As the host of the New York Rangers, New York Knicks, and New York Liberty, as the neighbor of the Empire State Building and Macy’s Herald Square, and as a longtime magnet for ticket sales, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a stadium quite as busy as Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden.
Since its inauguration back in February 1968, the Garden has been through two renovations and has cost just over $1 billion to build, open, and refurnish throughout the years. Of course, considering the crowd it’s capable of drawing, money probably isn’t much in the way of an object for the storied stadium.
But just how big of a crowd can logistically turn up for MSG’s many events?
How many seats does Madison Square Garden have?
The seating capacity of Madison Square Garden depends on the type of event being hosted. When hosting professional basketball games, such as for the NBA’s Knicks or the WNBA’s Liberty, the stadium can seat up to 19,812 people. As for the New York Rangers of the NHL, ice hockey fans can spectate from one of 18,006 seats. For a major concert, however, the stadium has a capacity of holding just over 20,000 people, thanks to the additional space offered in the absence of a basketball court or hockey rink. These numbers have shifted up and down over the years as renovations and restructuring have taken place.
This doesn’t include The Theater at Madison Square Garden, which is a separate space for concerts and other arts and culture events that can seat up to 5,600 people, while the 8,000 square foot lobby could hold about 240 people if need be.