The Purple Palace The Snake Pit | |
![]() PHX Arena in 2022 | |
Former names | America West Arena (1992–2006) US Airways Center (2006–2015) Talking Stick Resort Arena (2015–2020) Phoenix Suns Arena (2021) Footprint Center (2021–2025) PHX Arena (2020–2021, 2025–present) |
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Address | 201 East Jefferson Street |
Location | Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
Coordinates | 33°26′45″N112°4′17″W / 33.44583°N 112.07139°W /33.44583; -112.07139 |
Public transit |
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Owner | City of Phoenix |
Operator | Phoenix Arena Development, L.P. |
Capacity |
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Construction | |
Broke ground | August 1, 1990 (1990-8-1)[2] |
Opened | June 6, 1992 (1992-6-6) |
Renovated | 2003, 2020 |
Construction cost | US$89 million (US$199 million in 2024 dollars[3]) US$67 million (renovations) (US$101 million in 2024 dollars[3]) |
Architect | Ellerbe Becket |
Project manager | Huber, Hunt & Nichols[4] |
Structural engineer | Horst Berger[5]/Severud[6] |
Services engineer | Flack + Kurtz[7] |
General contractor | Perini Building Company[8] |
Tenants | |
Phoenix Suns (NBA) (1992–present) Arizona Rattlers (AFL/IFL) (1992–2019, 2021–2023) Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) (1997–present) Arizona Sandsharks (CISL) (1993–1997) Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) (1996–2003) Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL) (2005–2009) | |
Website | |
phx-arena |
ThePHX Arena (formerlyAmerica West Arena,US Airways Center,Talking Stick Resort Arena,Phoenix Suns Arena andFootprint Center)[9] is a multi-purposearena inPhoenix, Arizona. It opened under the name America West Arena on June 6, 1992, at a cost of$89 million.
It is the home arena of thePhoenix Suns of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), thePhoenix Mercury of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the former home of theIndoor Football League'sArizona Rattlers. TheECHL'sPhoenix Roadrunners also played there from 2005 until they ceased operations at the conclusion of the 2008–2009 season. Additionally, theNational Hockey League (NHL)'s Phoenix Coyotes (Arizona Coyotes) played their first seven seasons at the arena following their arrival in Phoenix on July 1, 1996.
Located one block away fromChase Field, home of theArizona Diamondbacks, the arena is 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) in size on an 11-acre (4.5 ha) site. These two major league sports venues are joined byState Farm Stadium andDesert Diamond Arena in the neighboring Phoenix suburb ofGlendale, the home of theArizona Cardinals and former home of theArizona Coyotes.
Basketball, arena football, concerts, ice shows and other events such as wrestling are held in the arena.
The arena seats 17,071 for basketball, 16,210 for ice hockey and indoor football, 17,716 for in-the-round concerts, 12,565 for end stage concerts, and 4,379 for theater events.[10]
The Coyotes hosted their first regular season home game in Arizona at the arena on October 10, 1996, with a 4–1 win over theSan Jose Sharks. They finished the1996–97 season with a 38–37–7 record to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. That playoff appearance was short-lived, with a Game 7 loss to theAnaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Just over seven years later, the team played their last home game within Phoenix city limits with a 5–2 loss to theMinnesota Wild on December 15, 2003.
The arena also hosted theArizona Sandsharks of the defunctContinental Indoor Soccer League (CISL).
Its most common nickname is "The Purple Palace", though during the Rattlers' season it is known as "The Snake Pit".[11]
The arena's capacity for basketball games was originally 19,023, but it was reduced after the2002–03 season to 18,422, then again to 18,055 before the2014–15 season.
The arena has seen its share of memorable basketball moments. In its inaugural season, it hosted three games of the1993 NBA Finals between the Suns and theChicago Bulls; it also hosted three games of the2021 NBA Finals against theMilwaukee Bucks. The Mercury hosted WNBA Finals games in 1998, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2021. It also played host to the1995, and the2009 (and will host the2027)NBA All-Star Games and the2000 WNBA All-Star Game.[12]
TheArizona Rattlers have hosted fourArenaBowl games, with three played at the arena. They wonArenaBowl XI with a 55–33 win over theIowa Barnstormers on August 25, 1997. They lost in their only championship game appearance at Gila River Arena, a 56–42ArenaBowl XXIX loss to thePhiladelphia Soul on August 26, 2016.
Among the notableboxing events held in Phoenix, they includeOscar De La Hoya's early bouts,Michael Carbajal'sWBO world Junior Flyweight title againstJosue Camacho in 1994 andJulio César Chávez ended his career with a fight at the arena.
Jaime Munguía vs.John Ryder took place at the arena on January 27, 2024; Munguía won the bout by knockout in nine rounds.[13]
Inbull riding, theProfessional Bull Riders hosted aBuilt Ford Tough Series (formerly the Bud Light Cup) at the arena between 1999 and 2002. The annual event moved to Glendale in 2004 before it returned to downtown Phoenix in March 2014.
InMMA, the arena has hosted several noteworthyUFC events includingUFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic,UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn,UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez andUFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje.[14]
The arena has also hosted variousprofessional wrestling events, including:
Frank Sinatra gave one of his last concerts on December 10, 1993, in the arena.
As part of theirKeep the Faith Tour,Bon Jovi performed in the arena on March 11, 1993.
Van Halen made a stop in Phoenix on April 1, 1995, as part of theirBalance Tour.
Gloria Estefan played here on July 30, 1996, during her "Evolution" World Tour.
American jam bandPhish performed at the arena on December 2, 1996, towards the end of their 1996 Fall Tour.
Irishrock bandU2 has performed in the arena multiple times, including two stops during their 2001Elevation Tour on March 28 and November 23 of that year. In 2015, they visited the arena again for two dates of theirInnocence + Experience Tour on May 22 and 23.
Shakira performed at the arena on January 31, 2003, during theTour of the Mongoose. She later brought herOral Fixation Tour to the arena on August 11, 2006. She returned to the arena on August 26, 2018, for herEl Dorado World Tour and June 22 and 23, 2025, for herLas Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
Depeche Mode performed during 3 separate tours at the arena. They were on December 14, 1998 (Singles Tour), August 10, 2001 (Exciter Tour), and August 23, 2009 (Tour of the Universe). Their 2009 show had 7,635 people in attendance and was recorded for the band's live albums projectRecording the Universe.
Miley Cyrus performed at the arena for herBangerz Tour on February 27, 2014.
Ariana Grande performed at the arena on April 6, 2015, as part ofthe Honeymoon Tour. She kicked off herDangerous Woman Tour at the arena on February 3, 2017. She later brought herSweetener World Tour to the arena on May 14, 2019.
Fleetwood Mac performed at the arena on November 28, 2018, during theirAn Evening with Fleetwood Mac tour. It took place in the hometown of their lead singerStevie Nicks.
Earlier that month,Twenty One Pilots held a second show there as part ofthe Bandito Tour. They returned to the arena forthe Icy Tour on September 16, 2022, and then came back forthe Clancy World Tour on August 30, 2024.
On August 30, 2021,Guns N' Roses held a show as a part of their2020 Tour.
On October 17, 2021,J.Cole performed at the arena forthe Off-Season Tour.
On February 8, 2022,Tyler, the Creator performed at the arena for his first show on theCall Me If You Get Lost Tour.
On February 19, 2022,Andrea Bocelli performed at the arena for his United States Tour.
On March 1, 2022,doo-wop bandTwin Temple, Danishmetal bandVolbeat, and Swedish rock bandGhost performed at the arena on the final leg of their US Tour.
On March 20, 2022,Dua Lipa performed a sold-out show as part of herFuture Nostalgia Tour, withMegan Thee Stallion andCaroline Polachek as her opening acts.
On September 10, 2022,Kendrick Lamar performed at the arena forthe Big Steppers Tour withBaby Keem andTanna Leone as opening acts on the show.
On September 21, 2022,Michael Bublé performed at the arena for hisHigher Tour.
On December 4, 2022,Trans-Siberian Orchestra performed two shows at the arena for their 2022 Winter Tour.
The Footprint Center acted as the venue for Opening Night activities forSuper Bowl LVII on February 6, 2023.[15]
On February 24, 2024,Olivia Rodrigo performed at the arena as part of herGuts World Tour.
On March 10, 2024,Kanye West andTy Dolla Sign performed at the arena as a listening party for their collaborative albumVultures 1.
On June 25, 2024,Melanie Martinez performed at the arena in support ofthe Trilogy Tour.
On July 25, 2024, South Koreanboy bandAteez performed at the arena as part of the North American leg of their 2024 Towards the Light: Will to Power tour.[16]
On July 30, 2024,Janet Jackson performed at the arena as part of herTogether Again tour.
On October 29, 2024,Jeff Lynne's ELO performed at the venue for their Over and Out tour.[17]
On November 13, 2024,Sabrina Carpenter performed at the arena as part of herShort n' Sweet Tour.
On July 12, 2025,Katy Perry will bring herThe Lifetimes Tour to the arena.
Construction began on August 1, 1990, as former Suns ownerJerry Colangelo envisioned a need for a new arena to be built in Phoenix to replaceArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. About 27 months later, America West Arena was officially inaugurated with the Suns'1992–1993 season opening 111–105 victory over theLos Angeles Clippers on November 7, 1992. Simultaneously, it also wasCharles Barkley's first regular season game as a Sun.[18] Despite the fact that the Suns had lost the1993 NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls, a parade was still held and attracted more than 300,000 Suns fans. It made its way through downtown Phoenix and finished at the new arena.
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When the originalWinnipeg Jets publicly announced their intention to relocate toPhoenix for the1996–97 NHL season, the arena was quickly reconfigured to accommodate ice hockey. Unlike most multipurpose arenas, it was not designed with an ice hockey rink in mind. Its tight seating configuration is suited for basketball, but made it logistically difficult to fit a standard NHL rink onto the floor. The lower level had to be sheared in half to fit the rink and create retractable seating.
As it turned out, the result was completely inadequate for the Coyotes. Three entire sections at one end of the ice hung over the boards. Fans sitting in those sections could not see roughly one-fourth of the ice (including one of the nets) except on the video boards.[19] The problem was so serious that after the team's first season in Phoenix, the team had to curtain off some seats in the areas where the view was particularly obstructed, reducing the arena's listed capacity to 16,210.
The arena added a second video board for an area of particularly obstructed views, and proposed numerous plans to improve sight lines and boost theseating capacity above 17,000, though these did not come to fruition. The Coyotes were forced to sell many obstructed-view tickets at a reduced price. Additionally, an unfavorable lease caused further financial troubles that impacted the team for much of the time it played at the arena. The Coyotes moved intoGlendale Arena midway through the2003–04 NHL season.
The arena underwent its second significant renovation in its history. ThePhoenix City Council approved the plan on January 23, 2019, involving the arena, with the Phoenix Suns paying up to $80 million alongside any overrun costs.[20] The first renovation, completed in March 2003, had a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) air-conditioned glass-enclosed atrium built on the northwest side of the arena. That $67 million project was constructed to keep patrons cool while waiting in line for tickets or spending time inside the building before events. The arena upgrades have been done as part of the Suns' plan to keep it economically competitive afterDesert Diamond Arena opened.[21] Former Suns ownerJerry Colangelo originally thought of the renovations after visitingStaples Center inLos Angeles and envisioned a similar entertainment district in Phoenix.[22]
TheCOVID-19 pandemic in Arizona forced a pause to the Suns'2019–20 season and allowed for an early start to the most recent renovations. Up to 80% of all planned work was completed in time for the 2020 preseason home opener, a 112–107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on December 16, 2020.[23] The Mercury originally planned to play their2020 WNBA season home games atArizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, but relocated all of the season's games to theIMG Academy inBradenton, Florida. The Rattlers had their 2020 IFL season cancelled,[24] but played their first home game of the2021 season on June 12, 2021, against the Tucson Sugar Skulls.[25] The arena renovations would be fully completed by the end of the Suns'2021 NBA Finals run.
Members of the Phoenix City Council were criticized in 2022 for using a suite in the arena to watch games and concerts.[26] The council subsequently voted to consider leasing out the suite.[27]
The original arenanaming rights contract was sold in January 1990 toTempe-basedAmerica West Airlines. The venue was known as America West Arena from its opening until 2006.
The previous year, America West purchased rival carrierUS Airways. Although America West was the surviving airline, it took the US Airways name as did the venue. This was the second arena that the company owned the naming rights after the now-demolished US Airways Arena (formerlyCapital Centre) inLandover, Maryland.
Talking Stick Resort in nearbyScottsdale[28] secured the new naming rights with an official announcement outside the Casino Arizona Pavilion on December 2, 2014.
The name change to Talking Stick Resort Arena was completed in September 2015, in time for the start of the2015–16 Phoenix Suns season.
After negotiations on a contract extension stalled earlier on in the year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Arizona, Talking Stick Resort officially announced the naming rights deal expired on November 6, 2020.[29] Until a new agreement was reached, the venue was known as Phoenix Suns Arena; prior to this, it was briefly known as PHX Arena.[30]
On July 16, 2021, it was announced thatGilbert-based materials science companyFootprint had secured the arena naming rights, naming it the Footprint Center as part of a long-term partnership with the Suns ownership and the company.[31] The naming change would go into effect by Game 5 of the2021 NBA Finals for the Suns.
On February 18, 2025, it was announced that the arena would be seeking a new naming rights partner and would no longer go by the Footprint Center. It will temporarily be called PHX Arena until a new naming rights partner is found, but Footprint would remain a sustainability partner with the Suns and Mercury.[32] Earlier, workers had been seen removing Footprint Center signage, upon receiving word that the deal had expired.[33]
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by | Home of the Phoenix Suns 1992–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
Preceded by | Home of the Phoenix Coyotes 1996–2003 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1995 2009 | Succeeded by |