Athens’ new multimillion-dollar arena draws comparison to Enmarket Arena in Savannah

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz said Friday he envisions The Classic Center Arena – a new arena slated to open in downtown Athens next August – to be comparable to Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

The Classic Center Arena, anticipated to cost $150 million, will seat up to 8,500 people, making it the largest music venue in the city. It will also be home to a minor league hockey team whose name is yet to be announced.

The arena will be physically similar to Enmarket Arena in Savannah as the two buildings were designed by the same architecture firm, Perkins&Will, and are roughly the same size. 

Enmarket Arena, a multi-purpose complex with a 9,500 seat arena that opened in Savannah in February of 2022, is also home to a minor league hockey team, the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

During a news conference at the University of Georgia on Dec. 1, Girtz mentioned that the two arenas will share another similarity – the venues’ concert partner, Oak View Group.

Oak View Group is a professional sports and commercial real estate company that will be responsible for managing the concert schedules of both Georgia arenas.

“If you look at the Savannah programming over the last two years since their arena has been open, you probably get some idea of what you’ll end up seeing here in Athens,” Girtz said.

Enmarket Arena has hosted a variety of musical artists including Pitbull, Luke Bryan, Stevie Nicks, The Lumineers and DaBaby.

According to Girtz, The Classic Center management also hopes to book 10 family shows, 55 sporting events, 20 community events and 15 conventions per year.

Enmarket Arena has also been home to events such as Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, basketball and cheerleading tournaments, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and comedy shows since its opening in early 2022.

The Classic Center Arena General Manager Danny Bryant mirrored Girtz’s sentiments when asked about the comparison between the two arenas.

“That’s a great (comparison),” Bryant said. “If you’ve been down there, there are a lot of things that will feel similar to it. It’ll have its own unique differences as well.”

With so many similarities, it’s hoped that The Classic Center Arena will share the same success Enmarket Arena has had in its first two years of operation.

The arena ranks first in the Southeast and second in the country for venues under 10,000 seats based on ticket sales, according to the Savannah Business Journal.

For now, construction that started in April of 2022 continues on the arena that is expected to generate $33 million per year in economic impact for the community.

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz speaks with a University of Georgia Grady College student following the conclusion of the news conference on Dec. 1. Girtz spent the morning in the Fine Arts Building speaking to Reporting I students about The Classic Center Arena, a new arena coming to downtown Athens in August 2024. (Photo/Brigette Ramirez)