Desert Diamond Arena facts for kids
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The Pit
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Desert Diamond Arena in 2020
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 Desert Diamond Arena
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Desert Diamond Arena
Location in Arizona
Desert Diamond Arena
Location in the United States
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| Former names | Glendale Arena (2003–2006) Jobing.com Arena (2006–2014) Gila River Arena (2014–2022) |
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| Address | 9400 W Maryland Ave |
| Location | Glendale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°31′55″N 112°15′40″W / 33.53194°N 112.26111°W |
| Owner | City of Glendale |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | 19,000 Ice hockey: 17,125 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 3, 2002 |
| Opened | December 26, 2003 |
| Construction cost | US$220 million ($358 million in 2022 dollars) |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Project manager | ICON Venue Group |
| Structural engineer | Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers, Inc. |
| Services engineer | Syska Hennessy |
| General contractor | Perini Building Company |
| Tenants | |
| Arizona Coyotes (NHL) (2003–2022) Arizona Sting (NLL) (2003–2007) Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA) (2015–2019) Arizona Ridge Riders (PBR) (2022–present) Arizona Rattlers (IFL) (2024–present) |
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The Desert Diamond Arena is a large indoor stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It is a major part of the Westgate Entertainment District, a big area with shops and fun activities. This arena has had a few different names over the years, including Glendale Arena, Jobing.com Arena, and Gila River Arena.
The arena is about 12.5 miles (20 km) northwest of downtown Phoenix. It cost $220 million to build. The City of Glendale owns the arena, and ASM Global manages it. Since 2024, it has been the home of the Indoor Football League's Arizona Rattlers. It was also the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Arizona Coyotes from 2003 to 2022. Today, the arena hosts many concerts and other exciting events all year long. It can hold 17,125 people for ice hockey games and up to 19,000 for concerts.
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Arena History: From Old Home to New Home
The Arizona Coyotes hockey team moved to Phoenix in 1996. They first played at America West Arena (AWA). This arena was built for basketball, not hockey. The hockey rink barely fit, and some seats had blocked views. About 3,000 fans couldn't see the whole game. Because of this, AWA became the smallest NHL venue.
The Coyotes' owners decided to build a new, better arena. They chose Glendale, a nearby city. Construction started on April 3, 2002. The new arena opened in the middle of the 2003–04 NHL season. The first sports event was a lacrosse game on December 26, 2003. The Arizona Sting won against the Vancouver Ravens. The next night, the Coyotes played their first game there. Over 19,000 fans watched them tie with the Nashville Predators. Their first win in Glendale was on December 31, 2003, against the Los Angeles Kings.
In 2021, the city of Glendale decided not to continue its contract with the Coyotes. This meant the team needed a new home after the 2021–22 NHL season. The Coyotes then looked into building a new arena in Tempe. The last Coyotes game at Desert Diamond Arena was on April 29, 2022. They won 5–4 against the Nashville Predators. After that season, the Coyotes moved to Mullett Arena at Arizona State University. They played there for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.
Exciting Concerts and Events
Desert Diamond Arena has hosted many famous musicians and events since it opened. In its first year, stars like Prince, Rod Stewart, Britney Spears, and Usher performed there. Other big names who have played at the arena include U2, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Celine Dion, Coldplay, and Justin Bieber.
The arena also hosts many other types of events. It has seen exciting fighting events like UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje and UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2. It also hosted Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. Fans have enjoyed WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown wrestling shows. Family-friendly shows like Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Sesame Street Live, and the Harlem Globetrotters have also visited.
Since 2005, the arena has been home to "February Frenzy." This event brings together Arizona high school basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and cheerleading tournaments. It's a big deal for student athletes in the state.
The most successful event at the arena was UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 on June 12, 2021. It had 17,208 guests and made over $4.2 million!
The Arizona Rattlers indoor football team has used the arena as a temporary home before. They played their Arena Football League's ArenaBowl XXIX there in 2016. They also hosted Indoor Football League playoffs in 2019. The Rattlers officially moved to Desert Diamond Arena in 2024, making it their new permanent home.
The arena is also a regular stop for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) series. Since 2022, it has been the home of the PBR's Arizona Ridge Riders team. On May 25, 2025, All Elite Wrestling held their Double or Nothing pay-per-view event at the arena.
Arena Names Over Time
The arena has changed its name a few times. When it first opened in 2003, it was called Glendale Arena.
In 2006, a company called Jobing.com bought the rights to name the arena. It became Jobing.com Arena for ten years.
Then, in 2014, the Coyotes team made a new deal with Gila River Casinos. This group is owned by the Gila River Indian Community. The arena was renamed Gila River Arena. This was a special moment because it was the first time a Native American tribe had naming rights for a major sports venue in the U.S. or Canada.
Finally, on August 23, 2022, the arena made a new agreement with Desert Diamond Casinos. It was then renamed to its current name, Desert Diamond Arena.
See also
In Spanish: Desert Diamond Arena para niños
