This Week in History

In only our third year of operation, the concert industry publication Pollstar magazine named Philips Arena the number one concert arena in the U.S based on ticket sales for the third quarter of 2001. This was the year we welcomed Irish rock band U2.

Philips Arena hosted U2’s “Elevation Tour” on March 30th. The tour sold out in one hour and set our attendance record for that time of 20,596.

Nelly Furtado opened for U2. Soon after her set, Bono and the band walked onto the stage - with the house lights on - creating a casual, intimate atmosphere. Atlanta rocked out to U2’s greatest hits such as Elevation, Beautiful Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and With or Without You.

The concert was one of the most anticipated events of that year, and according to fans, the band did not disappoint.

This Week in History

March 23, 2004 Britney Spears brought her fifth concert tour, The Onyx Hotel Tour, to Philips Arena. Critics gave mixed reviews of the tour. It was described as a theatrical extravaganza, sexy, low on substance, and sloppy. However, for one lucky Philips Arena guest, this concert was unrivaled. Donna Topper was welcomed into Philips Arena as the ten millionth guest.

Philips Arena President Bob Williams awarded Topper a gift package featuring:

• Two tickets to all Philips Arena ticketed events for one year
• Philips 23-inch TFT LCD Flat TV
• Philips digital key ring camera
• Philips Arena Party Suite
• A commemorative "Ten-Million" team jerseys from the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks

The gift package also included gifts from Philips Arena's and the team's sponsors:

• Two round-trip Delta Air Lines tickets
• $250 gift certificate from The Home Depot
• Mountain bike courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
• Motorola V300 T-Mobile phone and one year of free service
• Coca-Cola Nostalgia Radios
• $500 savings bond from Bank of America

This Week in History

On March 18, 2003 Country Music Star Tim McGraw performed at Philips Arena. McGraw and his tour band, The Dancehall Doctors, played songs from their latest self-titled album. Real Good Man, She’s My Kind of Rain, and Red Ragtop were just a few hits from the set list.

McGraw used this tour as an opportunity to raise money for the Red Cross chapter in each city he visited. He donated $0.50 from each ticket sold through his website, and 100% of proceeds from the sale of his Tim McGraw / American Red Cross t-shirt sold during the show.

“We are living in a time where people need to stick together and help one another," McGraw said in a statement. "We need to be prepared for any crisis that might present itself and we need to do our part in banding together," he added. "It gives me a tremendous amount of comfort to know that the monies that we raise will go towards a great organization like the American Red Cross, that provides so much, for so many, around this country and around the globe."

This Week in History

For several years Philips Arena has hosted the iconic Harlem Globetrotters during the second week of March. This year, the team returns to Philips Arena on March 13 as part of its 84th consecutive season of touring the world. Throughout the team’s history, the Globetrotters have entertained more than two million fans in more than 25,000 games and have played on six continents in front of Presidents and Popes!

The Globetrotters’ high-flying show features some of the most extraordinary athletes and entertainers on the planet – including Big Easy Lofton and Flight Time Lang, who stared in the CBS reality hit, The Amazing Race.

Sports Illustrated praised the Harlem Globetrotter’s show as “the sports equivalent of comfort food,” in its March 2009 feature article on the Globetrotters titled, Still Crazy After All These Years.

Tickets are still available for the 1:00pm show on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Philips Arena. Save $6 on tickets by clicking on the link below and enter the promo code SAVE at checkout.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/wzpz52

This Week in History

On March 1, 2007 Philips Arena welcomed the Piano Man to Atlanta. Billy Joel performed his classic hits as well as some of Georgia’s greatest - breaking into “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding, “Good Golly Miss Molly,” Little Richard, and slipping in a shortened version of “Georgia on My Mind” leading into his hit “Piano Man.”

Joel played on a rotating piano which allowed fans to see him from all angles. The concert lasted approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 20 song set list starting with “Prelude / Angry Young Man” and ending with a four song encore including “Only the Good Die Young,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “Georgia on My Mind,” and “Piano Man.”

This Week in History

This week in history is usually filled with the second week of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Since we covered the Circus last week, we thought it would be fun to do something different and take a look at the Atlanta Hawks history this week. The Atlanta Hawks have a history of change and tradition. Before coming to Atlanta, the Hawks were known as the “Tri-Cities Blackhawks” from 1949-51, the “Milwaukee Hawks” from 1951-55, and then the “St. Louis Hawks” from 1955-68. On May 3, 1968, Hawks owner Ben Kerner announced that the St. Louis Hawks had been sold to Georgia real estate developer Thomas Cousins and former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders. The new owners moved the franchise to Atlanta. In 1972 the Hawks moved into the brand-new 16,500-seat Omni after having shared Alexander Memorial Hall with the Georgia Tech basketball team for five years. Then, in 1999 the team moved into Philips Arena, their current home. Just as the Hawks have gone through a few changes throughout their history, so has their logo.

Which one is your favorite?

1968 - 1970

1970 - 1972


1972 - 1995

1995 - 2007

2007 - Present

This Week in History

Keeping with tradition, Philips Arena welcomes the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus this week. The Circus typically comes to Philips Arena mid-February for two weeks of fun-filled shows. To celebrate this long-established event, here are some fun facts about the “Greatest Show on Earth!”

Did you know…

• There were seven Ringling Brothers – Gus, Alf, Al, Charles, John, Otto, and Henry


• In 1889 the cost of admission was $0.50 for adults and $0.25 for children


• The Ringling Bros. purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus, their largest competitor, in 1907


• The two shows toured separately until 1919


• The legendary King Tusk wore a robe that weighed 1,200 pounds and required 12 attendants


• In 1995 the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® was established in central Florida in dedication to the conservation, breeding and understanding of the Asian Elephant

Tickets are still available! Click here for schedule information and tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/114689/1262563