The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is a community center near downtown Honolulu, Hawaii.[3] The complex has a multi-purpose arena, concert hall, exhibition hall, galleria, meeting rooms, Waikiki Shell and others.
Constructed in 1964 on the historic Ward Estate and originally called the Honolulu International Center, the center was renamed after Mayor of HonoluluNeal S. Blaisdell, who oversaw its construction.[2] It was remodeled and expanded in 1994. The complex is overseen by the city's Department of Enterprise Services, which also oversees the Waikiki Shell. As of 2019,[update] the city is seeking to redevelop the site with extensive stakeholder and public involvement to assess the community's goals.[4]
Facilities and events
Arena
Blaisdell Arena
The Neal S. Blaisdell Arena is a circular performance facility used for concerts and major sporting events. The arena can accommodate 7,700 seats for sports events, and up to 8,800 seats for stage events with seats set up on the arena floor.
On December 3, 1966, The Monkees gave their first live concert here.[5] They played a 40-minute set. Loggins and Messina performed their final two concerts here on September 24 and 25, 1976.
Elvis Presley's Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite concert was held here on January 14, 1973. In recognition of the concert, a bronze statue of Presley was installed in 2007 outside the front of the arena. The statue was sponsored by the cable channel TV Land.[6]
During a circus performance in 1994, Tyke, an African Elephant, killed her trainer and charged out of the arena in a rage. The animal rampaged outside the arena for 30 minutes before police fired 87 rounds at the elephant, who eventually collapsed and died as a result of the shooting.
The Philippine TV show ASAP performed at the arena on June 30, 2018, through an international concert titled ASAP Live in Honolulu.
Many graduation and commencement ceremonies are held by schools in the arena and concert hall in late May and June.
In November 2006, the Professional Bull Riders hosted the Cheeseburger Island Style PBR Hawaii All-Star Challenge, a special event that took place between the 2006 PBR World Finals and the start of the 2007 PBR season.
With a capacity of 2,158 seats, the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall was the home of the Honolulu Symphony and the Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre. Broadway productions such as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Rent, Miss Saigon, Chicago, Cats, and other national touring shows have performed at the concert hall.[8] In the fall and early winter of 2007 the concert hall was host to the Broadway musical The Lion King, a booking which displaced the Honolulu Symphony from its usual home and led to a major cash flow crisis for the orchestra.[9] Elvis Presley also performed at the then Honolulu International Centre.
Exhibition Hall
Inside the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
Located between the Concert Hall and the Arena, the Exhibition Hall provides 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2) of exhibition space on the main floor that is expandable to 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) when combined with adjoining spaces. Five meeting rooms are also available in the hall. The Exhibition Hall accommodates numerous local trade and consumer shows and fundraising events throughout the year, and is one of the main exhibition venues in Honolulu in addition to the Hawaii Convention Center.
The Exhibition Hall hosts events throughout the year such as craft fairs, gun shows, family expos, job fairs, food & product shows, as well as private trade shows.