Acrisure Arena is a multi-purpose
indoor arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
in unincorporated
Thousand Palms, California
Thousand Palms is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 7,967 at the 2020 census, up from 7,715 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Thousand Palms is located at .
It ...
in
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, United States. The arena opened in December 2022 on of land in the
Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
between
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
and the Classic Club golf course. It is the home arena for the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
's
Coachella Valley Firebirds
The Coachella Valley Firebirds are a professional ice hockey team based in the Coachella Valley. They are members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Firebirds began play in the 2022–23 AH ...
, and is a primary venue for events in the Greater Palm Springs area. The venue's namesake is the eponoymous
financial technology
Financial technology (abbreviated as fintech) refers to the application of innovative technologies to products and services in the financial industry. This broad term encompasses a wide array of technological advancements in financial services, ...
and
insurance
Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...
company
Acrisure, which purchased the
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
for an undisclosed amount over a 10-year lease.
History
On June 26, 2019, it was reported that the ownership of the upcoming
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
had chosen
Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
as the site for Seattle's AHL affiliate and that the
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of the Cahuilla, located in Riverside County, California, United States.[Oak View Group
Oak View Group, LLC (OVG) is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver. It manages several sports venues, including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, which was constructed under the company's supervision. ...]
(OVG) had teamed up to build an arena on band-owned land as a home for their proposed expansion team. The 10,000-seat arena was estimated to cost $250 million. OVG CEO
Tim Leiweke
Timothy J. Leiweke (born April 21, 1957) is an American businessman who is the chief executive officer of Oak View Group. He was the former president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and the former president and CEO of Anschutz ...
relied upon a feasibility study on the future of sports events and tourism in the
Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...
, independently authored by Coachella Sports & Entertainment Stadium Authority and the non-profit SoCal Coyotes Sports Leadership Organization, as proof of the viability for a multi-purpose venue in Palm Springs.
The proposed arena was to be constructed on part of the Spa Resort Casino's parking lots now Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs and be owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians with the Oak View Group as the arena operator. It would also have had an adjoining facility to serve as a year-round community gathering space as well as the training center for the AHL team. Groundbreaking and construction on the arena was expected to begin in February 2020, with completion by fall 2021, but was put on hold due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and the resulting ban on large gatherings including concerts and sporting events. By September 2020, OVG's negotiations with the tribe had come to a halt and the agreement was ended due financial impacts on the tribe during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
On September 16, 2020, the Oak View Group and
H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation announced they had chosen a new location for the arena in the middle of the Coachella Valley in unincorporated
Thousand Palms, California
Thousand Palms is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 7,967 at the 2020 census, up from 7,715 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Thousand Palms is located at .
It ...
, but it would not open until at least 2022. The arena operator will lease land owned by the Foundation between
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
and the Foundation's Classic Club golf course. Groundbreaking on the project took place on June 2, 2021.
The arena opened for its first event—a comedy show featuring
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and obse ...
and
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle ...
—on December 14, 2022. The first hockey game at Acrisure Arena was played four days later, with the Firebirds defeating the
Tucson Roadrunners
The Tucson Roadrunners are a professional ice hockey team based in Tucson, Arizona. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Utah Mammoth. They play their home games at the Tucson Convention Cente ...
4–3 with a sellout crowd of 10,087 in attendance. According to OVG president Tim Leiweke, the arena's location between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix is advantageous for touring bands as a "working vacation" spot with rehearsal space.
The Firebirds hosted four games of the 2023
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...
Finals at Acrisure Arena and established an American Hockey League record for total playoff attendance with 138,053 fans attending 16 postseason games.
On February 23, 2024, the venue served as the opening venue for
Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World Tour, her first arena tour. The show also served as the first arena show for opening act
Chappell Roan
Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Camp (style), camp and drag queen–influenced aesthetic. Her debut EP, ''School Nights'' (201 ...
.
The
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
faced the
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
in an
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
preseason game at Acrisure Arena on October 4, 2024. The Lakers played the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
in another NBA preseason game at Acrisure Arena two days later on October 6, 2024.
References
External links
Official Site
{{Greater Los Angeles Area Sports
Ice hockey venues in California
Sports venues in Riverside County, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Desert, California
Coachella Valley
Sports venues completed in 2022
2022 establishments in California