Acrisure Arena opens Wednesday: Ticket, parking info to know before you go

Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·4 min read
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With just one day until its opening the construction continues on the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 13, 2022.
With just one day until its opening the construction continues on the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 13, 2022.

Wednesday night is the night. We've watched Acrisure Arena grow from a shovel in the ground on June 2, 2021 to a $500 million, 300,000-square foot state-of-the-art arena right before our eyes, and after 18 months, the first night has arrived.

Acrisure Arena opens Wednesday night with a comedy show by Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. That will be followed Thursday by a Doobie Brothers concert, then Friday by a Grupo Firme concert and Sunday by the first-ever Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey game.

That's four events in five nights, and based on current ticket sales, all of them will be close to selling out the 10,000-seat arena, which can open up to 11,000 for concerts.

"We'll be ready," Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke said Monday at the arena as work crews in every corner of the building were still putting the finishing touches on the arena all around him. "I can't believe we're going to have a week like this, but it proves what we imagined and what we dreamed and what we thought day one, which is if you build a world-class venue down here — there are two million people in Riverside (and) about a million of them living in the valley — the support here will be unbelievable, and it has been."

Acrisure Arena eats: Inside and outside, food options overflow

If you are heading out to Acrisure Arena for any of this week's events, logic would dictate that there may be some growing pains, particularly in the areas of parking and ticketing. Doing simple things like coming prepared, arriving early and "packing your patience" will help mitigate potential stresses.

Here are some reminders as to how those two important processes will work at Acrisure Arena:

Tickets

The ticket process at Acrisure Arena is entirely paperless. Tickets are available for all events through Ticketmaster and can be found at the Ticketmaster website or acrisurearena.com or cvfirebirds.com. A useful practice will be to download the Ticketmaster app on your phone.

There is an on-site ticket window, but that is only open on show days. You can purchase day-of tickets (if any are available) or tickets to future events.

All tickets are digital and will be sent to your phone. Print-at-home tickets and screenshots of the ticket will not be accepted.

Note: If you are a suite, premium VIP or Firebirds season ticket holder, you will have a special log-in to manage your tickets.

Tim Leiweke walks with his dog as construction continues at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 12, 2022.
Tim Leiweke walks with his dog as construction continues at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 12, 2022.

Parking

Like with all arenas, the fewest number of vehicles involved in the parking process the better. Using ride share services like Uber or Lyft as well as carpooling when possible is encouraged.

For every event, pre-purchasing your parking is encouraged. The price may vary between concerts and Firebirds games. For this first week's events, stadium-adjacent parking is in the $30 range for the three concerts and in the $20 range for the Firebirds game.

Parking can be purchased upon arrival if the parking is not sold out. There will be overflow parking areas if necessary.

If you do pre-purchase parking, your license plate becomes your entry pass. As you drive in, your license plate is recognized and you drive into your assigned space. The idea is that this will help avoid traffic snarls at the entry point as patrons won't be fumbling for their cash or card or waiting in line to pay.

Firebirds players practice on main rink for first time in preparation for Sunday debut

With just one day until the Acrisure Arena hosts its first ever event, construction continues on a large electronic sign and other construction at the arena in Palm Desert, California, Dec. 13, 2022.
With just one day until the Acrisure Arena hosts its first ever event, construction continues on a large electronic sign and other construction at the arena in Palm Desert, California, Dec. 13, 2022.

Know before you go

Here are a few other important things to remember.

  • Acrisure Arena is an entirely cashless operation. None of the concession stands or merchandise areas inside accept cash, so don't forget your credit card.

  • There is a clear bag policy: Small clutches, purse wallets are permitted if they do not exceed 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Bags made of a clear material, not exceeding 14 by 14 by 6 inches in size are also allowed.

  • No outside food or drink is allowed in the arena

  • In the specific case of the Chappelle-Rock show, no cell phones will be allowed. They will be put in a pouch which you keep with you that can be opened when you leave.

  • There is a full A to Z guide on the arena's policies, including prohibited items at acrisurearena.com.

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Have any questions about Acrisure Arena or the Coachella Valley Firebirds? Shoot him an email at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

A construction worker gets the ChairmanÕs Club ready to open in the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 12, 2022.
A construction worker gets the ChairmanÕs Club ready to open in the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 12, 2022.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Acrisure Arena opens Wednesday: Ticket, parking info to know before you go