The City of Savannah is postponing this weekend’s opening of the new Enmarket Arena, scheduled for Jan. 13 and 14, to February. This decision is the result of interruptions, directly and indirectly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply-chain disruptions, which have impacted the completion of the facility. The construction and management teams are working to navigate these disruptions, as they have throughout the pandemic, to finalize items necessary to meet all local and state inspections that are required before the arena can host events.
"It is disappointing to have to take a step back and hit the pause button on the opening of Savannah's new Enmarket Arena after having announced a scheduled opening date late last year," said Mayor Van R. Johnson, II. "However, that disappointment does not eclipse the necessity of being sure we have a complete, safe facility, with all the necessary inspections in-hand, that is ready to welcome Savannahians for music, laughs and memories in the years to come."
The City’s contracted arena management team, Oak View Group Facilities, worked quickly with the artists’ management teams to reschedule impacted shows and will immediately begin communicating with ticketholders.
Two limited-capacity events scheduled for this weekend have been rescheduled. Earth, Wind & Fire, originally planned on Thursday, Jan. 13, is moving to Feb. 9, and Riley Green, originally scheduled on Friday, Jan. 14, is being rescheduled to Feb. 6. Tickets for these performances will be honored on the new dates.
Currently, there are no plans to postpone any other events. The city extends its apologies to eventgoers who were excited about this weekend's opening but looks forward to welcoming them into the new arena soon.
“While we are disappointed that we won’t be opening this weekend, we remain committed to bringing top concerts, like the upcoming Eagles, Bon Jovi, and Keith Urban shows, as well as sporting events and family shows to Savannah,” said Peter Luukko, Co-Chairman, Oak View Group Facilities. “Season tickets for the Ghost Pirates are selling at a record pace as people are excited to have a hockey team here in Savannah. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Mayor Johnson and the City of Savannah in making Savannah a premier entertainment destination here in the Southeast.”
The majority of the outstanding work necessary to allow the arena to open should be completed in the next few weeks, which will allow required inspections to occur. Following these inspections, the City anticipates issuing a certificate of occupancy, allowing the venue to open for shows.
