Denny Sanford Premier Center

Sioux Falls' arena for concerts, hockey and March basketball

The Denny Sanford PREMIER Center is the city-built arena at 1201 North West Avenue in Sioux Falls, connected to the older Sioux Falls Arena and the Sioux Falls Convention Center. It seats up to 12,000 and is the largest indoor venue in South Dakota. It is home to the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League, hosts the Summit League men's and women's basketball tournaments every March, and draws the major country, rock and pop tours that cross the northern Plains.

Locals usually call it the PREMIER Center. The name reflects its naming-rights partners: Sanford Health, which carries the name of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, plus First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard. The best seats for most events are the lower-level sideline sections in the 100s; the upper 200 level is the budget choice and, in a 12,000-seat bowl, still close.

How the arena is laid out

The building has four levels, according to the venue and its builder, Mortenson:

• Event level: the floor, the box office and will call, and Guest Services.
• Main concourse: serves the lower bowl. The venue's concourse map labels these sections in the 101–118 range.
• Premium level: 22 suites and the loge boxes (the venue counts 18; Mortenson's project page says 16), with in-suite ordering and concierge service.
• Upper concourse: serves the upper bowl, with sections labeled in the 200s up to 218 on the venue map.

The PREMIER Club, the arena's club space, sits beside sections 103 and 104. The venue publishes separate seat maps for concerts, hockey and basketball, so open the one for your event before you choose a section; the venue map and the event map are the only sources to trust for exact numbering.

Best seats for concerts, hockey and basketball

Concerts

For an end-stage show, the lower-level sections along the sides closest to the stage give elevated views without the crowd in front of you, and the sections directly facing the stage show the full production. Floor seats or a general-admission pit put you closest, but the floor is flat, so a view from the back of the floor depends on who stands in front of you. Sections beside and behind the stage are often unsold or carry partial-view warnings.

Stampede hockey

Choose the lower-level sections at center ice, about ten rows up, so you see over the glass and down the full rink. Upper-level sideline seats at center ice are the value choice, with a clear view of line changes and plays developing.

Summit League tournaments

Tournament sessions pack the arena, with record crowds of more than 73,000 across the 2024 men's and women's events. The lower sideline sections sell first; the upper sideline is the best way to see every game of a session at a lower cost.

Seats to think twice about

• Top rows of the upper corners: the farthest seats in the bowl.
• Low rows behind a hockey goal or basketball stanchion: the net, glass or backboard sit in your line of sight.
• Side-stage sections at concerts: check for partial-view labels before you buy.

Free parking and getting to the PREMIER Center

As of 2026, general parking at the PREMIER Center is free year-round, unless noted for a specific event. The lots just north and south of the arena become paid VIP parking during ticketed events, with priority for premium seat holders and limited extra passes sold through the box office or on arrival.

• Overflow: the Sioux Falls School District Operational Services lot directly west on Western Avenue (after 5 p.m. on weeknights and all day on weekends), Earl McCart Fields a few blocks south, and nearby streets.
• Rideshare: drop-off and pickup are only at the designated area on the north side of the complex, near the Sioux Falls Arena entrance.
• Overnight: cars left overnight must be moved by 7 a.m. or may be towed.

Free parking means the lots fill early for a sellout; arrive well before doors and expect a slow exit.

Bag policy, re-entry and house rules

As of 2026, each ticketed guest may bring one bag: either a small handbag, fanny pack or shoulder bag up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches, or one clear bag up to 12 by 12 by 6 inches. Backpacks are banned, and every bag is searched. Check the current policy before you go.

• Re-entry: the arena has a no re-entry policy; the only exception is guests stepping out to the designated smoking area, who must show their ticket stub to return.
• Strollers and car seats: prohibited.
• Cameras: point-and-shoot cameras without detachable lenses are generally allowed; professional cameras, video cameras and tripods are not.
• Payment: concession stands and bars are cashless.
• Children: children under 3 generally do not need a ticket if they sit on a lap, including at Stampede games, but family shows require tickets from age 2.

The venue's security policy lists the full prohibited-items rules.

History of the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

A replacement for the 7,500-seat Sioux Falls Arena, opened in 1961, had been discussed since 1999. In a 2011 special election, voters approved a new events center by 23,284 to 16,807, and ground was broken on August 30, 2012, beside the convention center. Wikipedia puts the total cost at about 117 million dollars, of which the city paid about 115 million and Sanford Health about 2 million for the naming rights. The arena opened on September 19, 2014; Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played the first concert five days later.

Since then it has hosted Paul McCartney, who opened the Midwest leg of his One on One Tour there in May 2016, and Garth Brooks, who sold 106,918 tickets across nine shows in 2017. The Professional Bull Riders stop every year, and in November 2025 the arena hosted the U.S. Olympic curling trials. The Sioux Falls Storm indoor football team played here until a lease dispute in 2024 left it dormant.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Denny Sanford Premier Center
• Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – About
• Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – Security policy
• Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – Directions and parking
• Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – Seat map
• Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – FAQ
• Mortenson – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center