Richard Perry/The New York Times Opening night at the Barclays Center in September.Barclays Center, the arena in Brooklyn that has challenged Madison Square Garden in the New York City market, sold more tickets than any other arena in the United States for the first six months of the year, and led the country in gross ticket sales for concerts and family shows as well, according to tallies published this week in Billboard and Pollstar magazines.
The numbers were a remarkable showing for the rust-colored arena on Atlantic Avenue, which opened in late September last year with a string of concerts by Jay Z. Overall, Barclays ranked No. 2 worldwide in ticket sales with $46.9 million, second to the O2 Arena in London, with $119 million, Billboard reported. Madison Square Garden was fourth with $39 million.
Pollstar, a trade magazine for the live music industry, said Barclays was third worldwide in number of tickets sold, with 657,000, well ahead of Madison Square Garden, which sold 194,000.
The figures reflect several handicaps for Manhattan’s premiere area. Madison Square Garden is home to three sports teams, giving it a crowded calendar that makes it difficult to schedule concerts. It has also been undergoing renovations, which has effectively closed it for the summer months.
