Situated on the banks of the Arkansas River in North Little Rock, the Alltel Arena is a 370,000-square-foot entertainment and convention facility with a seating capacity of 18,000 and 28,000 square feet of meeting room space.
The Alltel Arena is one of several attractions located along the Arkansas River that unites the capital city of Little Rock with North Little Rock. The Civic Center Design Team (Burt Taggart & Associates Architects/Engineers, Garver & Garver Engineering and Rosser International of Atlanta) designed the facility. The arena is considered the crown jewel in the development of the riverfront that includes a new central library, a market, the refurbished Old State Territorial Capitol Building, and public parks on both sides of the scenic river. With the addition of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, the twin cities have become a primary destination for tourists from the state and around the world.
The arena was funded through a combination of local, state and private monies. On the local level, proceeds from a one-year, one-cent sales tax in Pulaski County were dedicated to building the arena. The state contributed $20 million and the sale of suite lease agreements for skyboxes and other private funding netted additional funds. The Alltel Corporation contributed $7 million for the naming rights of the arena. When it opened in October of 1999 with a cost of $83 million, the arena was debt free.
The arena is owned by the Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board for Pulaski County, with Michael Marion as General Manager of the facility. Marion, with 25 years experience in the entertainment industry, has been highly successful in booking some of the most illustrious names in music, including Elton John, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Cher, The Eagles, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Bruce Springsteen and many more.
In addition to providing a venue for sports and concerts, the arena provides space for meetings, banquets, conventions and exhibitions. Seating capacity ranges from 75 to 2,300. An 80-by-40-foot stage, eight spotlights, a public address system, audio/video equipment and in-house sound system are provided. The arena offers full in-house catering with a complete catering staff and experienced chef.
Since its beginning, Alltel has been highly successful in providing people of all ages and backgrounds with the best in entertainment and convention facilities, making it the likely arena of choice in Central Arkansas for generations to come.
Contact Alltel Arena in central Arkansas - hosting Arkansas concerts and sporting events:
