CFG Bank Arena (originally the Baltimore Civic Center and formerly Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore Arena and 1st Mariner Arena) is a multipurpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. This venue is located about one block away from the

Baltimore Convention Center The Baltimore Convention Center is a convention and exhibition hall located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The center is a municipal building owned and operated by the City of Baltimore. The facility was constructed in two separate phases: th ...

on the corner of Baltimore Street and Hopkins Place and also only a short distance from the

Inner Harbor The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". Th ...

. With a seating capacity of 14,000 for concerts, CFG Bank Arena is owned by the City of Baltimore and managed by the Oak View Group, a global sports and entertainment company. It officially opened on October 23, 1962. Designed by AG Odell Jr. and Associates, it was built on the site of Old Congress Hall, where the Continental Congress met in 1776. As a cornerstone for the Inner Harbor redevelopment during the 1980s, it was reopened after renovations and was then renamed the Baltimore Arena in 1986. In 2003, it was renamed for 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...

to the arena for 10 years. It was reported that 1st Mariner Bank paid the city $75,000 a year to keep the naming rights to the complex. When this naming rights agreement ended in 2013, the arena was briefly returned to its "Baltimore Arena" name, until convenience store chain Royal Farms purchased the naming rights in September 2014. This deal calls for Royal Farms to pay $250,000 annually for five years to the city, and gives Royal Farms first rights to renew or restructure their deal at the end of the contract, or in the event that the city constructs a new arena. A cornerstone to the Arena was laid in 1961 with a vault that included messages from then-U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, then-

governor J. Millard Tawes, and then-Baltimore Mayor J. Harold Grady. The vault was opened in 2006. The current site that was chosen for the Baltimore Civic Center was actually not one of the many sites proposed to the Greater Baltimore Committee in 1955. Among nine suggested locations were two in

Druid Hill Park Druid Hill Park is a urban park in northwest Baltimore, Maryland. Its boundaries are marked by Druid Park Drive (north), Swann Drive and Reisterstown Road (west and south), and the Jones Falls Expressway / Interstate 83 (east).World Trade Center and Harborplace are now located), and one in Clifton Park.

History

1960s–1970s

The Arena has been host to many events, including music, boxing, wrestling, and other sports. From 1962 through 1976, the Baltimore Clippers of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

played their home games at the Arena. The financially troubled Clippers ceased operations in mid-season, 1974–75, when the professional Baltimore Blades (the relocated

Michigan Stags The Michigan Stags were a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit that played a portion of the 1974–75 season in the World Hockey Association. On January 18, 1975, the team folded, but the league immediately took over operation and moved ...

) of the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

(WHA) moved into the market/arena. The Blades folded at the end of the season, and the Clippers regrouped for one final AHL season 1975–76. The Arena has hosted two other AHL franchises: the Baltimore Skipjacks lasted from 1981 to 1993, and the Baltimore Bandits played two seasons from 1995 to 1997. On November 12, 1962, the Arena hosted a boxing match between Joey Giardello and Johnny Morris attended by 6,000 fans. In

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

, the Arena became the home of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets, where the team played its home games until their move to the Capital Centre in 1973. The

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, ...

was also played at the Arena in 1969.

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

performed at the Arena on September 13, 1964, to a total of 28,000 attendees in two performances on the same day, at 4:00 pm and 8:30 pm. On April 3, 1965, defending WWWF champion

Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 – April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavywe ...

defeated

Gene Kiniski Eugene Nicholas Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and then became a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he b ...

in a return title match. Just a few months later, in January 1966, Kiniski would win the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) title. On April 12, 1966, Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

gave a speech, "Race and the Church", before a gathering of Methodist clergy at the Baltimore Civic Center. The venue also hosted

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

several times through the early 1970s. A couple of scenes from the Led Zeppelin concert film '' The Song Remains the Same'' were filmed backstage. On June 13, 1970,

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

played the Civic Center with a last-minute decision to visit from New York and sold out. This was noted to be one of the best performances of the whole 1970 tour and was one of the last shows Hendrix played before his death a few months later.

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

performed at the Civic Center on September 4, 1971, the month before the release of their fourth album, '' Chicago at Carnegie Hall''. Elvis Presley played the Civic Center twice: Tuesday, November 9, 1971, 8:30pm (wearing the Red Lion Suit) and again on Sunday, May 29, 1977, 8:30pm (wearing the Mexican Sundial Suit), less than three months before his untimely death. Both shows were complete sell-outs. The Grateful Dead's performance on September 17, 1972, was recorded and later released as '' Dick's Picks Volume 23''. It contains the complete concert, except for the encore, which was " One More Saturday Night". It contains the longest CD version of "The Other One", to date, at nearly 40 minutes long. In 1974, the

World Team Tennis World TeamTennis (WTT) is a mixed-gender professional tennis league played with a team format in the United States, which was founded in 1973. The league's season normally takes place in the summer months. Players from the ATP and WTA take a ...

(WTT) Baltimore Banners played their home games there in their only season. World No. 1 player Jimmy Connors was on that team. After Connors defeated

Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a record ...

in Wimbledon they played each other at the Arena in a rematch. Billie Jean King and John Newcombe both played at the Arena, with their respective WTT clubs. The Civic Center was host to the 1974 and 1975

MEAC men's basketball tournament The MEAC men's basketball tournament (popularly known as the MEAC tournament) is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The tournament has been held every year since 1972. It is a sing ...

. In 1975, professional basketball returned briefly with the Baltimore Claws of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Memphis Sounds relocated to Baltimore following the 1974–75 ABA season and were first called the Baltimore Hustlers, before changing their name. Troubled financially from the start, the Claws folded after three road exhibition games.

1980s–1990s

The Arena was the home of the Major Indoor Soccer League's

Baltimore Blast The Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League. The team has won 10 championships since it was founded in 1980. Beginning with ...

since their arrival in the 1980–1981 season until the league folded in 1992. The Blast won their only championship in the 1983–84 season which was attended by upwards of 11,200 fans. The Blast, regardless of incarnation, were the longest-serving tenant in the Arena's history. Van Halen performed at the Arena on July 22, 1980, as part of their Van Halen World Invasion Tour. Bon Jovi performed to a sold-out Arena crowd during their Slippery When Wet Tour on December 29, 1986. In 1986 and 1989, the Arena was host to popular Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...

performed at the Arena on October 9, 1987, during their Hysteria World Tour. The Arena was the home of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL) and later the

National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men's professional box lacrosse league in North America. The league is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The NLL currently has fifteen teams: ten in the United States and five in Canada. The N ...

(NLL)

Baltimore Thunder The Baltimore Thunder were a member of the National Lacrosse League from 1987 until 1999. They were based in Baltimore, Maryland, and won the first Eagle Pro Box Lacrosse League (later the National Lacrosse League) championship in 1987. After th ...

from 1987 through 1999. The Thunder won the inaugural MILL championship. Notable players include

Gary Gait Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a Canadian retired Hall of Fame professional lacrosse player and currently the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at Syracuse University, where he played the sport collegiately. On January 24, 2017, ...

, Tom Gravante (head Men's Lacrosse coach at Mount St. Mary's University) and Hugh Donovan. The Arena was a frequent venue for

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...

(NWA) and

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...

(WCW). Starting in 1988,

The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...

pay-per-view was held at the Arena eight times. It also hosted SuperBrawl V in 1995. Sting defeated Ric Flair to win his first NWA World Championship at 1990's Great American Bash, and

Ron Simmons Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...

upset Big Van Vader in 1992 for the WCW title, becoming the first African-American to hold a major world title. The nWo was reformed in 1999 at the Baltimore Arena with

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...

Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...

, Scott Hall and

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...

on the Nitro after

Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...

The Arena has also hosted many

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

events over the years. Most notably the 1994 King of the Ring, No Mercy (2003), No Way Out 2006, Backlash 2008, Extreme Rules (2010), TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2011),

Payback (2015) The 2015 Payback was the third annual Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on May 17, 2015, at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland and was the first Payback held outside of t ...

, and Extreme Rules (2017) as well as multiple '' Raw'' and '' SmackDown!'' tapings. Major title changes to take place in the Arena include

Superstar Billy Graham Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born June 7, 1943), better known by his ring name "Superstar" Billy Graham, is an American former professional wrestler. He gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977–1978. He is a three- ...

over

in 1977 for the WWWF championship and

Tito Santana Merced Solis (born May 10, 1953), better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is a retired American professional wrestler and middle school teacher. Santana has stayed a babyface his entire career and he is best known for his appearances with ...

over Greg Valentine in 1985 for the WWF Intercontinental title in a

steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. In

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

, the Arena was host to the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. Three years later, the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

held the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials there. In 1995, the Arena was host to the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Men's Basketball Division 1 games (Rounds 1 & 2). The NBA's

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

(formerly based in Baltimore) played 35 regular season "home" games at the arena from January 1989 through March 1997; their final game at the arena was a 94–87 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on March 29, 1997. The team has yet to play a regular season game in Baltimore under its current Wizards moniker.

2000s

The Arena has also been a staple on the PBR's

Built Ford Tough Series The Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) was the elite series tour name of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competitions from 2003 to 2017. The BFTS kicked off its tour on November 16, 2002 with the Mohegan Sun Invitational in Uncasville, Connecticu ...

bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To recei ...

tour. It first visited the Arena from 2001 to 2003, then came back again from 2008 to 2010. It returned in 2012 and again in 2015. On October 25, 2003, Maryland's Good Charlotte performed at the Arena. In July 2004, the Arena was host to the US debut of Japanese rock band

L'Arc-en-Ciel L'Arc-en-Ciel ( French: 'The Rainbow', stylized as L'Arc~en~Ciel), also known as Laruku, is a Japanese rock band, formed in Osaka in 1991 by bassist tetsuya and vocalist hyde. Following the departure of original members hiro and pero, guitaris ...

, as part of the

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

and east Asian culture convention Otakon. On December 3–4, 2004, the Arena hosted the final Vans Triple Crown Of

Freestyle Motocross Freestyle motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts. The two main types of freestyle events are: *Big air (also known as "best trick"), in whi ...

events. On February 1, 2006, the Arena hosted the first concert by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

, in Baltimore, since 1969, which was also at the Arena. On February 19, 2006, No Way Out 2006 was held in Baltimore, the WWE's first pay-per-view in the city since No Mercy 2003.

Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...

defeated

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...

to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. The 2006 Miss USA Pageant was held here on April 21, 2006. On February 11, 2008, the Arena also hosted a rally for presidential candidate

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

. On April 27, 2008, Backlash 2008 was held in Baltimore.

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...

defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship. On November 20, 2009, Bruce Springsteen & The

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

performed at the Arena, recreating the entirety of their landmark album ''

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...

''; it was their first tour stop in Baltimore since 1973. Several country-pop music acts have made tour stops at the Arena, including Carrie Underwood and George Strait. ;Accolades: :#1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2009* :#3 Top Grossing Venue in the World in 2008* :#13 Ticket Sales Worldwide All Venues in 2008** :Prime Site Award Winner 2005–2015 :* :**

2010s

The Arena has also been a staple on the PBR's

tour. It first visited the Arena from 2001 to 2003, then came back again from 2008 to 2010. It will return again in 2012. Shogun Fights, the first promoter to bring professional Mixed Martial Arts to the state of Maryland, held its second event, Shogun Fights 2, on March 27, 2010. This event occurs twice each year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall. On April 25, 2010, the Arena played host to

WWE Extreme Rules WWE Extreme Rules is a professional wrestling event produced annually by WWE, a Connecticut-based promotion. It is broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and the livestreaming services Peacock and the WWE Network. The name ...

. It has then played host to Monday Night Raw on June 20, 2011. This episode was named '' Power to the People''. It has played host to

's Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2011 on December 18, 2011. It hosted the season 23 premiere of

WWE Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...

on September 8, 2014, and ended the same WWE Raw season on September 7, 2015, with the main event being a six-man tag team match between

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...

and the Prime Time Players vs.

Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...

and The New Day. WWE Payback was held in this Arena on May 17, 2015.

held on June 4, 2017, was the latest WWE pay-per-view to be held at the Arena. On September 30, 2011, the NHL's

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

played a preseason game against the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

in a 2-0 loss at the Arena. It was the arena's first ice hockey event to be played since 1997. A second Capitals preseason game at the arena was played on September 17, 2013, against the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

in another 3-2 loss. On October 17, 2013, the RFA held an NBA preseason game between the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

and the New York Knicks to celebrate the Wizards 50th anniversary. The team, who played several games there in the 1990s as the Bullets, played another preseason game at the arena against the New Orleans Pelicans, on October 20, 2014. On April 26, 2014, the Royal Farms Arena hosted UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira. The Colonial Athletic Association announced they would be moving their men's basketball tournament to the Arena in 2014 under a three-year contract after a 24-year run at the

Richmond Coliseum Richmond Coliseum is a defunct arena located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, with a capacity of 13,500 that was most often used for various large concerts. The arena opened in 1971 and the region is looking to replace the aging facility with a la ...

. It is the first time the tournament will be held outside the state of Virginia. In still more recent years, the Arena continues holding events such as Stevie Wonder (April 2015),

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

(May 2015), the Eagles (July 2015), and Garth Brooks (five sold-out concerts in January 2016). On November 14, 2016, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (owners of the

of the NBA,

of the NHL,

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference ...

of the WNBA and the new

Washington Valor The Washington Valor were a professional arena football team based in Washington, D.C. that played in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2017 to 2019. The team's home arena was the Capital One Arena. The Valor were owned by Monumental Sports ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

) announced that they had been granted a second

franchise, the

Baltimore Brigade The Baltimore Brigade was a professional arena football team based in Baltimore, Maryland, that played in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2017 to 2019. The team's home arena was the Royal Farms Arena. The franchise was owned by Monumental Sp ...

, to play at the Royal Farms Arena. It is the first time the AFL played in Baltimore and the first team to play in Maryland since the Maryland Commandos played at the Capital Centre in 1989. On July 28, 2018, the Arena and Brigade hosted its first ArenaBowl Championship, ArenaBowl XXXI where the Baltimore Brigade was upset by the Washington Valor 55–69. On July 23, 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played a concert in the arena as part of their 40th Anniversary Tour. On November 8, 2018, Travis Scott kicked off his Astroworld – Wish You Were Here Tour in the arena. ;Accolades: :#1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2015* :#2 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2014* :#2 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2012* :#1 Top Grossing Venue in North America in 2011* :Prime Site Award Winner 2005–2015 :* :**

2020s

The

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

led to the postponement or cancellation of a number of arena events. The venue went dark until a September 2021 Guns N' Roses performance. In February 2022, the arena hosted the CIAA men's and women's basketball tournament. No further events are scheduled due to the pending renovation. After the tournament, the city terminated its naming rights deal with Royal Farms. Oak View Group, which is leading the arena's renovation, has the right to sell naming rights and other sponsorships. In October 2022 the arena was renamed CFG Bank Arena.

Proposed replacement and the decision for renovation

On October 16, 2004, ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...

'' revealed that official steps had been taken toward replacing the Arena, then 42 years old. The Maryland Stadium Authority had started soliciting proposals for a feasibility study on building an Arena in downtown Baltimore, due on November 1, 2004. According to the request for proposals, the new Arena would be built on the same site of Royal Farms Arena and "would have a smaller

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

than would be required for an NHL or NBA team" but it did not set a specific seating capacity. On May 15, 2007, ''

'' reported that the feasibility study started in 2004 had been released publicly and the study stated that the current Arena had "served its useful life" and that Baltimore must build a new Arena or face the risk of losing events. The study rejected a proposal to repair the Arena's aging systems, citing an estimated cost of $60 million, and instead suggested that the city demolish Royal Farms Arena and build a new Arena on the same site or elsewhere in Baltimore. Notably the proposed new Arena would seat only 15,000 to 16,000 people; the study assumed that Baltimore would never be successful in attracting a major pro team in the future; however, city officials were still open to this idea. Conceivably, the new arena could be successful in attracting a minor-league hockey team, bringing more than 200 new jobs and generating up to $1 million in additional tax revenue. City officials have said that the private sector would need to bear the brunt of the estimated $162-million construction cost of the new arena, as the city is also considering giving up ownership of the arena. The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) stated that it would begin seeking interested developers for the project by June 2007. BDC's President M. J. "Jay" Brodie said it was a "miracle" that the current Arena books as many events as it does in its current state. City officials have said the location of the new Arena would be dependent on what the developers suggest. Officials stated that they are equally comfortable with keeping the current Arena, building the new Arena in a new location, then demolishing the current Arena, or encouraging a mixed-use development in the site of the current Arena. Advocates for downtown, including the Downtown Partnership and the Westside Renaissance, want the new Arena to remain in the downtown area.ref name="urged" /> On November 18, 2007, WJZ 13 reported that seven sites have been submitted to the BDC for a new Arena, and the choices will be narrowed down by the Spring of 2008. On July 24, 2008, it was reported that the new Arena will be built on the same site as the current one, with a capacity of upwards of 18,500. It was unknown at that time what would happen to concerts and events while construction is underway, or who would develop the new Arena. However, there have been talks about building a temporary facility for events. The Arena was planned to be completed within three years. On August 27, 2008, ''The Baltimore Sun'' reported that developers were looking for designers to build an apartment building and outdoor shopping stores to be a part of the new Royal Farms Arena. Also, the developers announced that they were accepting all design proposals until November 26, 2008, and that, by the summer of 2009, they planned to make a final design decision. On December 17, 2008, the ''

Baltimore Examiner ''The Baltimore Examiner'' was a free daily newspaper in Baltimore, Maryland, launched in 2006, ceased publication in 2009. History ''The Baltimore Examiner'' was launched in 2006 by the Philip Anschutz-owned Clarity Media Group as part of a nat ...

'' reported that the Baltimore Development Corp. had received four proposals for the Royal Farms Arena replacement that could take away a "major entertainment venue" for Baltimore for up to "4 years" and the estimated price is $300 million, but could be more depending on additional retail and hotel uses. The Arena is reported to be an 18,500-seat venue built on the site of the current Royal Farms Arena. The four proposals were: ESmith Legacy and Garfield Traub Development: ESmith Legacy was a team led by former NFL player Emmitt Smith that has offices in Baltimore. This proposal included the following features in addition to the larger Arena: *7-screen movie theater * of retail space *1,000-seat concert venue Streuver Brothers Eccles & Rouse: A well known Baltimore-based developer. This proposal included: *300-room hotel * of retail space Cormony Development and Harrison Development: Respectively, Rockville- and Baltimore-based development firms who have been involved since 2007. This proposal includes: *400-room hotel *240,000 SF office tower *12,000 SF to 20,000 SF of retail space A&R Development, J Street Development Co., and Accent Development Co.: A partnership of Baltimore-based A&R and Washington based J Street and Accent Development under the name Arena Development. This proposal includes: *Up to of retail space The Baltimore Examiner reported that the BDC could make a decision on the developer as soon as mid-2009. On July 8, 2009, ArenaDigest.com reported that Baltimore City officials had postponed their plans for constructing a new arena, due in part to the struggling economy, and the officials' decision split between building either an 18,500-seat Arena for a possible NBA or NHL franchise, or constructing a mid-size facility for concerts, family events, and minor league sports. However, on November 12, 2010, with the recession rebounding, Mayor

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (born March 17, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 50th Mayor of Baltimore from 2010 to 2016, the second woman to hold that office. She has also served as secretary of the Democratic Nationa ...

announced that city officials were considering new sites for a new arena. The plan called for Royal Farms Arena to remain open, while a new arena was constructed. While Rawlings-Blake believed that the new Arena would most likely to be erected in the city's West Side, the Greater Baltimore Committee suggested building the Arena as an expansion to the Baltimore Convention Center, to help re-develop the

. The cost would range from $750 to $930 million, since it would include the 18,500-seat Arena, expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center, an underground garage, and a new 500-room Sheraton hotel; the proposed Arena site is where the current Sheraton hotel rests. On January 14, 2015, David S. Cordish, the chairman and CEO of the Cordish Company, proposed to build a 15,000–16,000-seat waterfront arena, but built with expanded capacity in mind. The Arena, accommodated with an outdoor amphitheater and a pedestrian bridge to connect the

and Federal Hill, would cost $450 million and tie up with Harbor East and Power Plant Live. However, the Cordish proposal was scrapped when Maryland Governor Larry Hogan cancelled the Red Line project, which was a dire need for the arena. On August 3, 2016, talks about the convention center/arena proposal resumed. Up to that point, a few more studies for a new arena have been planned, including a possible renovation of Royal Farms Arena and construction of a new Arena at the city's State Center station. On November 25, 2020, the Baltimore Development Corporation called for proposals of redeveloping the arena to a state-of-the-art facility, whether through renovation or construction of a brand-new arena. The caveat is that the arena must remain on the current site and that no proposals for alternate sites were under consideration. On June 23, 2021, it was announced that Oak View Group, in association with the Thirty Five Ventures, the investment company of NBA player Kevin Durant and his agent and business partner, Rich Kleiman entered negotiations to invest $200 million into renovating the Royal Farms Arena. The renovations would feature "overhauled concourses, new suites, new concessions, a new exterior featuring plenty of glass, and new seating." After which, the two companies would manage and lease the arena. On November 24, 2021, the Board of Estimates approved the arrangement with a one-year renovation project beginning in February 2022.

Transportation

The CFG Bank Arena is immediately adjacent to the Baltimore Arena station on the

Baltimore Light Rail Baltimore Light RailLink (formerly Baltimore Light Rail, and also known simply as the "Light Rail") is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, as well as its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Maryland Transit ...

. The

Charles Center Metro Subway Station Charles Center station is an underground 2 floor Metro SubwayLink station in Baltimore, Maryland making it the largest station on the line. Located at the Charles Center in Downtown Baltimore, it is a downtown transportation hub serving many bus l ...

and many bus lines are also nearby.

References

External links

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