Pinnacle Bank Arena

by Julie Nichols 

Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln’s Haymarket hosts some of today’s highest-profile artists and sporting events in the region. 

Pinnacle Bank Arena, nearing its 15th anniversary, thrives in the historic Haymarket. Launched in September 2013, this $179 million state-of-the-art multipurpose facility was realized with several million in development funding. The creation of The West Haymarket Joint Public Agency allowed the city to issue $300 million in bonds and apply a new voter-approved occupation tax on restaurants, bars and hotels to pay off the debt. Beyond building the arena, the funds allowed for rerouting the BNSF Railroad tracks, clearing a path for hotels, new businesses and the Railyard.

Pinnacle Bank Arena is home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln men’s and women’s basketball teams as anchor tenants. It has hosted up to 200 events per year: top-selling music acts, international artists, major sporting events and spectacular family shows.

With a panorama of downtown, the State Capitol, Memorial and Saltdog Stadiums, this 15,500-seat multiuse arena includes 36 suites, 20 loge boxes and 832 club seats. Approximately 450,000 square feet on four concourse levels, multiple entrances, concession stands and restrooms on every floor provide ease of use for patrons. Likewise, for incoming acts, PBA is built to make massive load-ins easy, and large-scale shows – like the PRCA Rodeo, Cirque du Soleil, Monster Truck Jam, Disney on Ice, and Paw Patrol tend to return, as Elton John did for the third time on his farewell tour.

The arena must be doing something right; PBA rebounded successfully from shuttering during the 2020 pandemic. Gradually increasing its lineup of events each season, ticket sales have risen steadily yearly, including a 268 percent jump in gross ticket sales from 2021 to 2022. There’s no question that UNL’s college basketball games have driven attendance and vice versa. Exciting sporting events such as the NSAA Boys and Girls State Basketball and Volleyball Championships, Light Welterweight Championship Boxing with Terence Crawford vs. Julius Indongo, and B1G Wrestling Championships have also driven attendance and revenue at the arena.

The coterie of stars that come to Pinnacle is impressive: Sir Paul McCartney, Cher, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Pink, Blake Shelton, TOOL, Shania Twain, Pearl Jam, Cardi B, Neil Young, Disturbed, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, Ghost. Many of these artists return—and so do their fans. Pinnacle’s sister venue in Pioneers Park, Pinewood Bowl, is also notably increasing the number and quality of its concerts. Massively popular acts like Steely Dan, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Jackson Brown, Beck, Jack White, Earth Wind and Fire, Weird Al, Bonnie Raitt and Chicago that can command much larger venues now frequently play at this natural amphitheater located directly west of Lincoln.

“We’ve grabbed the attention of the top promoters and agents nationwide allowing us to host high-caliber concerts and events regularly,” said Tim Savona, Pinnacle’s general manager. “We have no doubt that our events have helped to put Lincoln on the sports and entertainment industry map; and at the same time, we also are fully committed to the local community.”

Part of supporting Lincoln’s community is hosting graduation ceremonies for thousands of college and high school graduates each year. The venue is home to the NSAA basketball, volleyball, and wrestling state championships. Another component is providing fundraising opportunities through concession stands for countless high school bands, school organizations, and civic groups, bringing in over $100 thousand each year to their organizations. Pinnacle Bank Arena also partners with the city and local organizations, hosting fundraisers and providing event space for people to receive services. Pinnacle opened its doors during the pandemic and became a mass vaccine clinic. Each year, it hosts Project Connect, which concentrates on health, personal care, and social and legal services for unhoused people in one big event. The arena holds the largest fundraiser for the People’s City Mission each year and contributes hundreds of complimentary tickets to local organizations. Pinewood Bowl still serves its original role in offering community theatre, youth programs, and touring theatre performances during its season from spring to fall.

Since 2013, with the exception of 2020-21, the amount the city is collecting from sales taxes has risen 5 percent annually, and lodging taxes collected have increased 10 percent on average each year. Although neither of these increases can be tied to the Pinnacle Bank Arena entirely, it’s undeniable that the growing number of visitors to PBA has driven growth in profits for the area. The occupation tax also exceeds expectations, generating more revenue than projected, reaching 20 million in 2023: over ten years from the projection date 2036.

Pinnacle keeps outdoing itself, reaching six million tickets sold by its tenth year. The year before George Strait’s concert in 2022 posted the venue’s largest gross ticket sales. Garth Brooks, Elton John, Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, P!NK form the short list of sold-out shows. That Pinnacle has been able to attract and maintain world-class acts in a regional venue is part of the whole reinvention it brought to the Haymarket. Even though taxpayers will be footing the bill for years to come, stakeholders say it’s paying off and that Pinnacle Bank Arena will continue to bring in crowds. The Haymarket continues to grow, its transformation driven by an influx of visitors, partly drawn by the vitality of Pinnacle Bank Arena