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Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden (MSG) is one of the most iconic and historic multi-purpose arenas in the world, located in New York City.

  • Location: Midtown Manhattan, above Penn Station (on 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets)

  • Opened: Current version opened in 1968 (it’s the fourth building to carry the name)

  • Capacity: Around 20,000 for concerts, less for sports events

  • Nicknames: Often called “The World’s Most Famous Arena”

MSG hosts a wide range of events:

  • Concerts: Everyone from Elvis to Beyoncé to BTS has performed here.

  • Sports:

    • Home to the New York Knicks (NBA) and New York Rangers (NHL)

    • Occasional boxing, wrestling, and UFC events

  • Wrestling: Huge part of WWE’s history—WrestleMania I took place here in 1985.

  • Family Shows: Ice shows, circus events, and more.

Being booked at Madison Square Garden is a huge milestone for musicians and performers—kind of a “you made it” moment. Billy Joel even holds a record there with his monthly residency, playing over 100 shows.

legendary wrestling matches and iconic concerts that went down at Madison Square Garden—the kind of moments that made MSG a cultural landmark:

  1. WrestleMania I (March 31, 1985)

    • The event that started it all! Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff. Total chaos and pure 80s gold.

  2. Superfly Jimmy Snuka’s Cage Dive (Oct. 17, 1983)

    • Snuka leaped off the top of the steel cage onto Don Muraco—one of the most replayed moments in wrestling history. It inspired countless future wrestlers (like Mick Foley).

  3. John Cena’s WWE Debut (June 27, 2002)

    • He answered Kurt Angle’s open challenge in MSG. A star was born.

  4. The Curtain Call (May 19, 1996)

    • The infamous moment when Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash broke character and hugged in the ring, which helped usher in the Attitude Era.

  5. Bruno Sammartino’s Title Defenses (60s–70s)

    • Bruno sold out MSG 187 times—a record. He was a god in that building.

Concerts

  1. Elvis Presley (1972)

    • His only NYC concerts ever. Tickets sold out in 1 day—legendary.

  2. Led Zeppelin (1973)

    • The final stop of their U.S. tour, later featured in The Song Remains the Same concert film.

  3. Billy Joel’s Residency (2014–present)

    • He plays MSG monthly and has done over 150 shows, more than any artist ever.

  4. The Concert for New York City (Oct. 20, 2001)

    • A 9/11 benefit show with Paul McCartney, The Who, Jay-Z, and more. Pure emotion and power.

  5. BTS (Oct. 6, 2018)

    • Became the first Korean act to sell out MSG. Army made that place shake.

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