After multi-million dollar state investment, PeoplesBank Arena to reopen in October
September 24, 2025
After multi-million dollar state investment, PeoplesBank Arena to reopen in October
In less than a month, The PeoplesBank Arena is reopening after months of construction. This is the former XL Center and the former Civic Center. They’ve been closed since May, working on a $145 million renovation, a project state officials took years to settle on.
In all, $118 million was invested by the state for this project, in addition to private funding from Oak View Group, which operates the Arena. Arena officials hope it ushers in a new wave of vibrancy for the City of Hartford.
WATCH HERE“We’re just really excited to showcase the building and what $145 million renovation looks like,” said Ben Weiss, of the Oak View Group. “It was needed. Honestly, in my opinion, it was overdue. The community deserves a building like this.”
We took a sneak peek at what this new and improved Hartford venue has to offer.
“The entire building basically from the roof down has been repainted,” said Weiss.
The first thing ticketholders will notice is that the chairs in the lower bowl are modernized. The retractable seats are upgraded also and now have a very requested, but simple, amenity of cupholders.
“We’ve always had these, but the previous version were 25 years old and didn’t work,” said Weiss, speaking about the retractable chairs.
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They’ve added loge box seating and bunker suites, which will be completed soon. The suites exit right at center court or center ice. The new club and event space is one of the biggest changes too, and the locker rooms have been redone and are state of the art.
These are all offerings the previous space didn’t have but competing arenas do have. That’s one reason why officials think the former XL Center wasn’t as competitive in our region.
“On average, we would do eight to ten concerts a year. We’re expected to be doubled that on an annual basis and continue to grow on that,” said Weiss. “My hope is that this year we’re north of 15 [concerts] and we’re on pace to be there.”
The renovations are creating buzz in the city.
“Back in the 60s and 70s, all the big-name acts would come through Hartford, and I think we’re going to see a lot more of that,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.
The arena is the focal point of a downtown business corridor that’s itching for action.
“Small businesses, that’s what we’re relying on, we’re relying on the foot traffic, big events, small events,” said Jane Yon, of Sunberry Restaurant and Bar on Pratt Street.
Arena officials say the goal is to have 30 concerts a year. Economic experts say the multi-million dollar state investment has already been spent. Now, the payoff power is in the hands of the people who choose to go and the artists who will choose to stop in Hartford.
The building is back open for business on October 17 for the Hartford Wolf Pack. That’s the start of a busy fall, with UConn hockey and a Stevie Nicks concert right after.
The Peoplesbank Arena is often talked about in an ongoing conversation about whether the Connecticut Sun will stay in our state.
“This team has proven they can be successful in the state of Connecticut, and we should be allowed to continue to grow this time in the State of Connecticut,” said Arulampalam.
He said if the Connecticut Sun did come to Hartford, they would bring 21 games to the arena and to the city, which is something officials would welcome. But keeping the Sun in Connecticut has proven to be a complicated situation that has not reached a conclusion. You can read the latest on that developing situation here.
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