somewhat intuitive, but for a venue of this size you shouldn't have to wander around until you stumble upon the correct gate. I really don't want to sound like a snob, but it kinda feels like whoever owns this place has put the bare minimum of effort into the comfort and design of the entire space. It's got the soul of a dead mall that saw its heyday in the 90s. Nobody actually WANTS to come here, they're just sort of held hostage by it being one of the only places capable of hosting certain events in a midsize city. read more

COOL ARENA... w/ tight seats! I'm not quite sure how accessible this arena is as it's got super enclosed seating and a massive set of stairs. I couldn't imagine someone in a wheelchair coming here. My parents almost tripped down the stairs due to the poor markings on the ground. It was quite a trek going up and down the stairs. I didn't feel like heading to the gift shop or concessions stand because it would've been a full-on workout. I go up stairs on the daily so I needed a little break once and a while! Tucson Arena's staff are pleasant for the most part. There's a few socially awkward people but I had a good time. The security out front was super polite and greeted us appropriately. I felt safe throughout my visit. There's several concession stands with standard fare (burgers, tacos, nachos) and specialty stands with Italian ice cream, mini-donuts, and açaí bowls! Tucson Arena is inside the Tucson convention center, so it's a massive property! The arena seats a bunch of people and there's several good views. This isn't to say there's a few obstructed zones, however, we enjoyed our visit to see the Tucson Roadrunners nonetheless. Bathrooms are easy to find and kept clean. Everything is a walk here, so expect to head towards the back of the arena to use the facilities. Overall, I'd recommend visiting for an event. The walkways are spacious and the seats are comfortable, minus the scarce leg room. read more

See all

The venue was smaller than I thought. It's about half the size as the arena in Downtown Phoenix. But that can be a positive or negative depending how you look at it. The venue being small meant there was not a bad seat in the house for views of the stage and provided a more intimate experience. The top floor to the upper sections was wide open with no walls separating the seating area and could see the stage which is good if you get up to get drinks, you aren't missing the show completely. The concessions stands lined the perimeter inside which made it a little congested. The outer lobby also had concessions available too. Was only able to enter through one side of the building because they did security checks with metal detectors and bag checks and the whole bit. This caused a line to get in. They only allow certain size purses believe it or not. Plan accordingly. The bathrooms were not huge so you may end up in line, especially for the women's. Plan accordingly. read more

See all

A great location within a few blocks of downtown Tucson. Off street parking is available and safer than on the streets. The Arena is laid out in a walkers delight, close but not too close. Good seats, high prices for refreshments and friendly staff maintaining a clean and friendly atmosphere C throughout the events. read more

I attended my first Tucson Roadrunners hockey game this afternoon. Having moved from Michigan, where my home team was the Grand Rapids Griffins and they played there home games at Van Andel Arena, Tucson Arena does not come close to hitting the mark if you're comparing the two. 1.) Let's start with ticket prices. I bought mine off a Ticketmaster Verified Seller at $30/ticket. Regular price of $73 2.) The seats are narrow with cup holders that don't actually hold the cups. 3.) The arena was about 1/3 full. Not surprised since it was a day game on Black Friday when everyone was probably at home eating leftovers or out shopping. The 1/3 in attendance were into the game and you could tell they wanted their team to win. 4.) Don't really ever get into the concessions, but I had nachos and a pop. Can't really go wrong. 5.) It will probably be awhile until I go back unless they play the Griffins or they host a concert I can't miss. read more

Tucson Arena - View from Section 104, Row F, Seat 8 - Performing Arts Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Seating was ridiculously small. My knees were right up against the seat in front of me. Seat was narrower then a plane seat. Venue does not allow bottles of sealed water in. Every sporting event in the Phoenix area allows bottled water. My wife even let them know she needed it for medication and they said no. Can't imagine I will ever come back here. read more

Had a great time at the Tucson Sugar Skulls First Responders and Military Appreciation Night. They have updated seats since my last visit, QR code parking lots are a plus as long as you have a smart phone. Staff are very helpful. Look forward to the next time we can visit. Good lighting. Easy access. Fun time! read more

Tucson Arena - Arena pregame - Performing Arts Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

We had a great time seeing the Steve Miller Band! We had great seats and the venue is really great! Not a bad seat in the house! Only draw back is it really smells like dirty socks down on the main floor. Other than that it was a good time! read more

See all

Attended a preseason hockey game last night between the Arizona Coyotes and the Anaheim Ducks. Good game! Now about the Tucson Arena.... 1. The seats do not offer much room. It is hard to use the cup holders without knocking your drink out of it. 2. If you are tall, you will more than likely be bumping the person's seat in front of you the entire time. 3. The concessions are HORRIBLE.....the cheese on the nachos and soft pretzels are absolutely disgusting. A plain pretzel is ok....the nachos are bland and stale. Not sure about any of the other food. 4. The bathrooms....suitable, and there are plenty. Not much of a wait at all. The parking around the facility has plenty of parking garages. But if they are full, which depending on the event they can fill up quickly...there is a main street within walking distance that does have street parking. Be careful with some of the side roads in the area as they are permit parking only on a daily basis from 8am to 10pm. read more

I can only rate the arena for hockey. As a hockey venue, it holds about 6500 and is shaped in a horseshoe. It's intimate enough and there isn't a bad seat in the house. I take a star off for not offering enough concession options. read more

See all

Came here to see the Steve Miller band in concert. While the Steve Miller Band sounded awesome, the major downfall was how sticky the floors were. At one point I felt like I was stuck to the floor, don't they ever clean this place? Other than that, the staff that we interacted with seemed pretty nice & helpful. read more

Went to see Matt Rife, the biggest joke was the TCC! No wonder nobody ever wants to come to tucson. Waited 45 minutes for a drink, when the show was over everyone had to leave out the same door, if you had to use the restroon..nope you had to go across the street. Buy merchandise 1 table outside 2 people working, out of everything! If you didn't patlrk on that side too bad walk around the whole convention center. Ridiculous, I'd rather drive to Phoenix! read more

I went to Cirque du Soleil Crystal with my kids and the show was amazing! All of the performers were impressive, from the ice skating to the trapize act. The rows of seating are cramped, as a caution to the tall folks out there. For some reason the cups and the cup holders aren't compatible. A nice woman in the parking lot we used informed my girlfriend there is a 'clear bag policy' which saved us a walk back to the car. Heads up ladies, bring your biggest zip lock. The performance was excellent and I would absolutely Cirque again! read more

Nice clean smaller size stadium, perfect size to feel like your close to the action regardless of seating location. Monster Jam was awesome! The 1.5 hour pit pass is a bit long for a 3 year old and you can't leave once your in! read more

See all

Yikes. Came for the Atreyu/Ice Nine Kills/Black Veil Brides concert. Arrived at 615pm, with doors supposed to open at 530pm. Lines wrapped around several city blocks. Half an hour later, we discover we're in the wrong line, thanks to a very tiny sign only visible when you're standing next to it. Off to spend another 45 minutes in the proper line. All this coming after a 2 hour drive. Missed the first band. Headline band (Motionless in White) cancelled due to illness--no info provided by the venue about that. But thanks to the people in front of us who follow social media, for the heads up! Carabiner on your keychain? Can be used as a weapon, so into the garbage it went. Weed and smoking devices? Perfectly acceptable to bring in. Ultimately, just a mess to get into, with zero organization. Should've had some guidance in lines, visible signage, and employees better dispersed, versus all in one area doing one job (slowly). Venue is old, but after you've been there once, you know where to buy the good seats if you return. For the last band, the instruments weren't tuned correctly for the first couple of songs. Thankfully, someone recognized it and corrected it. $4 bottle of water (you can't keep the lid), $8 basic cocktail, $13 double cocktail. No paper towels in the bathroom, but the attendant was the nicest person I came across. The pro here is that you can get very close to the bands who are playing, which is great. read more

Tucson Arena - INK - Performing Arts Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

They instituted a "clear bags only" policy. But failed to tell any patrons. We all got turned away at the door and had to go hide our purses in our cars. It's their choice to put such a policy in place but why was it never communicated? I checked every email again and it's not in there. Not ok. read more

We attended a Tucson Roadrunner hockey game last night. Never thought I'd attend a hockey game in AZ but it was worth doing. I wish I could give 1/2 points because 4 is a bit generous but 3 is too critical. Here's some thoughts: It's loud. All the speakers are cranked up perhaps to dround out the crowds volume. They encourage more noise. The board constantly pushes the crowd to make some noIse, maybe to make it more fun? Prices: Not so bad prices to get in, it was about $25 per person for us. And we sat close to the front. Beer was $10 per plastic cup - but a large cup with a decent selection. Seats are ok but no extra room as one might expect at such a venue. Expect long lines at the bathrooms (even the men's). They move along but don't wait until the last minute. I'd do this again especially if friends wanted to go. read more

Known for years as TCC. Since the arrival of the Roadrunners, the place looks painted and cleaner! YAY. Otherwise, it is a small venue with nothing special to offer. A larger score clock. It is much like any other arena except smaller. Big case in point: the game was sold out. They put beer stands and other sales in the "walk area" above the seats. Definitely poor planning. The crowd could not move. Fire hazard? Maybe. This indicates to me that there is an expectation of smaller crowds...poor planning, either way, kind of scary if something were to happen and people had to evacuate. There is pay parking at the arena. A good location, if you want to go to eat somewhere before or after an event. read more

Tucson Arena - Arena ... getting ready for Roadrunner game. - Performing Arts Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Only been here twice, but I like this place a lot! Yeah, it's a bit outdated and somewhat uncomfortable, but it has it's won "charm" being that it's smaller than gigantor arenas, lacks modern facilities and whatnot. Sound for concerts is OK, and a bad seat 'aint so bad! Bathrooms are downstairs and a pain to get to, concessions are a little weak, but do attend a concert for the ancillary stuff anyways? I don't. All in all, I like attending shows here, have seen Metallica and Judas Priest (Can you tell what kind of music I am into)? LOL. Anyway, check it out next time there's a show going on here. I do not think you'll be dissapointed. read more

Saw Simone Biles and the GOAT tour here. The facility turned back literally hundreds of women, my wife included, because they didn't allow purses. This being downtown, we had to walk 1/2 mile back to our parking spot to leave her purse. The purse policy was not disseminated ahead of time. Once inside, the chairs are uncomfortable and the refreshments outrageous even by stadium pricing. read more

Nice venue overall. Seating at this arena is such that you have a great seat and great view no matter where you sit. Now the seats themselves are another issue. The seats are extremely tiny, the average person barley fits in the seats, you have to squeeze your hips in to fit between the arms of the chair. If you're oversized you can just forget it! The parking situation isn't bad, it leaves a little to be desired with numerous parking lots and lack of directions and organized parking. The parking is little pricey for Tucson at $10 to park. The bar and the food court are too small for the number of patrons and there are not enough staff working these areas. There were excessively long lines throughout the evening and again the prices were extremely high, but I guess this is to be expected for any type of concert or show at this kind of venue. All in all a good venue with great views of the event which is what's most important. read more

See all

Doors did not open in time and only had one entrance open for a concert we drove 2 1/2 hours for and did not delay the opening band - missed it completely. Never come to this venue again. read more

This place sucked. Really. We went there this past Saturday so I could see Death Cab for Cutie(for my 3rd time--first two were at Mesa Ampitheatre, which is fabulous)... there was tons of traffic, and we couldn't figure out why, since the doors had opened about an hour and a half before we got there...and then, once we got into the Convention Center, we figured out why--the TCC is divided into different halls. the first arena-area we came to had a hockey game about to begin...so we had to walk alllll the way around the building to find the 'exhibition hall' where the concert was being held. so...we head in, and it's a GIANT GYMNASIUM with NO acoustics whatsoever! it was especially mind-numbing during the opening band(Cold War Kids?), because they sucked to begin with, and when you added the sound of their crap bouncing off the back(cinderblock) wall, it was just torture. on top of everything, if you wanted a drink or two, you had to stand in a series of (1/2 hour long--literally) lines, and then stay behind a barrier of folding tables(about 300 ft from the stage) until your drink was downed. total BS. read more

I cannot rate this place higher than 1 star until more than 1 stall in the ladies restroom has a working lock. Fix it. It's not expensive. read more

The TCC is very modern: if this were 1970. In fact, considering the size of Tucson, I would say whatever exterior revamping they did almost brought this place into the 80s! The TCC is an arena to hold events, but it doesn't make it the ideal arena by any means. Old and outdated, ugly, the TCC simply needs to be re-built and given a more modern snazzy look with better aisles, and steps that aren't so horrible small or steep (felt like I could take a tumble down at any second just finding my seat). To be fair, the TCC is a victim of the inept Tucson Rio Nuevo revitalization and its updates have been slow to non-existent. I have gone to quite a handful of events here and it has been just adequate, with an antique sound system and worn interior. Thankfully the quality of the events coming here make the TCC a viable place to visit. Parking and leaving can be insane, but that's any convention center in my experience. But really TCC... $8 to park? When parking costs more than the price of a ticket for one of your shows, there is an issue. read more

Went to the arena on 10/20/19 to attend the For King And Country concert. I sat in section 104, row H. When the concert began, I stood up and was promptly tapped on the shoulder by the usher in that section (a petite woman with long dark hair) and told (not asked) to sit down. I thought that maybe I was blocking wheelchair seating but nope. There is a walkway behind where I was sitting. You're probably wondering "well, are you freakishly tall?" The answer is "no". I am 5'2". I have been to A LOT of concerts (including one other at the Tucson Arena) and I have never been told to sit down! I was flabbergasted but I complied because I didn't want to be thrown out. This experience was not pleasant and I will definitely think twice before attending another event at the Tucson Arena. read more

Wow. You are really big. Who knew Tucson had so many conventions? I don't really have much to write on a review for a convention center except that you lose a star because your water vending machines only took $1 bills and I had to return after walking all the way upstairs with a $5 bill and being foiled. That was a little annoying. read more

Watching Cirque De Soleil Crystal and Wow. My husband and me are loving the show. Great seats and clean bathrooms. But need better service at the beverage bars. Had to wait forever. Yet all the other staff were fabulous. We can't wait to see our next show. read more

Being new to Tucson we had no idea what to expect. We just saw the Dralion: Cirque du Soleil show here and it was fantastic. Sure this place isn't the newest, but we really like it because it's small it's so much less dramatic than a bigger city/venue. Our seats were great, the place wasn't even half full which I thought was sad, but it makes it nice not too many people and no lines. We can't wait to go back. read more

Very modern, clean building hosting the Tucson Roadrunners and a variety of shows . I am very happy to go to any event in this building. Plus every time I have had to encounter any staff/security, they have all been helpful and friendly. As for people stating the seats are too small, I would agree that there is not a lot of leg room, but the chairs are comfortable and not too narrow. I am not even the skinniest girl in the world so I really cannot see why too many people are complaining. The venue is easy to navigate and clean and great for Tucson! read more

Oh my god. I understand you want to get as many people in a place as possible but the seats are so small I had to squeeze my big butt into the seat bruising my hips just to sit with the cup holders digging in the whole time. We have 15 minutes till our show starts and I'm hoping the show is so good it makes me forget the pain the seat is causing me. I may end up sitting on the cement stairs to be half way comfortable. read more

Just saw James Taylor, amazing show. I have to take issue, however, with the Tucson Arena! They have the narrowest seats I have ever seen at an entertainment venue, unbelievable. I am not a large person and I was so uncomfortable the only thing that kept me there was the fantastic performance. It would have to be someone really exceptional to get me to ever go there again. read more

This is the most poorly run organization I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. They charged my credit card multiple times, lost my tickets, refused to issue a refund and then one of the managers - Kim Akers - told me it was my fault I did not attend a performance for which I was charged multiple times and to which I did not have tickets because they lost them. This is truly an organization in which incompetence is rewarded and possibly even encouraged. This has happened to many people - not just me. Truly an example of a government run organization at its worst. read more

Went to Monster Truck. Lemonade was $20.00! Cotton Candy $16.00! Ridiculous prices. Cold day before I go back.

I was here recently with my nephews for a WWE event. I got the chance to woop it up and cheer under the guise of "just taking my nephews" to the event. The seating was great but the walk to the parking lot was a bit confusing. My wife and I were also here recently for another home show. There were a lot of different vendors which was nice and they had the most amazing tri-tip outside. They even sold you a 25lb chunk of tender seasoned tri-tip to take home. It was awesome. The TCC security they had working the event were somewhat rude. They talked to us like we were a nuisance. read more

Attended the Mineral show at this Arena. The show is amazing. It is an annual show that takes over Tucson for the month of February. Amazing specimens of minerals collected from all over the world. Many international guests with the mineral or rockhound bug attend the show. In addition there are many in the gem trade. If you are a fan of chemistry or simply enjoy beautiful rocks and minerals you will be absolutely blown away by this show. The Tucson Arena is the heart of the show - thousands of vendors inside and out in surrounding tent cities. read more

Seats are a joke, I'm 5'4 140# and I had to wedge my average butt into the seat, and turn sideways so my knees weren't in the back of the seat in front. I'm never going back. read more

This one star review is entirely for the sardine feel of the seats. Unbelievably narrow seats and no legroom whatsoever. I am 5'5 and my knees touched the seat in front of me, not only is this very uncomfortable, but it also means that you have to stand up every single time someone walks down your row. This is disruptive when it happens repeatedly, both as a person having to stand and also as a person whose view is blocked every time someone else has to stand. I also felt like I bruised my legs on the cup holders- unreal and very cheap feeling. I loved the performance we saw (Disney on ice) but that was the only redeeming quality of the Tucson arena. Also, there were thousands of children at this event, and no diaper changing stations in the bathroom. I had to change my daughter as she stood in the bathroom stall with me, and I saw another woman who laid her daughter in the floor of the bathroom to change her. Get it together Tucson arena! It will take a lot to get us to go back! read more

I went to a concert back in March for Benny Bennasi and had a bad experiance with the event manager and a very large security staff member and they were incredibly rude and abusive. The event manager pushed me like I was a guy when I am female to get me out of his way when I wasn't even in his way so he could "get to the stairs". Then he proceeded to cuss me out. He also pushed another female in the process and it appeared he was under the influence of something or just a very angry, rude person with no respect for women. Then about 20 minutes later the very large security gaurd pushed me hard as well almost knocking me down and I wasn't even doing anything wrong just trying to enjoy the concert. He claims he was trying to do his job getting people out of the backstage area who didn't belong but why do you need to use such force when the majority of the people you were pushing were female and just standing there??? And the police they hire will not help you. They just side with the staff no matter how wrong they are. Apparently they are above putting their hands on females forcefully. read more