Photo Tour of the Renovated CFG Bank Arena

CFG Bank Arena, which has been under renovation since March of last year, will host its grand opening on April 7th for the Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band concert. Oak View Group (OVG), the arena’s developer, hosted a media tour of the renovated arena today.

CFG Bank Arena partially reopened in February for the CIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, but has been closed since then to finish construction.

OVG, along with its partners Fundamental Advisors and Thirty Five Ventures, have fully funded the approximately $250-million renovation of CFG Bank Arena. They will lease the building for the next 30 years through an entity called Baltimore Arena Co.

Renovation details from OVG:

Renovations to the arena include the removal of the permanent stage, adding seats and suites, refurbishing concourses, upgrading concessions areas, and changing the building’s appearance. Additional upgrades to the facility will include focuses on sustainability such as using locally sourced materials such as repurposing the steel from the original venue. Other new features include LED lighting, low flow and waterless fixtures, and more; world-class acoustics to amplify the audio experience; next-generation touchless and self-serve technologies for food & beverage and merchandise purchases to minimize transaction times; renovations to the venue’s back of house; structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting and fire protection upgrades; as well as construction encompassing, plumbing, electrical, fire protection, lighting; and updates to the arena’s telecommunications infrastructure, wireless network, and video/network/security systems.

Capacity will be 14,000 when CFG Bank Arena returns in April, an increase from the previous capacity of 12,289. It has 10 event-level suites and 16 premium level suites. It also has a club level on the north end of the lower deck with premium hospitality and booth seating.

There are bars and food vendors on the floor level as well as the second level that is open concourse with views of the floor and stage.

The Bethesda-based Clark Construction Group is the general contractor on the project.

Following the sold-out Springsteen concert marking the arena’s grand opening, the Eagles will perform “Hotel California” and their greatest hits at CFG Bank Arena on Saturday, April 8. Other upcoming events include:

• Straight Jokes No Chaser – Friday, Apr 14, 2023
• Jeff Dunham Still Not Canceled – Saturday, Apr 15, 2023
• Adam Sandler – Friday, April 21, 2023
• New Edition: Legacy Tour with Keith Sweat, Guy and special guest Tank– Saturday, Apr 22, 2023
• Monster Jam – Friday, Apr 28, 2023 – Sun, Apr 30, 2023
• AEW Dynamite – Wednesday, May 3, 2023
• Lizzo: The Special 2our – Tuesday, May 9, 2023
• Janet Jackson: Together Again Special Guest Ludacris – Saturday, May 13, 2023
• Anita Baker: The Songstress with the Legendary Babyface – Sunday, May 14, 2023
• MAMAMOO: MY CON – US Tour – Thursday, May 18, 2023
• blink-182 Tour 2023 – Friday, May 26, 2023
• Stars On Ice – Friday, June 2, 2023
• Bryan Adams: So Happy It Hurts 2023 with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – Tuesday, June 6, 2023
• Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded Comedy Festival – Thursday, June 15, 2023
• Dude Perfect PandaMonium – Sunday, June 25, 2023
• Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show – Saturday, July 15, 2023
• Thomas Rhett: Home Team Tour 23 – Friday, July 21, 2023
• Lionel Richie And Earth, Wind & Fire – Sing A Song All Night Long – Saturday, August 9, 2023
• John Mayer – Solo – Friday, October 20, 2023
• Lauren Daigle – The Kaleidoscope Tour – Saturday, October 21, 2023
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents The Greatest Show On Earth® -– Friday, November 24, 2023 – Sunday, November 26, 2023

Additional sporting events eyed for CFG Bank Arena include UFC, tennis, boxing, NBA exhibition games, NCAA events, tournaments, and more.

CFG Bank Arena General Manager Frank Remesch said the arena is looking to host 130 shows per year, up from the pre-COVID level of 105 shows. He also noted ticket sales should increase from less than 600,000 per year to more than 1,000,000 per year.

CFG Bank Arena was first constructed in 1961 and was named Royal Farms Arena in recent years. It was also previously 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore Arena, and Baltimore Civic Center.

Exterior 

Seating Bowl and Floor Level 

 Floor-Level VIP Area 

 Floor-Level VIP Area Bunker Suites 

Floor-Level Vending 

Concourses 

Second-Level Vending

Second-Level Outdoor Deck 

Club Level (North baseline of the lower deck) 

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.