NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Square Garden has been named the "coolest" arena in the United States by Rolling Stone . The magazine polled twenty-six top industry insiders and musicians who voted on the nation's "coolest" venues for the last installment of their five-part online series on "Venues that Rock" that posted in September.
"It is very exciting to have been named the 'coolest' venue in America by music industry insiders in Rolling Stone magazine," said Melissa Ormond, president of Madison Square Garden Entertainment. "The Garden is an iconic venue that has hosted many of the most magical and defining moments in sports and entertainment history. When The Garden re-opens this month after a three-year, $1 billion top-to-bottom Transformation, The World's Most Famous Arena will be even 'cooler', for Artists and fans alike."
The final phase of the Transformation will result in an all new Chase Square 7th Avenue entrance that is nearly double in size and features interactive zones, retail locations, box office and a broadcast location; two new Chase Bridges suspended above the Arena floor for a one-of-a-kind view of the action; a new EIGHTEEN/76 Balcony on the 10th floor offering a selection of new food and beverage options and a unique social gathering space with direct views into the Arena bowl; a new state-of-the-art GardenVision scoreboard; and a new Signature Suite Level on the 9 th floor featuring 18 completely remodeled suites with "center stage" views for concerts.
Music agent Dennis Arfa stated in the article that, "there aren't many venues that make a difference, but the Garden does."
Madison Square Garden has an unprecedented 134-year legacy and has embraced generations of fans worldwide who have come to express their pride and passion for teams, athletes, performers and statesmen at the thousands of historic events that have taken place at "The World's Most Famous Arena." Madison Square Garden traditionally hosts more than 400 events annually, attended by over four million fans. The renowned history of The Garden has included countless memorable moments and the biggest names in music make The Garden a "must-stop." Artists come to MSG to make history and break records—Elton John holds the record for greatest number of appearances with 62 shows, soon to be 64 as he will return this December for another two memorable performances and famed New Yorker Billy Joel, holds the record for "Longest Run By A Single Artist" with 12 sold-out performances. Countless contemporary artists—from Katy Perry to Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber to One Direction—talk about performing at MSG as being a "dream come true" in interviews, on-stage, in song lyrics and on their social handles. It's the pinnacle of an artist's career to play The Garden and the magic of the venue transcends generations.
TOP 10 RANKINGS:
| 1) Madison Square Garden | 6) Bridgestone Arena |
| 2) Wrigley Field | 7) KFC Yum! Center |
| 3) Fenway Park | 8) Staples Center |
| 4) Barclays Center | 9) Philips Arena |
| 5) Yankee Stadium | 10) MetLife Stadium |
About The Madison Square Garden Company:
The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company's venues. MSG Media's television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks; and Fuse, a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Networks also include high-definition channels, MSG HD and MSG+ HD, and Fuse includes its high-definition channel, Fuse HD. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company's diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com .
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CONTACT: Mikyl Cordova / MSG Entertainment (212)-631-4337 Mikyl.Cordova@msg.com
