The Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena (commonly Lakefront Arena or UNO Lakefront Arena) is an 8,933-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectato ...

located in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

. The arena is home to the

University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High resea ...

Privateers men's and

women's A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as " women's rights" to denote female humans rega ...

basketball teams. It was built in 1983 and renamed in 1986 in honor of Nat G. Kiefer, the late state senator who aided UNO's efforts to obtain state funding for the building. Kiefer's state senate district included the UNO campus. It is part of the university's East Campus; the arena is southwest of Maestri Field, home to the UNO baseball team.

Sports

Basketball

Lakefront Arena is the home venue for both the New Orleans Privateers men's and

basketball teams. The arena opened November 26, 1983, when UNO hosted in-state rival LSU in a basketball doubleheader. The arena hosted the 1991 NCAA Women's basketball Final Four, where the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

beat the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with College admission ...

for their third national title. The arena was contracted to host the men's and women's

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams partici ...

basketball tournaments between 2014 and 2019. The arena previously hosted the 2002 men's

basketball tournament. The arena is also notable for hosting

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

's career-high of 60 points on March 12, 1985, against the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, who were hosting a series of special "home" games in New Orleans during the 1984–1985 season. The Harlem Globetrotters have also played at the arena.

Boxing

On July 14, 2018, a full card was held at the arena with a co-main event of Regis Prograis versus Juan Jose Velasco for the WBC Super Lightweight Diamond Belt and William Silva versus

Teófimo López Teófimo Andrés López Rivera (born July 30, 1997) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2019 to November 2021, and the WBA (Super), WBO, and '' The Ring'' maga ...

for the WBC Continental Americas title.

MMA

UFC 27 was held at the arena in September 2000.

Roller derby

Lakefront Arena plays host to flat-track roller derby games held by the

Big Easy Rollergirls Big Easy Roller Derby (est. 2005) is a women's, flat-track roller derby league in New Orleans, Louisiana. Big Easy is a founding member league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). History Big Easy Roller Derby was founded as Big ...

, a member league of the

Women's Flat Track Derby Association The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) is the international governing body for the sport of women's flat track roller derby, and association of leagues around the world. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Co ...

, and the New Orleans Brass Roller Derby, a member league of the Men's Roller Derby Association. These games include the Big Easy Rollergirls' annual "SweatFest" invitational tournament, which features competition among high-ranking WFTDA leagues.

Swimming and diving

The

UNO Uno or UNO may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Television * "Uno" (''Better Call Saul''), premiere episode of the American TV series ''Better Call Saul'' * ''Uno'' (film), a 2004 Norwegian drama film * Rai Uno, an Italian TV channel **' ...

Aquatic Center is located in the arena and on the arena grounds. It has been home to the UNO men's and women's swimming and diving teams. The aquatic center has also hosted many national and state events including

Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed on ...

Swimming meets, AAU National Championships and Junior Olympics, LHSAA State meets, Syncro National competition, and hosted the 2010 Short Course and Long Course state meets.

Volleyball

From 2008 to 2011, the arena along with the

Human Performance Center The Human Performance Center is a 1,760-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home venue for the New Orleans Privateers volleyball team. The arena became the permanent home ...

were the home venues for the New Orleans Privateers volleyball team.

Wrestling

The arena hosted LHSAA state wrestling tournaments in 1996 and 1998.

Professional wrestling

On October 23, 1993,

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Natio ...

held its Halloween Havoc pay-per-view at Lakefront Arena. Ring of Honor wrestling's Supercard of Honor XII was hosted at Lakefront Arena on April 7, 2018 during WrestleMania 34 weekend. The arena also hosted several house shows during the 1980s. All Elite Wrestling hosted it's flagship TV show, Dynamite, at the arena on 13 April, 2022 which included hometown star Ricky Starks.

Events

The arena also hosts graduations and concerts, such as 3 Doors Down,

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

, AC/DC, Aerosmith,

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...

Blink-182 Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...

, Brandy,

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice o ...

Daughtry Daughtry may refer to: * Daughtry (band), a rock band fronted by Chris Daughtry ** ''Daughtry'' (album), debut music album from Daughtry **Chris Daughtry (born 1979), American Idol finalist in 2006 and lead vocalist for Daughtry * Mattie Daughtry, ...

, Def Leppard, Demi Lovato, Eric Church,

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Exo ...

, Great White,

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael W ...

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician ...

, Kix,

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 b ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, Limp Bizkit,

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albu ...

, Nas, Ne-Yo,

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

Rammstein Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riede ...

, Ratt,

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, ...

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, f ...

, R.E.M., Rush, Scorpions, Skid Row, Slipknot, Tesla,

The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing thei ...

, The Grateful Dead,

Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and g ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late ...

, Trixter,

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

, Warrant,

White Lion The white lion is a rare color mutation of the lion, specifically the Southern African lion. White lions in the area of Timbavati are thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest r ...

, Whitesnake,

Xandria Xandria is a German symphonic metal band founded by Marco Heubaum in 1994. Originally a project, Heubaum later restarted the project as a band in 1999, and has gone through various lineup changes. The German vocalist Lisa Middelhauve joined fo ...

and Zac Brown Band. Sting performed during his Symphonicities Tour on June 26, 2010, along with the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...

. During their ''Walking Into Everywhere'' tour, Jimmy Page and

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following th ...

performed on October 1, 1998 and the show was recorded for later broadcast by

Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The company w ...

. Events held at the arena have included Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live,

Shrine Circus The Shrine Circus is a circus founded in Detroit, Michigan on Woodward Avenue in 1906. It travels to roughly 120 cities per year in the United States and a separate unit travels to about 40 in Canada. It is affiliated with the former Ancient A ...

, '' So You Think You Can Dance'': The Tour, WWE and Fox's singer search program The X Factor. Comedians such as Bill Cosby,

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comed ...

, Katt Williams and Dave Chappelle have performed at the venue.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

celebrated mass to over 150,000 people on the grounds of the arena and prominent political figures such as

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...

and

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

have also spoken at the arena. Large festivals, including

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Mus ...

and Steel Pony Express have also been held on the grounds.

Hurricane Katrina

In August 2005, as a result of massive damages sustained during Hurricane Katrina, the building closed for substantial repairs and renovations for nearly three years. During this time, the school's men's and women's basketball teams played their home games in their former home, the

(or "The Chamber of Horrors" as it grew to be known during the late '70s and early '80s). The arena held its grand re-opening May 2, 2008. Disney's '' High School Musical: The Ice Tour'' was the first show to perform.

Gallery

UNO Arena Aug 2009.JPG, Lakefront Arena (August 2009) UNOLakeArenaPostKatrina.jpg, Lakefront Arena – Post Hurricane Katrina

References

{{Authority control Basketball venues in New Orleans Boxing venues in New Orleans College basketball venues in the United States College volleyball venues in the United States Indoor arenas in New Orleans Mixed martial arts venues in Louisiana New Orleans Privateers men's basketball New Orleans Privateers women's basketball New Orleans Privateers women's volleyball Swimming venues in New Orleans Volleyball venues in New Orleans Wrestling venues in New Orleans Atlanta Hawks venues Music venues in Louisiana 1983 establishments in Louisiana Sports venues completed in 1983