BB&T; CENTER HOSTS TWO SUCCESSIVE SOLD OUT EVENTS TO KICK OFF 2016
SUNRISE, Fla. – Sunrise Sports and Entertainment, the parent owner of the Florida Panthers, rang in the New Year with a pair of sellout crowds at the BB&T Center. On Thursday, Dec. 31 Billy Joel performed in front of a sellout in his first New Year’s Eve appearance in South Florida. The performance was followed up by a sold out Panthers game against the New York Rangers on Jan. 2.
The Billy Joel concert featured a special guest performance from Gavin DeGraw and was highlighted with surprise appearances by Kevin James, Howard Stern and Jimmy Kimmel. Fans in attendance were thrilled when Howard Stern and Jimmy Kimmel joined Billy Joel on stage, along with his wife and band, to bring in 2016.
“Billy Joel kicked off the new year at the BB&T Center with what will go down as one of the most memorable South Florida concert performances ever,” SSE Executive Chairman Peter Luukko said. “We have a stellar lineup of events appearing at the arena during the coming year and continue to work hard to draw the biggest names in live entertainment. Whether it’s a concert, family show or Florida Panthers game, the BB&T Center is the place to be for sports and entertainment in South Florida.”
The Billy Joel concert was followed up by a Panthers 3-0 win over the Rangers on Jan. 2 in front of a standing room only sellout crowd of 20,289 at the BB&T Center. It was the third largest crowd in franchise history. The game marked goaltender Roberto Luongo’s 71st career shutout as the Atlantic Division leading Panthers recorded a franchise record eighth consecutive win.
During the new year, the BB&T Center will play host to several big name artists and shows including Garth Brooks performing three times (Jan. 14-16), Bruce Springsteen on Feb. 16, Iron Maiden on Feb. 24 and AC/DC on March 11, with more concert announcements coming soon.
The Panthers have now won a franchise record and NHL season-high 10 games in a row. Florida returns home to the BB&T Center on Monday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. to host the Edmonton Oilers and will also meet Chicago (Friday, Jan. 22), Tampa Bay (Saturday, Jan. 23) and Toronto (Tuesday, Jan. 26) to finish the month with four consecutive home games.
For ticket information call (954) 835-PUCK (7825) or visit www.thebbtcenter.com/events or FloridaPanthers.com/TicketCentral.
Home to the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and leading international concerts and events, the Broward County-owned BB&T Center is one of the top ranked venues of its kind in the world, servicing Broward, Collier, Indian River, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
