Tingley Coliseum
Encyclopedia
The Tingley Coliseum is an 11,571-seat multi-purpose arena
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Originally built as a rodeo
and horse show
auditorium, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E.
Until spring 2005, it was home to the New Mexico Scorpions
ice hockey
team
(since relocated to the new Santa Ana Star Center
in Rio Rancho, New Mexico
). It was most recently home to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds
of the NBA Development League
, until their move to the Santa Ana Star Center
in Rio Rancho
in 2010.
was not held due to financial difficulties and the lack of a suitable location. Many held out hope, but the State Fair was canceled every year for over two decades.
It was the end of the State Fair until, in 1937, a group of New Mexico businessmen led by Governor Clyde Tingley
convinced President
Franklin Roosevelt to grant Works Progress Administration
(WPA) funds for construction of fairground buildings in the middle of Albuquerque, of which Tingley Coliseum would be the center.
Over the next several years, more than $500,000 in WPA funds and more than a million adobe bricks were used for the construction of buildings. It took much longer than expected, finishing in 1957, seventeen years after construction began. Though the Coliseum took nearly two decades to complete, the rest of the fairgrounds did not take nearly as long, which enabled the State Fair to reopen in 1938.
The Coliseum was dedicated at the opening of the 1957 New Mexico State Fair and was named in honor of Governor Tingley. Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans
played the entire run of that year's nine-day Fair.
In 1998, the state legislature granted funds to keep Tingley Coliseum a resource for New Mexicans to enjoy for years to come. Since 1999, $9.6 million has been spent on renovating the coliseum.
Entertainers who have appeared at Tingley include The Mighty Van Halen, Megadeth
, Shakira
, Iron Maiden
, Steve McQueen
, Elvis Presley
, Antonio Banderas
and WWE
, among others.
KISS
were scheduled to perform during their Asylum Tour
on January 28, 1986, but the show was cancelled.
KISS
played there in 1979. Taylor Swift
played Tingley Coliseum during her Fearless Tour
in 2009, while Jeff Dunham
performed there the next year. Katy Perry
played the Coliseum in 2011, during her California Dreams Tour
.
It also hosted the 1987 Miss USA
pageant.
The PBR held one of their signature Built Ford Tough Series
(formerly Bud Light Cup) events, the Ty Murray
Invitational, annually, from 1998-2008. As of 2009, the event was moved to The Pit
, on the University of New Mexico
campus.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Originally built as a rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
and horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
auditorium, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E.
Until spring 2005, it was home to the New Mexico Scorpions
New Mexico Scorpions
The New Mexico Scorpions were a Central Hockey League team located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The team was established in 1953 as a part of the Western Professional Hockey League . In 2001, the WPHL merged with the CHL...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
(since relocated to the new Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center is an 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque. The arena is located near the intersection of Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Volcan...
in Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
There were 18,995 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had...
). It was most recently home to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Albuquerque Thunderbirds
The New Mexico Thunderbirds were a professional NBA Development League minor league basketball team which played from 2005-2011. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Thunderbirds first played their home games at Tingley Coliseum as the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, then played at the Santa Ana Star...
of the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
, until their move to the Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center
Santa Ana Star Center is an 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque. The arena is located near the intersection of Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Volcan...
in Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
There were 18,995 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had...
in 2010.
History
In 1916, the New Mexico State FairNew Mexico State Fair
The New Mexico State Fair is an annual state fair held for 17 days in September at Expo New Mexico in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A...
was not held due to financial difficulties and the lack of a suitable location. Many held out hope, but the State Fair was canceled every year for over two decades.
It was the end of the State Fair until, in 1937, a group of New Mexico businessmen led by Governor Clyde Tingley
Clyde Tingley
Clyde K. Tingley was a U.S. politician who served as the 11th Governor of the State of New Mexico. He was a children's healthcare advocate.-Biography:...
convinced President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin Roosevelt to grant Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) funds for construction of fairground buildings in the middle of Albuquerque, of which Tingley Coliseum would be the center.
Over the next several years, more than $500,000 in WPA funds and more than a million adobe bricks were used for the construction of buildings. It took much longer than expected, finishing in 1957, seventeen years after construction began. Though the Coliseum took nearly two decades to complete, the rest of the fairgrounds did not take nearly as long, which enabled the State Fair to reopen in 1938.
The Coliseum was dedicated at the opening of the 1957 New Mexico State Fair and was named in honor of Governor Tingley. Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and Dale Evans
Dale Evans
Dale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
played the entire run of that year's nine-day Fair.
In 1998, the state legislature granted funds to keep Tingley Coliseum a resource for New Mexicans to enjoy for years to come. Since 1999, $9.6 million has been spent on renovating the coliseum.
Notable events
Tingley Coliseum is used for a myriad of civic gatherings, beyond the State Fair, including concerts and sporting events.Entertainers who have appeared at Tingley include The Mighty Van Halen, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
and WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, among others.
KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
were scheduled to perform during their Asylum Tour
Asylum Tour
The Asylum Tour was a concert tour by Kiss. It was the first Kiss tour since the Dynasty Tour to stay inside North America. Kiss also performed The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", usually in the encore. Paul Stanley, does his guitar smashing ritual after, "Lick It Up".On March 30, 1986, Kiss played...
on January 28, 1986, but the show was cancelled.
KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
played there in 1979. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
played Tingley Coliseum during her Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
in 2009, while Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham is an American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show and Sonny With a Chance...
performed there the next year. Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
played the Coliseum in 2011, during her California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour
California Dreams Tour is the second concert tour by American pop singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. Beginning February 2011, the tour will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas...
.
It also hosted the 1987 Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
pageant.
The PBR held one of their signature Built Ford Tough Series
Built Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
(formerly Bud Light Cup) events, the Ty Murray
Ty Murray
Ty Monroe Murray is a nine-time World Champion rodeo cowboy and co-founder and board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders.-Early life:...
Invitational, annually, from 1998-2008. As of 2009, the event was moved to The Pit
University Arena
The Pit, originally known as University Arena, is a basketball-only arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It serves primarily as the home of the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball teams. The arena seats 17,126 for basketball, has 40 luxury suites, and 350 club seats...
, on the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
campus.