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Prudential Center pulled in a record $93 million in box office sales this year, helping the Newark-based sports and entertainment venue to earn its place as one of the top 10 arenas in the world for 2023, according to Pollstar Magazine and Billboard.

Thanks to a mix of several high-profile touring acts – including Bruce Springsteen, Jonas Brothers and the Eagles – as well as the continued success of the New Jersey Devils hockey team, fans filled the seats at the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment-operated property the past 12 months.

As a result, Prudential Center ranked No. 8 in Pollstar’s annual list of 200 arenas, behind Madison Square Garden in New York City; Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.; The O2 in London; T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nev.; Sphere in Paradise, Nev.; TD Garden in Boston, Mass.; and Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash.

The 16-year-old venue, which is home to the three-time Stanley Cup Champion Devils and Seton Hall University’s NCCA Division I men’s basketball team, was also among named the No. 5 highest grossing 15,001-plus capacity venue in the world by Billboard magazine. Ahead of Prudential Center were: Madison Square Garden (NO. 1), O2 Arena (No. 2), Kia Forum (No. 3) and T-Mobile Arena (No. 4).

Sean Saadeh, the arena’s executive vice president of entertainment, commented, “As the curtain falls on the past year, the acknowledgement of success for Prudential Center’s record breaking 2023 encapsulates the remarkable journey that we go through each night with our incredible fans, event partners, and staff.”

This year, Prudential Center set a record with 58 concerts from superstars and legends, such as Marc Anthony, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer, Misfits, Lauryn Hill, Doja Cat and Romeo Santos.

The Rock also saw more than 200 special events – including the return of the MTV Video Music Awards in September, marking its 3rd time hosting the show. 

“Being recognized as one of the top venues in the world is a true testament to all the hard work that our team does night after night. We look forward to continuing the momentum in 2024 and providing marquee events to our dedicated New Jersey fanbase,” Saadeh said.

Looking ahead to the new year, Saadeh expects Prudential Center “will continue to offer arguably the most diverse programming in the world.” So far, the schedule includes: Nate Bargatze, Michael B. Jordan’s Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, Marc Anthony, Don Omar, Zach Bryan, Nicki Minaj, IVE, Kane Brown, Avenged Sevenfold, Dan + Shay, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

Prudential Center isn’t the only North Jersey venue being recognized as one of the best.

Pollstar placed MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford as No. 6 in its compilation of the year’s top stadiums, reporting a gross of $107.95 million. Sofi Stadium in Inglewood was No. 1; Foro Sol in Mexico City was No. 2; Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., was No. 3; Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was No. 4; and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles was No. 5.

Besides being the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants, MetLife played host to several sold-our tours this year, including Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Separately, Prudential Center’s sister venue in Jersey City, White Eagle Hall, also had a banner 2023.

The HBSE-owned hall hosted a record-setting 127 shows, including 32 events between October and November — making it the venue’s busiest two-month span ever. The diverse programming lineup ranged from concerts to film screenings to comedy shows to dance parties to author events to podcasts.

Sold out shows this year at White Eagle Hall included: Jeff Tweedy, Nick Lowe, The Japanese House, The Gaslight Anthem, Guided By Voices, The Hold Steady, Sarah Sherman, Kurt Vile, Yo La Tengo, Lucky Moon Zooz, Gorilla Biscuits, Sullivan King, Kyle Kinane, Lucius, Guster, Bayside, Angel Olsen and Bob Mould.