Tingley Coliseum
| Company type | Arena |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Sports |
| Founded | 1957 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Headquarters | Albuquerque , United States |
Area served | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Key people | Governor Clyde Tingley (namesake) |
| Products | Venue for concerts, sporting events, rodeos, ice shows |
Tingley Coliseum is a versatile arena situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a seating capacity of 11,571. Initially constructed to serve as a venue for rodeo and horse show events, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E. Over the years, it has been the home ground for multiple sports teams, such as the Albuquerque Six-Guns and the New Mexico Scorpions ice hockey franchises. Additionally, from 2005 until 2010, it hosted the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League. Both the Thunderbirds and Scorpions later relocated to the Rio Rancho Events Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The arena also accommodated the New Mexico Slam basketball team from its inception in 1999 until it disbanded in 2001. Within Tingley Coliseum, there are 9,286 fixed seats available.
In 2015, the facility became the home venue for the Duke City Gladiators, an expansion franchise in Champions Indoor Football, which subsequently joined the Indoor Football League in 2019.
History
The New Mexico State Fair was halted in 1916 due to financial constraints and a lack of an appropriate site, resulting in a suspension that lasted more than twenty years.
In 1937, a coalition of New Mexico entrepreneurs, spearheaded by then-Governor Clyde Tingley, obtained funding through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop fairground infrastructure in Albuquerque, with Tingley Coliseum intended as the central feature.
Construction spanned several years, utilizing over $500,000 in WPA funds alongside more than one million adobe bricks. Although the Coliseum itself was finalized in 1957—seventeen years after construction began—other fairground facilities were completed sooner, enabling the State Fair to resume operations in 1938.
The Coliseum was officially dedicated during the opening of the 1957 fair and was named in honor of Governor Tingley. That year’s fair included performances by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans over a nine-day period.
Notable events
Beyond its role in hosting the State Fair, Tingley Coliseum accommodates a wide range of public gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, and ice shows.
Artists who have performed at the venue include Journey, Ike & Tina Turner, Garth Brooks, Shakira, WWE, UFC, The Kinks, Mötley Crüe, Janet Jackson, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam (1998), AC/DC, Iron Maiden (1982), Metallica, KISS, Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, Van Halen, Tool, Rush, Aerosmith, James Brown, Elton John, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Fleetwood Mac (1979), Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Chris Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Prince (1997), among others.
The venue hosted significant events such as the 1966 National AAU Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 1987 edition of the Miss USA pageant won by contestant Michelle Royer.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. held his second professional bout at Tingley Coliseum.
From 1997 through 2008, it served as the location for the Professional Bull Riders’ Premier Series event known as the Ty Murray Invitational before this competition moved to the University of New Mexico’s arena starting in 2009.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1957 establishments in New Mexico
- Sports facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Albuquerque Thunderbirds
- Athletics (track and field) facilities in New Mexico
- Basketball arenas in New Mexico
- Ice hockey arenas in the United States
- Music event venues in New Mexico
- Sports venues inaugurated in 1957
- Works Progress Administration projects in New Mexico