There is no shortage of excellent places for event celebrations across New York but for a venue that offers a great range of shows, musicians and sports events, Nassau Coliseum is definitely worth checking out. So what is the venue and what kind of things can you see there?
A little history
Nassau Coliseum is formerly known as the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and occupied a 63-acre site that was formerly the army and air force base at Mitchel Field. With over 44,000 square feet in the main arena and another 60,000 in the Expo Centre, the venue hosts exhibitions as well as shows and is often used for trade events.
From 1972 until 2015, the venue was also the home of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as the New York Nets American Basketball Association. Both teams now play at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn.
Renovation project
The Nassau Coliseum was closed from 2015 until April 2017 for a massive renovation project that saw the overall space reduced a little, but new facilities including theatres and sports bars being added to the complex. The venue’s last show was by Billy Joel who also performed last at Shea Stadium before it was demolished in 2008.
Therefore, it was fitting that it was again Billy Joel that performed first on the re-opening of the Coliseum after the renovation work. The first show was on April 5th, 2017. In June, the New York Islanders also played a pre-season game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Coliseum, the first time there since it closed for the project.
Travelling to Nassau Coliseum
The Coliseum is located 19 miles east of New York City in the Long Island borough. Reaching the Coliseum can be a little tricky – you can do it on public transport but it involves travelling by train to Hempstead station, walking one block to the Hempstead bus terminal then taking one of three buses to the venue.
Another option is to drive and park but there has been some controversy over the cost of parking, with people attending that opening night gig being charged $40 to park their vehicles. Fees may be somewhat lower for other types of events but the cost is higher than average. This is why many people visiting the venue have chosen to use Delux Worldwide Transportation’s Limo Service Long Island NY to arrive relaxed and in style.
What’s on?
Since its reopening, the Nassau Coliseum has seen some big-name gigs and the trend continues into September with arguably one of the biggest names in the music industry playing two nights at the venue – Sir Paul McCartney. Put this on your event celebrations list.
For younger fans, Bruno Mars is also playing one night in October and while there are a lot of great Sweet 16 Venues on Long Island, what young woman wouldn’t want to celebrate the milestone at a concert?
Disney on Ice has toured the world and is available on a number of dates in November at Nassau Coliseum while the famous Harlem Globetrotters will be showing their skills during shows in late December.
Sports fans
As well as star-studded musical events and gigs, the Nassau Coliseum has some impressive sporting events lined up for sports fans. The New York Open will be held at the venue for the first time in February 2018. The NY Open is an event on the ATP World Tour 250 so you can expect some big-name players to be taking part. For sports fans planing event celebrations, the Open is worth putting on the calendar.
There is also an NBA preseason game coming up in early October between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers to whet the appetite for the full season to come.
Have an amazing night
Since its renovation, the Nassau Coliseum has taken its place as one of the top new venues in New York for sports, arts and music events. Delux Worldwide Transportation can offer luxury limo service from any part of New York to the venue to remove all worries about using public transport and ensure you arrive in style.
