Upcoming Charlotte Hornets dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Best Hornets seats, decided up front
For a Charlotte Hornets game, aim for center-court lower-bowl sections 104–106 or 113–115, a few rows up from the floor so the benches do not block you. If those cost more than you want to spend, look at rows A through C of the 200 level. Those three rows sit far lower than the rest of the upper bowl, and seating guides rate them among the best values in the building.
- Most immersive: courtside rows on the floor.
- Best overall view: 104–106 and 113–115, above the first row.
- Best value: 200-level rows A–C near center court.
- Least appealing: the highest corner rows of the upper bowl.
Spectrum Center seats 19,444 for NBA games, and the Hornets host 41 regular-season games between mid-October and mid-April.
Two bowls and the premium extras
The layout is straightforward. The 100 level wraps the court as the lower bowl, and the 200 level forms the upper bowl. Premium choices include courtside seats, terrace tables for groups and open-air suites.
Benches
TickPick's chart puts the Hornets bench in front of section 104 and the visiting bench in front of section 106. That places both benches on the same sideline as the 104–106 group. Confirm on your listing's seat map, since bench positions are not published by the arena.
Why row height matters
The very front row of a sideline section looks perfect on paper. In practice, players, coaches and staff stand and move in front of you. A few rows up, you see over them and still feel close. That is the main reason seating guides recommend rows above the floor rather than the first one.
Renovation note
The city approved a renovation plan in 2022, with completion expected around 2027. Some areas may look different from older photos, so rely on the current map rather than old seat-view pictures.
Baselines, corners and the upper rows
- Baseline and corner sections in the 100 level cost less than the sidelines. They are a good choice when the Hornets attack your basket, and a weaker one for following plays at the far end.
- Upper-bowl sideline seats near center court show the whole floor, which helps you see spacing and set plays.
- Upper-bowl rows A–C are the exception to the rule that the top tier means distance. They sit much lower than the rows behind them.
- The highest upper-bowl corner rows combine height and angle, and they are the seats to skip if the budget allows anything else.
If you are choosing between the back of a lower-level baseline and the front of the upper bowl on a sideline, the upper-bowl sideline usually shows you more of the game.
Hornets games that draw the biggest crowds
The NBA's 82-game schedule gives Charlotte 41 home dates. Exhibitions arrive in early October, regular-season play runs mid-October to mid-April, and the postseason runs April into June. The NBA Cup, first played in 2023–24, slots a few November and December games into a group stage that still counts.
- Opponents with stars and national fan bases fill the arena with road fans and push demand up.
- Atlanta Hawks games are a short I-85 trip for Atlanta fans, who show up in numbers.
- Friday, Saturday and holiday games bring more families.
- Home playoff games are rare in franchise history, so any postseason date is a premium ticket.
The easiest tickets are weeknight games against rebuilding teams, and those often get cheaper as tipoff approaches. Weekends and marquee opponents usually hold their price.
Uptown by LYNX: transit, parking and doors
Spectrum Center stands at 333 East Trade Street, right next to the Charlotte Transportation Center, where light rail, streetcar and buses meet. The LYNX Blue Line stops at CTC/Arena station, a few steps from the entrances, and LYNX park-and-ride lots let suburban fans skip uptown traffic. Drivers have about 30,000 off-street spaces within a 15-minute walk, according to the arena. Rideshare pickup is generally on East 5th Street.
As of the 2026 season, the bag limit is small: a clutch, crossbody bag or wristlet no bigger than 5 inches by 7 inches by 1.5 inches. Backpacks, large purses and totes are refused. Most events use mobile tickets, concessions are cashless with kiosks that load cash onto a card, and leaving the building ends your night unless staff approve re-entry in advance. Read the Spectrum Center A–Z guide before game day. Every Reserved Seat order includes guaranteed entry.
Hornets road trips
Atlanta is the drive of choice, a few hours down I-85. The other Southeast Division cities, Washington, Orlando and Miami, are short flights. A game against the New Orleans Pelicans has a twist for longtime fans, since that franchise grew out of the original Hornets. On the road, upper corners are usually the least expensive seats, and popular opponents reward buying early.
Two franchises, one Hornets name
Charlotte's NBA story has an unusual shape. The original Hornets entered the league as an expansion club in 1988 and relocated to New Orleans in 2002, where that team now plays as the Pelicans. A new Charlotte franchise, the Bobcats, started in 2004 and switched back to the Hornets name for 2014–15, taking over the records and history of the 1988–2002 teams.
Fans picked the name in a contest. It refers to the town's resistance during the Revolutionary War, when British general Lord Cornwallis is said to have called Charlotte a "hornet's nest of rebellion."
- The Coliseum years: the Charlotte Coliseum held almost 24,000, then the largest basketball-only arena in the NBA. The team sold it out 364 games in a row over nearly nine seasons and led the league in attendance eight times.
- November 4, 1988: a 133–93 loss to Cleveland in the opener, followed four days later by a first win over the Clippers.
- Early 1990s: Larry Johnson, Rookie of the Year for 1991–92, Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues led the team.
- 1993: a first playoff trip, highlighted by Mourning's series-winning shot against Boston, ended in the conference semifinals.
- 2005 onward: the arena opened as Charlotte Bobcats Arena, carried the Time Warner Cable Arena name from 2008 to 2016 and has been Spectrum Center since. It hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.
- 2010 to 2023: Michael Jordan held majority control until selling in August 2023 to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.
The franchise has yet to win a division title or a championship.
Frequently asked questions
Which sections are center court at Spectrum Center?
Seating guides point to 104–106 and 113–115 in the lower bowl as the center-court sections and the most desirable seats for basketball.
Are 200-level seats any good at a Hornets game?
Rows A through C are. They sit much lower than the rest of the upper bowl and are among the best values in the arena.
Where do the Hornets sit at Spectrum Center?
TickPick's chart places the Hornets bench in front of section 104 and the visitors in front of section 106. Confirm on your listing's map.
Is there light rail to Spectrum Center?
Yes. The LYNX Blue Line stops at CTC/Arena station, steps from the entrances, and park-and-ride lots are available along the line.
Can I bring a purse to a Hornets game?
Only a small one. As of the 2026 season, bags must be no larger than 5 by 7 by 1.5 inches, and backpacks and totes are not allowed.
Why do the Hornets and Pelicans share history?
The original Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002 and became today's Pelicans. Charlotte's current team, the former Bobcats, reclaimed the Hornets name and the 1988–2002 records in 2014.