Ovens Auditorium / Bojangles' Coliseum

After 55 years of existence, and plenty of competition from newer venues, the Ovens Auditorium and Bojangles’ Coliseum on Independence Boulevard are still going strong with sold-out events from big names in music and Broadway productions.

Both the Auditorium, which seats 2,404 people, and the Coliseum, which seats 9,605 people, opened in 1955 just a few miles east of downtown Charlotte. The venues have hosted more than 7,000 events, including concerts by The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis. More recently, Oven’s auditorium has sold out performances of the traveling Broadway Show Wicked as well as the popular kid’s show Yo Gabba Gabba.

Although occasionally drawing big crowds to the venues, the Uptown Charlotte landmarks The Belk Theater, which opened in 1992, and the Time Warner Cable Arena, which opened in 2005, scoop up most of more popular performances due to a prime location and newer facilities.

What’s impressive is that other venues have come and gone — like the Charlotte Coliseum, which hosted the Charlotte Hornets NBA team before moving to New Orleans — while the Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium have mostly kept their doors open throughout the past five decades. The Charlotte Coliseum was built in the southwest part of the city in 1988 and was demolished in 2007.

HelloCharlotte Tip: The Ovens Auditorium has two areas capable of hosting receptions, dinners and private parties for up to 125 people. 

- by Mike D'Avria, Charlotte Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

He worked for the daily newspaper, The Athens Banner-Herald in Athens, Ga. before turning to freelance writing and video production.

Mike is the Executive Editor of CampLeadership.org, and has lived in Charlotte for four years.