Denny Sanford Premier Center

The Denny Sanford Premier Center is a large, indoor arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The building is located at 1201 North West Avenue, and is connected to the Sioux Falls Arena and Sioux Falls Convention Center. The Arena's naming rights partners, and largest sponsors, are Sanford Health, First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard.

Completed in 2014, The Denny has a seating capacity of approximately 12,000 spectators and replaces the DakotaDome and Rushmore Plaza Civic Center as the largest indoor venue in South Dakota. The Sioux Falls Arena hosts smaller concerts and events, while the Denny Sanford Premier Center hosts large scale concerts and sporting events.

History


A replacement of the Sioux Falls Arena had been discussed since 1999, with numerous task forces formed and studies completed to determine the need for a new events center. The Sioux Falls Arena was built in 1961 when the population of Sioux Falls was 65,000. By 2000, the population had nearly doubled to 124,000 while updates to the Arena were few and far between. After years of arguments and meetings, the new events center was put to a public vote in a special election on November 8, 2011. By a vote of 23,284 to 16,807, Sioux Falls citizens passed the events center special ballot, allowing design and construction of a new events center to begin.

Events
The first kick off concert held at the Premier Center was held on September 24, 2014 featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts along with opener, Starship (Mickey Thomas) followed by a series of country acts: October 3, 2014 featured Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line with Tyler Farr in front of a Sold-Out Crowd of over 11,000 fans.

Slipknot, along with guests Korn and opening band King 810, performed at the Premier Center as part of the "Prepare for hell" tour on November 9, 2014. Eric Church and Dwight Yoakam performed at the venue on December 6, 2014 as part of The Outsiders World Tour.

Other artists and acts that have performed at the venue are Luke Bryan, Demi Lovato, Christina Perri, Carrie Underwood, and Varekai - a Cirque du Soleil production.

Events in 2015 included Chris Tomlin, Nickelback, Kenny Chesney, Def Leppard, Rod Stewart, The Eagles, Ed Sheeran, Lady Antebellum, Shania Twain, Elton John, and Mötley Crüe. Paul McCartney appeared on May 2, 2016.

The Premier Center hosts the Summit League men's and women's basketball tournaments every year in March. The respective winners receive automatic berths to the NCAA Division I men's and women's tournaments.

The Denny Sanford Premier Center also plays host to the home contests of the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League and the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League.

From 2015-2017, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) association hosted an annual Built Ford Tough Series event. Since 2017 the PBR has hosted an Unleash the Beast Series event at the Premier Center, known as the First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard Invitational.

Country-pop Canadian singer, Shania Twain brought her Rock This Country Tou r to the arena on September 23, 2015 to play a sold-out show of 9,925 patrons, grossing over $1 million from the single-night show. She returned three years later during her Shania Now Tour on May 16, 2018.

Rock group Metallica set the attendance record for the venue on September 11, 2018, with more than 12,000 fans.