Raleigh's Lenovo Center $300M Renovation Increases Basketball, Hockey, Concert Capacity

The Lenovo Center in downtown Raleigh is increasing its crowd capacity as part of a roughly $300 million renovation, officials said, a move that could reshape weekend traffic for restaurants, hotels and bars across Wake County. Design revisions and the purchase of new lower-bowl seats will grow basketball capacity by about 663 seats to roughly 20,450, hockey capacity by about 694 seats to roughly 19,606, and allow maximum concert and event layouts to exceed 21,200 depending on configuration.

The Centennial Authority approved the purchase of the new lower-bowl seats at an estimated cost of $4.1 million on January 15, 2026. Installation is planned during the arena’s scheduled summer downtime to limit disruption to the event calendar. The $4.1 million expenditure represents roughly 1.4 percent of the stated renovation total, underlining the seat upgrade as a targeted investment to boost per-event attendance and revenue potential.

Beyond seating, the renovation package adds amenities aimed at improving the fan experience and venue versatility: a view bar on the 300 level, renovated concourses, new floor-level suites and a multi-purpose room. Those features are intended to make the arena more attractive for high-profile college tournament rounds, touring concerts and corporate events while creating new premium revenue streams for concessions, suites and hospitality partners.

For Wake County businesses, the capacity increases carry clear economic implications. More seats mean higher gross ticket potential per event, which tends to translate into increased local spending on parking, dining and lodging. Larger crowds also improve the Lenovo Center’s competitiveness when bidding to host NCAA tournament rounds and major concerts, events that typically concentrate hotel bookings and restaurant traffic in a condensed time window. City and county planners have already highlighted the arena as a focal point of broader downtown development strategies.

Operationally, summer installation timing aims to preserve the venue’s in-season schedule for college basketball and hockey. The added suites and a multi-purpose room expand the facility’s ability to host non-sporting conventions or community events on off-nights, smoothing revenue volatility across the year.

For Raleigh residents, the upgrades mean more opportunities to see big-name acts and marquee sports without leaving town, plus potential spillover benefits for downtown businesses. Next steps include the summer seat installation and continued coordination with planners as the arena prepares to host future NCAA tournament rounds and as surrounding development projects proceed.