Wedding DJ at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC

The Space

The Greensboro Coliseum, now known as First Horizon Coliseum following a 2024 naming-rights agreement with First Horizon Bank, opened on October 29, 1959, with the historic ice show Holiday on Ice as its first event. The arena was proposed in 1944 by Greensboro mayor W.H. Sullivan to honor World War I and World War II veterans, with approval by city officials in 1956 and groundbreaking in January 1958. The facility opened with 7,100 seats, expanded to 15,000 in 1972 to meet growing demand, and reached its current capacity of 22,000 in 1993. The complex has grown to encompass nine venues hosting athletic competitions, concerts, conventions, and community events. The ACC men’s basketball tournament has been held at the coliseum 26 times since 1967, the most of any venue nationwide. Elvis Presley performed here in 1972, with footage from that performance appearing in his final film Elvis on Tour. Wake Forest played portions of its ACC home basketball schedule here from 1959 to 1989. The Greensboro Generals, an EHL hockey team, played their inaugural match here on November 11, 1959, defeating the Washington Presidents 4-1.

Capacity & Layout

The main arena seats 22,000 guests in various configurations from standing-room events to seated concerts and ceremonies. The Special Events Center adds 167,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space with a 4,500-seat mini-arena capable of hosting trade shows, receptions, and separate events simultaneously. The Terrace banquet hall seats 450 seated or stands 800 guests in a three-level column-free space. White Oak Amphitheatre is an outdoor venue with 7,600 or more seats for outdoor concerts and ceremonies. The Greensboro Aquatic Center has a 2,500-seat capacity. The Odeon Theatre is a 300-seat theater for smaller performances and ceremonies. The overall complex sits on 75 acres with 6,000 parking spaces, providing massive flexibility for events ranging from intimate ceremonies to very large celebrations and conventions.

Amenities

Oak View Group (OVG) is the facility’s exclusive in-house catering company, providing full-service meals for groups of 10 to 8,000 guests, offering economies of scale for large events. Full-service bar service is available throughout the venues. In-house electrical, compressed air, water, telephone, and cable services are available for event production and technical support. Abundant parking is included as part of the complex’s 75-acre footprint with 6,000 dedicated spaces. The facility has restaurants and concessions throughout the complex providing food service and beverages. Accessibility features are available throughout the complex. The 1978-built Special Events Center added three exhibition centers and eight dedicated meeting rooms to the original four-venue complex, expanding event-hosting capacity.

Location & Getting There

The Greensboro Complex is located at 1921 W Gate City Boulevard in Greensboro, North Carolina, approximately 3 miles from downtown and 13 miles from Piedmont Triad International Airport. The complex is situated in an established event district with easy highway access and visibility from Interstate 40. The 22,000-seat coliseum is an arena built for amplified sound and large crowds, featuring concrete structure, steel superstructure, and hard surfaces throughout. The interior acoustics are designed for sports and entertainment events, with natural sound amplification and minimal dead zones. The venue accommodates DJ performances and high-volume music across the full seating capacity. The Special Events Center and smaller venues each have distinct acoustic characteristics suited to different event scales, from intimate ceremonies in the Terrace to major conferences in the exhibition halls.