Smoothie King Center
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| Former names | New Orleans Arena (1999–2014) |
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| Address | 1501 Dave Dixon Drive |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 29°56′56″N 90°4′55″W / 29.94889°N 90.08194°WCoordinates: 29°56′56″N 90°4′55″W / 29.94889°N 90.08194°W |
| Owner | The State of Louisiana |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | Concerts: 17,805 NBA Basketball/Hockey: 16,867 College basketball/NBA playoff games: 18,500 Arena Football: 16,900 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 30, 1995 |
| Opened | October 29, 1999 |
| Construction cost | US$114 million ($164 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Arthur Q. Davis and Partners Billes-Manning Architects Hewitt Washington and Associates |
| Project manager | CS Associates |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore |
| Services engineer | Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. |
| General contractor | Manhattan/Gibbs |
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New Orleans Brass (ECHL) (1999–2002) New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) (2002–present) New Orleans VooDoo (AFL) (2004–2008, 2011–2015) |
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The Smoothie King Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The arena opened in 1999 as New Orleans Arena and has been home to the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 2002. The New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League played their home games in the arena from 2004 until the team disbanded in 2008. The VooDoo resumed play at the arena in March 2011, until after the 2015 AFL season when the franchise folded.
The arena was completed in 1999 at a cost of $114 million and officially opened on October 19, 1999. The arena seats 17,805 for concerts, 16,867 for Pelicans games and hockey, 18,500 for basketball (Specifically College Basketball and New Orleans Pelicans Playoff Games)., and 16,900 for arena football. It has 2,800 club seats and 56 luxury suites.
The arena as a concert venue can seat 7,500 for half-stage shows, 17,221 for end-stage shows and 17,805 for a center-stage shows. For trade shows and conventions the arena features 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2) of space. The ceiling is 65 feet (20 m) to beam and roof, 70 feet (21.5 m) to the top of the arena.
In 1999, the arena's first tenant, the New Orleans Brass ice hockey team of the ECHL played their first home game in the arena. The team played in the arena their last three seasons. When the New Orleans Hornets arrived in 2002, they persuaded the state government to demand that the Brass foot the cost of converting the arena between basketball and hockey configurations. That expense was more than the Brass were willing to pay, and they were forced to fold due to the lack of another suitable arena.
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