Pensacola Bay Center Information
The Pensacola Bay Center, once known as the Pensacola Civic Center, is an indoor arena owned by Escambia County. The venue’s name was changed from the Pensacola Civic Center, after a vote called by The Escambia County Commission passed on October 18, 2012, as part of a citywide rebranding effort to revitalize the community. The arena is a multipurpose venue that has arrangements with a capacity of 8,150 for hockey games and up to 10,000 for non-hockey events. The arena’s impressive 23,000 square feet of space makes it one of the most convenient arenas in Florida for event hosting and has been used for sports, concerts, and political campaigns.
The arena was originally opened in January of 1985 and was primarily used as a sports arena and was most famous as the home of the Pensacola Ice Pilots hockey team until the team exited the ECHL on June 23, 2008. Hockey returned to the venue in fall the next year when the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League took up residence at the venue. The arena also plays host to other minor professional teams including the Pensacola Tornados of the CBA from 1985 to 1991, the Pensacola Flyers of the Eastern Indoor Soccer League from 1998, and the Pensacola Barracudas from 2000 to 2002, the venue has also played host to various other sporting events including professional wrestling and rodeos, with one of their most famous special events being the 1993 pay-per-view WCW Battlebowl event.
The venue has also hosted several famous concerts, including a February 27, 1990 concert for Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation World Tour that also issued 7,600 tickets to the public as a benefit to local charities and was sold out in less than an hour.
Before that, KISS was the first band to perform at the arena and has traditionally always included the venue as a stop on their North American Tours. But the largest concert ever held at the arena is, without a doubt, when Michael Jackson used the venue to rehearse for his Bad World Tour for nearly a month in 1988, though he had never performed a public concert at the venue.
The fame and mass appeal of the arena also made it an attractive option for conventions and political speeches and rallies, including a visit from President George W. Bush in 2006 as well as rallies from Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama during the 2008 presidential race.
Later election periods would also see the Pensacola Bay Center used during campaign rallies including a visit from presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2012 as well as then-candidate Donal Trump on January 13, 2016.
The Pensacola Bay Center undeniably serves as a focal point for Florida tourism, sporting events, and concerts and will continue to do so for years to come.
See the links below for more information on the Pensacola Bay Center:
Pensacola Bay Center Parking:
Find out more about parking at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Ticket Policies:
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Pensacola Bay Center Seating Chart:
View the Pensacola Bay Center seating chart and read seating information.