I gave it 3 1/2 stars because although the place has good seating, the acoustics were not that great. People were standing room only, n the handicapped or elderly could not see. I believe there should be separate seating areas for those ppl, n not just 1st come, 1st served. I got knocked over more than once. A place where no alcohol is served area, would be ideal!
Decent parking and nice event space. Audio quality is decent but not designed for live music.
It's in Glendale. Food is meh. Seats are uncomfortable. Worst part is the location
Very nice set up!
Only big complaint were the $13.25 beers!! Come on now!!
Saw our first NHL pre season game with the Coyotes it's a big, clean place.
Played in a travel game here. It's nice they opened up such a nice arena for a travel team, and the ice surface itself was beautifully kept. The ice was done ahead of time and we got to go down the BMW tunnel that the Coyotes go through every game.
Nice arena, go early if the stadium across the street has a game or something. The parking direction is done by hirelings, SLOOOWLY, just taking your money for what looked like public spaces near the freeway. That's are many nice eateries adjacent, and fun to people watch. Fountains, etcetera. Nice area, safe with a police presence.
Had a wonderful experience at Stars on Ice! We did valet parking and it was seamless dropping off and picking up. On ice seats were TO DIE FOR!
Great seats behind the benches make all the difference. BMW lounge was great!
Great arena but a bit of a drive from the East valley
Lots of shops and restaurants. Real nice fountain. Movie theater
Owwwww Owwwwwwwwwww!!! Love watching the coytes play here. Arena is great, food is great, atmosphere is great!
Went here to see Amy Schumer and numerous Coyotes games. You would think that with all the planning and available space they had when they built this place it would have been laid out better, but it's not. First, it's 40 minutes from Phoenix. Parking sucks. Traffic sucks. The arena itself sucks. Will not go here again.
The concert for Mercy Me was excellent. The cost of a beverage is outrageous. A large soda was $8 and extra large was $9. I understand they want to make a profit, but that much is crazy high. Total cost for the cup, straw, and product is 0.30 cents. That is a huge profit for soda.
Nice arena, but it's so far from the EV! Staff was friendly and there were a lot of food/drinks options.
Watched a Coyotes game and had a blast. Great arena.
We went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra show last Sunday. The show was amazing once we got in there one hour late. Gila River arena did the absolute worst job they could possibly do with their parking situation. We are arrived almost 2 hours before the event and we re still an hour late getting inside because of arena parking situation. They had not enough staff outside did not coordinate with officers. There were hundreds of cars outside at showtime and could not park because a Gila rivers terrible execution and poor event planning to schedule a huge show over the top of the home Cardinals game, and not provide adequate parking or staffing to get cars into the arena on time. I want a refund.
Just got done seeing a great game against the Flyers. This is a great Arena however the only downside is that it's in Glendale which is a bit of a misguided placement if you ask me. The facilities themselves are great and the sight lines are excellent.
Final Coyotes game against the Winnipeg Jets didn't work out as planned but we had a great time! The arena is a perfect NHL venue with all the offerings a hockey fan would want. Concessions are way over priced for food and drinks. Best way to avoid going broke is bringing a sealed bottle of water. Or save up for an expensive night out. Security was adequate during the game but and the end of the game the security folks move to the main exists and leave very disorderly fans walking through the rink halls. Families with small children witnessing an altercation between belligerent and perhaps drunken fans. No sercurity people anywhere to be found. Hopefully the management will address the issues and make future visits more comfortable.
Easy parking, friendly staff, very entertaining NHL hockey game.
can not figure out why the Coyotes want to leave this venue its great
I managed to watch the Eagles at this venue. A marvelous band... Too bad the arena that the concert was being held at housed the rudest staff. They had a no phone rule as well as the camera deal. No problem really, but when you have a group of young girls face booking it all night, and no one mentions to them about this phone rule, which was placed on the screen before the concert. It is only those of us older that are told, "Mrs. if you check your phone for time again, you will be asked to leave. The band has rules." This usher saw these girls with their phones on and said nothing. I did complain. Bottom line is, that if you want to see a group like the Eagles, go to a real state and arena. I regret coming to Glendale for them...
Go Coyotes go!!! Great night out to get away and watch hockey!!!
Parking is a bit outrageous when it comes to events. I ended up having to park ways across by the outlet mall just to find a spot
Ate at Opa Life. VG. Attended Yotes hockey game. Great day with family.
Arena doesn't let you fist bump the players anymore when they come out for warmups. I guess all 10 people trying to high five their fav players is too much for the stellar staff to handle.
The seats are awesome here with great visibility. Staff is great.
Great seating. Not a bad seat in the house employees are helpful and informative. Nice selectionof food choices
Was there for KISS end of the road tour love it KISS ROCKS
Parking is confusing food is expensive but the experience iud's a blast
I work here and everyone here loves their jobs as much as I do!
Was there for a hockey game and it was so fun people were friendly and an all round good time
Love it! All the amenities inside and out easy parking not too big. Smoking patio as well not all places do!
2nd time I've been there and haven't been disappointed at all
Parking is not bad at all and security for the building are all friendly and cautious.. I had a safe and wonderful time...
Great venue. Bathrooms are large and clean. Lots of snack bars with short lines. We sat in section 217, Row A and the view of the ice was absolutely perfect. Loads of parking for $10 around WestGate, then if you eat at one of the surrounding restaurants (that actually participate), you get $10 off of your bill. It's a win-win. The ushers in the arena are hit or miss. Some are really nice and helpful... and others are amazingly rude and cranky. I get that you're dealing with drunk idiots all night, but don't be a jerk, especially around young kids. Aside from the handful of terrible ushers, this arena is great.
Great place, Arrive early, catch a bite to eat. Get parking validated at the same time. There is free motorcycle parking during events. Takes a few minutes to ride in and park. Guy at the entrance making sure just motorcycles use the parking area.
It is such a spectacle of sights, sounds, and colors! So different from the last time we were here 11 years ago.
Nice location to catch a hockey game. Easy parking...In and out quickly.
Been going to coyotes games since I was a kid and there is never a dull moment.
Great atmosphere at the Coyotes game. Great views from the seats
Very nice arena...great amenities with friendly staff! Prices like all other pro sports events...RIDIC! Way too far out to buy Coyote season tickets if you live in the East valley...especially with rush hour traffic! NHL ROCKS!
Very clean, and nice seats. Plenty of food options, but expensive however to be expected for events.
Nice NHL rink, walking distance from adjoining parking and hotels.
PINK CONCERT...... Freaking Awsome tons of parking and resturants every where within walking distance...
Lines are kind of long if you go through express it's so quick to get in. Inside is nice layout is a tad confusing but compared to other places pretty easy to navigate overall. Seats are super cramped. Food is generally pretty good and of course very overpriced as is the case with any sports complex. The shining star about this arena though by far is the sound system. Hands down the best sound out of any arena I've ever been to. Definite hats off to the sound engineer! Job well done!
Excellent place. And it is surrounded by shopping centers and outlets
Great venue for a show, but everything is extremely over priced.
Arena is great but like at all of them food and drinks are ridiculously priced. I'm just saying $7 for a bottle of water is crazy
Nice arena, visiting from Toronto to watch Coyotes vs Panthers. Friendly staff at the BMW lounge for the Coyote's game. Nice restaurant area outside the arena.
I went and watched a Coyotes game for my 1st time. The Uber ride to Gila River Arena is quite a distance as it's located in Glendale, which is a bit away from everything. However, the experience was watching a hockey game was fun and the building is nice. There are tons of interactive exhibits, signs, posters around the arena. It's interesting to see that there aren't many Coyotes fans at the game. Instead it's more of tourists coming in to support their beloved teams coming into the city. For example, the Vancouver Cancuks were playing and there were tons of Canucks fans, so there wasn't many home ice advantage. However, fans are knowledgeable of the game and friendly so it's good and safe to bring kids to the arena. Also, I enjoyed the restaurants and bars around the area. There is good night life.
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