A Decade of Entertainment at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

Denny Sanford PREMIER Center is celebrating 10 years this October since it opened its doors in 2014. From countless sold-out concerts to basketball tournaments, rodeos, comedy tours, theater performances on ice and so much more, let’s look back at some of the many highlights from the past decade.

First Concert:

Jason Aldean, October 2014

Highest Attendance:

Metallica holds the highest single-show attendance record at 12,980 in 2018.

Garth Brooks brought in nearly 107,000 fans over the course of nine sold-out shows in 2017.

Quickest Sell-Out:

In 2023, Zach Bryan’s Burn, Burn, Burn Tour never went to a public ticket on sale period because the show sold out during the tour’s verified fan presale registration process. Zach Bryan’s show also took the spot of the 2^nd highest attendance for a single-day event, with more than 11,000 fans in attendance.

Notables (Shows):

Jeff Dunham was not only the first comedian to perform at the venue during his 2016 tour, but that tour also sold the highest number of tickets for a comedian.

Nate Bargatze’s 2024 tour set him as the highest grossing comedian in the venue’s history.

Imagine Dragons has the largest number of tickets sold for a pop show during its 2018 show.

Cher is the highest grossing pop artist to play at the venue, but will soon be dethroned by P!nk during her show on October 21.

Sir Paul McCartney held the highest single-show gross sales record for 8 years until P!nk topped that too.

The largest Christian show was Tobymac & MercyMe in 2023 with special guest Zach Williams.

Notables (Non-Shows):

In 2024, Denny Sanford PREMIER Center hosted an attendance record breaking National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic with 35,415 people over the course of three days.

One week later, The Summit League Men’s & Women’s 2024 Basketball Championships had its own record-breaking attendance with 73,287 people during the five-day tournament.

In May 2024, in partnership with KultureCity and Lauren Daigle’s tour, Denny Sanford PREMIER Center installed a KultureCity Sensory Pod as the venue became a KultureCity certified inclusive venue.

To enhance the in-event fan experience, Grab ‘n Go concessions started in 2023.

In 2020, Mamava Nursing Pods were installed, in partnership with Sanford Health.

Coolest Artist Gifts:

When artists perform at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, the venue’s team always tries to find ways to welcome the touring crew by giving out custom gifts and creating special welcomes. When an artist headlines the venue for the first time, they are gifted a Pink Firefly Guitar from the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation.

In 2023, Blake Shelton was gifted a “Mr. Stefani” jacket from the venue, which was later posted by Gwen Stefani and covered by Good Morning America.

Iron Maiden, who played at the venue in October 2022, was gifted bomber jackets with hand-sewn patches of each of their studio albums over the past 30 years, and the lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, received a custom aviator hat also with hand-sewn patches. Dickinson has a commercial pilot’s license, and the band has their own Boeing 757, which served as inspiration for the gift. They have worn the items in various countries including Brazil and onstage at a following show in Canada.

Bert Kreischer was gifted custom artwork inspired by his comedic life stories in 2023 that were later shared on his Instagram.

Over the years, Denny Sanford PREMIER Center has also brought in hair salons, massage therapists, and have provided a wide variety of specialty treat bars. Other backstage activations have included friendship bracelet making stations, DIY flower crown bars, and even a meet-and-greet with alpacas from a local farmer.

What's Ahead:

Denny Sanford PREMIER Center will be officially celebrating its 10 year anniversary when P!nk performs on October 21. To close out 2024, the venue will also be hosting Sioux Falls Stampede games, Nitro Circus, Lainey Wilson, Little Big Town, Disney On Ice, and Pentatonix.

The venue recently announced Rascal Flatts for its first concert announcement for 2025, hitting the stage on February 27.

A lot has happened since the opening of Denny Sanford PREMIER Center 10 years ago, it’s hard to imagine Sioux Falls without it. So, here’s to many more milestones and memories to make in the years to come!