The roar of the crowd. The spectacle of lights. The electricity in the air. The magic on the stage. Kansas City is no stranger to incredible entertainment — like sports, concerts, theater, and touring shows. With a large (and growing) population, a strong fan base, and a pool of world-class talent, it’s no wonder our metro area has top-tier spots to catch the action.
We gathered these entertainment venues and listed them by capacity, including some of their various features, facts, and figures. Next time you get to wondering, you won’t have to look far.
Arrowhead Stadium | Capacity: 76,416 | As the home of the Chiefs + the fifth-largest stadium in pro football, it’s no wonder KC holds the open-air noise record.
Kansas Speedway | Capacity: 48,000-75,000 | We know, that’s quite the range. Sources claim both the low and high ends, and there’s no clear way to get a hold of racetrack officials.
Kansas City Convention Center | Capacity: 38,000 | When Bartle Hall’s exhibit rooms are all filled up, KCCC can hold more people than the city of Leavenworth.
Kauffman Stadium | Capacity: 37,903 | There could be more seats, but they had to make way for the 322-foot wide fountain (in keeping with our nickname).
These stadiums combined could hold all of Lee’s Summit.
Photo by @jrw_shoots
Children’s Mercy Park | Capacity: 25,000 | Soccer matches actually only seat 18,467, but concerts get a few more rows added in.
T-Mobile Center | Capacity: 19,000 | Every source has a slightly different number (because this venue is so customizeable), but we’ll go with the original seat count from 2007.
Azura Amphitheater | Capacity: 18,000 | This venue is plenty big to host concerts and the knights of Canterbury.
Municipal Auditorium | Capacity: 10,721 | This is a popular spot for college basketball, like the Big 12 Women’s Tournament.
The American Royal Center | Capacity: 9,045 | This West Bottoms venue includes Hale Arena (4,285) and Central Hall (4,760).
Hy-Vee Arena | Capacity: 9,000 | With half the capacity of the former Kemper Arena, this venue transformed into an amateur sports hub in 2018.
KC Live! | Capacity: 8,000+ | This outdoor flex venue downtown KC is perfect for high-energy moments like this.
Starlight Theatre | Capacity: 7,958 | KC’s largest performing arts theater boasts a 10-story stage + these recent upgrades.
Cable Dahmer Arena | Capacity: 5,800 | This venue is home to the Mavericks, the Comets, and Independence Community Ice.
Overland Park Convention Center | Capacity: 5,784 | Ranked among the top 30 “Best Convention Centers in North America,” the capacity includes exhibition halls and ballrooms.
Kauffman Center | Capacity: 3,400 | The home of the KC Ballet + KC Symphony includes both the Muriel Kauffman Theatre (1,800) and Helzberg Hall (1,600).
The Midland Theatre | Capacity: 3,000 | This flexible theater, built in 1927, offers a variety of shows (just like when it opened).
Uptown Theater | Capacity: 2,400+ | Additional seating includes private event rooms and small show spaces (like The Encore Room).
Theatre in the Park | Capacity: 3,000 | This Johnson County gem says its the largest outdoor community theater in the country.
Music Hall | Capacity: 2,363 | Opening in 1936, this Art Deco theater inspired the Sky Station sculptures atop Bartle Hall’s four pylons.
Midwest Trust Center | Capacity: 1,650+ | This includes Yardley Hall (1,250), Polsky Theatre (400), and a recital hall.
Star Pavilion | Capacity: 1,332 | This Ameristar Casino venue has attracted greats like Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
College Basketball Experience | Capacity: 1,200 | Did you know? The Hall of Fame venue can transform into a giant private event space.
The Truman | Capacity: 1,200 | Standing room (or jumping-up-and-down room) only.
Voodoo Lounge | Capacity: 1,150 | This flex space is located inside Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino.
The Folly Theater | Capacity: 1,006 | A recent makeover took out a few dozen seats to install a balcony bar + new chairs.
Note: All the capacities were based on theater seating, where applicable.
