Golden 1 Center is a downtown Sacramento arena and home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings that doubles as the city's flagship venue for large-scale, arena-class concerts.[1] Described in Submerge coverage as a roughly half-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art arena, it opened in 2016 and quickly became the stage for major touring headliners passing through Sacramento.[1] The arena officially opened on September 30, 2016, replacing ARCO Arena as the Sacramento Kings' home.[2] Its final construction cost was $558.2 million, with the Kings contributing approximately $284 million and the City of Sacramento approximately $223 million.[3]
At a glance
- Located in downtown Sacramento; box office address given as 500 David J. Stern Walk.[4][5]
- Home arena of the Sacramento Kings, owned in part by Vivek Ranadivé.[1]
- Opened September 30, 2016; final construction cost $558.2 million.[1][2][3]
- Seating capacity: 17,608 for basketball, expandable to approximately 19,000 for concerts.[6]
- Debut concert: Paul McCartney's "One On One" tour, Oct. 4, 2016 — the first of two nights, drawing 15,000-plus.[1][2]
- Annual host of Radio 94.7's "Electric Christmas" multi-act holiday show.[5][7]
- World's first indoor sports venue to earn LEED Platinum certification.[8]
- Capacity referenced loosely as accommodating up to ~20,000 for concerts.[9]
Opening and role in the scene
The arena is the Sacramento Kings' home but is positioned as a multi-purpose venue, and Submerge framed it as downtown Sacramento's marquee space for drawing major celebrity performers into the city.[1][10] Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé was present in the crowd at the opening concert, described as elated to have his new arena host a major act.[1] Submerge's coverage repeatedly cast the venue as a symbol of Sacramento's bid to become a "world class city," with its arrival enabling "large-scale shows happening downtown."[1] The arena officially opened on September 30, 2016, replacing ARCO Arena as the Kings' previous home, with the first concert — Paul McCartney's One on One tour — following four days later on October 4.[2]
Sustainability
Golden 1 Center is the world's first indoor sports venue to earn LEED Platinum certification, a distinction announced in late September 2016.[8] According to the arena's official press release, it earned enough points to place it in the top 3% of all LEED-certified buildings worldwide and achieved the highest score of any sports facility in the LEED program.[8] The design was carried out by AECOM.[8]
Concert history (per Submerge coverage)
- Oct. 4, 2016 — Paul McCartney, "One On One" tour. The arena's debut concert, the first of two nights; McCartney played nearly three hours to a crowd of 15,000-plus, opening with "A Hard Day's Night."[1] Local downtown eateries cited as nearby (Paragary's, Block Butcher Bar) and the post-show Coin-Op spot.[1]
- Nov. 19, 2016 — Kanye West, Saint Pablo Tour. West performed on a suspended "floating" platform that moved over the audience; the Sacramento date was added as part of the tour's second leg.[4] Submerge's review describes West cutting the performance short after roughly two songs and a long onstage rant, with Kid Cudi also referenced.[11]
- Dec. 8, 2016 — Electric Christmas (presented by Radio 94.7). Headlined by Capital Cities, with Glass Animals, The Naked and Famous and others; an all-ages show.[5]
- Dec. 7, 2017 — Electric Christmas (94.7 FM). Featured The Lumineers with Portugal. The Man and Walk the Moon.[7]
- Dec. 17, 2017 — Jay-Z, The 4:44 Tour, with Vic Mensa. Jay-Z performed 30-plus songs spanning 20-plus years.[10]
- July 22, 2018 — Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, with opener Devin Dawson. Dawson, an Orangevale-area artist, opened on the tour.[9]
- Metallica (date unspecified). According to the arena's official press release, Metallica set a single-concert attendance record at Golden 1 Center with 17,281 fans at a sold-out show — the highest single-concert attendance since the arena opened in October 2016.[12]
Recurring programming
The venue is a recurring home for "Electric Christmas," a holiday-season concert presented by Sacramento radio station Radio 94.7 (94.7 FM), documented at the arena in both 2016 and 2017 with multi-act lineups.[5][7]