Best arena for the best fans in the country!! Go Cats! But sitting up in Row Y is a bit high read more

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I was there for Graduation. The seats were very uncomfortable. I don't see how anyone could enjoy a Basketball game there. The seats are very narrow I am average size but the seat was snug. A large person would not fit. Leg room, there is none. I am 5 11. A tall person with long legs would be miserable. Looking at the next level up (the nose bleeds area) look very steep. Too steep for me. I understand that this is typical of such venues. I will watch the basketball game from home. Better view, comfortable seats , convenient snacks and great facilities. read more

It's not Boston Garden or Madison Square Garden, but it has a rich history for University of Kentucky basketball fans. So, we took a friend from India to a recent basketball game, and he was automatically hooked. He mentioned that he had never seen so many people. The arena offers plenty of concession stands and restrooms. The lines for both weren't overwhelmingly long. Parking is so-so, which is typical of downtown Lexington. I parked on Second Street by some law firm for a small fee. A good tip when the weather is freezing is to take the elevated pedways. One begins at the 5th/3rd building, the tallest blue-glass building in North America. It's like a maze, but the kids enjoy it, and Indian visitors find it fascinating, too. Takes you straight to Rupp Arena. The bottom line is, if you have the opportunity to attend a game, be like Nike and do it. On a side note, a friend mentioned the arena isn't that great for concerts due to the acoustics and angle of the seating, and that it was meant for basketball only, but I don't have any input since I use an interpreter. read more

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A wonderful venue to enjoy a concert or sporting event. The staff are friendly and caring. Regrettably, my attendance of the Journey was marred by an overflowing urinal in the Men's Room near Section 230 resulting in considerable water/ urine on the floor. read more

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Rupp Arena is a great place to see a concert! The facility is clean and well-kept. The seats are comfortable and offer good views. The temperature is appropriate., I'm not sure what happened with security the night of Andrea Bocelli but that was frustrating and even a little scary. Purses, bags, and people were not being checked like they should be! One reminder about the facility, there are many nooks and crannies to the building. Go on a hunt for a bathroom and you may just find a shorter line! read more

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An hour into the Heart concert, the band announced they had to take a break because Rupp wanted to sell more concessions(!). It was a 30 minute break in the middle of a concert! I couldn't believe it. Thanks for wasting my time, Rupp! They also kind of drive you crazy checking your ticket... not just at the entrance, but all through the venue. And then when you go to your seat with a bottle of water or soda, the guards make you take your cap off your drink and they keep it. So you have to constantly hold your drink because it has no cap, and people walk through the tight seats and the people beside you move their feet around, and if your drink has no cap and is sitting on the floor in front of you, it will spill... you have to hold it for the entire concert. Very annoying venue. read more

Ahhhhh first UK game here..and we won by 24 points!!!! Omg such a great feeling. Most importantly, the facility is clean, great security and very manageable to navigate. The bathrooms are clean as well. read more

I lived out my teenage fantasy dreams and saw Blink-182 and Pierce the Veil here! Getting into the parking garage was easy, and once inside, the arena was huge with vendors and bathrooms wrapping around in a circle. It reminded me of Yankee Stadium. The sound quality was great and every spot looked like it had a good view. The big screens made it easy to enjoy the details of their performance, and the bands performed in the round! There was plenty of security and helpful staff, so grabbing drinks and food, as well as being directed to specific areas was smooth. The overall vibe was electric--great energy from the crowd, and it felt like a really-well run operation. I'd definitely come back for another concert. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Such a great place to watch KY basketball!!! Huge arena and to the KY fans are sooooo loud!! Alot of fun. The place is so clean. Great staff. And the best icecream!!!! read more

Since the Rupp Arena has been remodeled, the sound system is amazing. It is a good place for the basketball games. The parking is crazy expensive. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We attended the Tim McGraw concert here 6/15/24. I bought tickets for this concert almost a year ago when the tour was announced and we chose Lexington to give us somewhere new to go. This arena was very easy to find and to navigate. Our seats were great. Concessions were good, but expensive like every other arena. The location is nice and centrally located downtown by several good restaurants, triangle park and hotels. read more

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Journey Mar 2026 - Arena is great, crowd is cool, sound is good, security acting like high school hall monitors really undermines the pleasant atmosphere. read more

Rupp Arena was my go to for my Kentucky Wildcat Games and more. This place holds lots of fond memories for me. I forgot about it until my friend Paige rubbed it in that my beloved Wildcats lost last night. It's not newsworthy in Manhattan! Congrats Paige and thanks for giving me another review on my record. If I still lived in Eastern Kentucky I'd be back here a lot. I'm recommending you check the schedule of the activities going on at the Arena and attend as much as you can! You're welcome! read more

I'm at Rupp arena to see Blake Shelton. Tickets were on the high bench seats with no back. But the sound is good and good view from high up. read more

Rupp Arena - At Rupp - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Visited Rupp Arena on a Friday night to see comedian Nate Bargatze's show. We were impressed with the venue -- extremely clean and well maintained. Clear signage and plenty of staff available to assist patrons navigating to their seats. The seats near the stage were terrific, nicely padded, although even those became a bit uncomfortable by the end of the 2+ hour show. Exiting the venue was efficient and we were returned quickly to the outdoors within less than 10 minutes. The central stage setup with seating in the round and large video monitors allowed for every seat in the house to be top notch. Looking forward to a return visit and worth the trip from Louisville. read more

I'm going to be brutal here. The venue itself isn't that bad overall. Its large, but there aren't protruding section signsto help figure out where you are/where you're going, the Building map was made with all blue (why?!), and the sinks are the type you can't actually wash your hands in at the same time. I haven't seen faucets like this since pre COVID, because they just don't work. The last time I was here also had a different setup for stands available (same company, just different visit) and weirdly the stand locations were changed up. When I asked about it, I was just told things had changed. After 4 hours of discussing locations though, and a bullet point list of requested changes, I didn't press my confusion. read more

Rupp Arena - Bathroom sink - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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First time going for uk basketball game. Had fun! Bathrooms were well kept, short wait times at concession stand. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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We went to Rupp Arena for the boys high school state tournament. We have not been in awhile since our last UK basketball game. We had good seats and they were comfortable. We were in section 17 row M and could see the game well. We enjoyed the game but our team lost, however the venue was goo. read more

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I haven't been to an event at Rupp in probably 10+ years. We were here on Dec 30th for the Tyler Childers concert. Getting to the venue wasn't an issue and the initial entry wasn't a problem. The main issue we encountered was that while going through security, each line seemed to have it's own rules with bags. My friend's bag was right within the guidelines but she almost had to bag check it. I had a clear bag so we took several things out of her bag to put into mine so she wouldn't have to pay the $20 to check her bag. Meanwhile, in the line next to us, bags twice the allowed size were going through security with no issue. Overall, the concert was great and the venue was ok. There could be more consistency with the security lines. read more

Four words. The Rupp Club Experience! This was a package offered with a certain area of seating, priced affordably. Hands down 100% worth every penny! Make sure you look for the Rupp Club Experience when buying tickets to your next concert or event at Rupp! Arriving at Rupp, you will enter off Manchester Street to park in the Central Bank Center parking garage. Parking will be located right outside a back entrance to Rupp Arena. Upon entry, you will be met by employees ready to check your coat for the evening, and provide you a lanyard. Photo booths with ring lights are set up and decorated specific for your event, even a 3D photo booth which was popular! Once you enter one of the two event rooms you will find several bars, complementary fountain drinks and food stations with several delicious options with ample tables and seating for you and your group! Can't forget the DJ, dance area, and merch tables all without lines! Minors are welcome. Once you are ready to find your seat, you go up a flight of stairs, or take the elevator to where you will find your seats, near section 31&32! The Rupp Club Experience definitely hands down made our night out at the concert, unforgettable and made everything happen smoothly and without any long line. read more

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This was my first time in attendance to this arena. In town to see the Kane Brown concert, this was a very nice venue to watch a concert. Parking can be absolutely horrendous and expensive, I recommend coming early and trying to find street parking. Once inside, you pass through a security checkpoint and get your ticket scanned. Rupp arena is cashless, so make sure to have your card with you. Food and beverage is expensive per usual. Expect to pay over 12$ for a standard size seltzer. Seating is not too shabby, minus the steep staircases. However. I must say there was no really bad seats anywhere. Every section had a clear view of the arena and the stage. Great venue overall, I would love to come back and watch my Cards beat I mean play against the Cats! read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I have attended a couple of events here the past few months each experience was different. I came for a basketball game during terrible rainy weather, trying to park in the nearby parking lots is awful, unless arrive early. They will let you bring umbrellas but not a small purse must be 9x5. Which I thought mine was but it was just a bit bigger. Bathrooms were clean, security was nice & efficient. However when leaving they were trying to funnel everyone out only one set of doors and it was chaotic since not everyone was aware and trying to exit out another way. My second event was a concert, we had floor seats and was told to go thru the bottom entrance, when we got to that entrance security told us we had to go upstairs. We went to the upstairs security, found our floor seats and went to get drinks and use the bathroom just to see the same room (the first floor entrance we couldn't get in through). Not a huge issue but at the same time we walked upstairs just to get back down stairs. This wasn't the club entrance either since there was no food, entertainment or anything extra just bathrooms and 2 bars which one was fully stocked! The bathrooms were very clean & spacious and the staff were constantly cleaning and stocking. Both events experiences were great and these weren't major issues just minor things that if known ahead of time, would have helped to make the experience bette. read more

Came here for the Trans Siberian Orchestra and paid extra for the parking right across from the arena. I highly recommend doing this! Was so nice to not have to walk far. The arena itself was easy to get into. They do have a clear bag policy and are cashless on the concessions etc so just keep that in mind when visiting. They were making people take their bags back out to their vehicles! You do get email reminders of the policies so there really is no reason to be upset if you have to make a trip back to your car! There are several concession stands and the bathrooms are nice sized but with most concerts/games there is going to be a line at both places. The attendants were all very friendly and helpful with directing you to your seats. Was overall a great experience. read more

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I have not been to Rupp Arena a whole lot until recently because we have been able to attend more UK games. Rupp knows how to keep their fans entertained with the halftime shows and being interactive when the game is going on. The food is the same everywhere else, overpriced. The thing that does stand out is the ice cream which everyone gets while they are at Rupp. The only downside is the upper level still bleacher style but they are adding backs to it. So far we have lucked out and had lower level seats. Overall, Rupp is a nice venue if you are wanting to see a basketball game. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Always amazing! We went for state champs for stlp (we only made it to the second level), GREAT EXPERIENCE. WWE Smackdown, AMAZING SEATS (2nd row + high five from Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens). WWE Supershow, GREAT. read more

Rupp is going through a renovation, so one must walk through winding corridors before entering the arena. The sound system and visual affects are nice added additions, though. read more

Rupp Arena - UK vs DePaul BBall Game - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

For a show, the sound is way less than stellar. Also, if you happen to spend a ton of money on a floor ticket, they will absolutely staff no more than 2 bartenders for the entire bar that everyone with a floor ticket is trying to order from. This is the 3rd show I've been to and no difference. I really wonder if they struggle that bad to hire staff or what it is that makes this the status quo. 3rd time was not the charm and won't be back. read more

I've attended 3 non sport events in the last month at Rupp and they've all been amazing. The staff at Rupp are always friendly. It's fantastic having such awesome events to attend 10 mins from home! Love all the events Rupp brings to Lexington! read more

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I've been to Rupp Arena a few times for basketball games concerts different events like that last night we went to a concert that is a year in the making honestly because it was supposed to happen last year and it didn't happen because Covid shut everything down so the last time I went to a concert was at River Reno in February 2020 now I'm back in March 2021 my first ever socially distance concert. It was pretty cool meat see you in the things I like how it had anything spread out rub arena we got free parking which was awesome, if they meant to give it to us but we got it and parked right in there walked in easy breezy nice little arena to be honest that good seats I mean I'll go back again Lexington is only about an hour away from my house so go cards still read more

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Attended my 1st UoK basketball game Saturday. My wife is a UoK graduate and we attended an Alumni Brunch prior to the game. From security to the concession everything was great. Being a GA alumni I had to asked about basketball in between cheers, chants, clapping and screams of encouragement... Fortunately UoK won so my ride home was enjoyable. .:) read more

Rupp Arena - Before Alabama game - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Rupp Arena, wow! I had not been inside the arena since my high school basketball team made it to the Sweet 16 in the mid 80s. I had never watched the University of Kentucky play in Rupp Arena until January 2019. My father is the biggest UK fan so I met up with him in Lexington and took him to the game. He also had never attended a game. Make sure you read the "do not bring into the arena" list before you go to the game. Purses can only be a certain size and you are not permitted to bring e-cigs inside. These are just a few items so check the website. Be prepared for a purse inspection and a walk through metal detectors. I was thankful they were keeping us safe! We arrived early as we wanted to get the full experience. I purchased a sausage dog and a soda before going to our seats. The food and drink price was reasonable. I also purchased a special basketball, $40, that the coach could possibly sign at the end of the game. When we got to our seats we found hard hats had been placed on all the lower level. 2019, marks the hundred year anniversary of the invention of the hard hat and the company that invented the hard hat was based in Ky. Pretty cool souvenir. The introductions of the team was pretty amazing with a fireworks display. It was a close game from beginning to end but UK pulled it off. After the game we made our way to the other side of the arena and a waited for the coach to come out of the locker room and start his radio interview. On the way to the other side we passed the Wildcats mascot and I got a picture of him with my Dad. His smile was priceless! During the coaches interview he would point to people in the crowd and you were to throw him the basketball, he signs it and throws it back to you. I was holding the basketball and was lucky enough for him to choose me so I got a signature for my Dad. Thank you Rupp Arena and the Kentucky Wildcats for giving me and my dad such a special night that we will never forget! read more

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Very clean arena with great parking. Came in town for a lil Wayne concert and thoroughly enjoyed ourself. Will definitely come here again to watch shows and things. My only suggestion is get different food and drink vendors. Definitely more beer options. read more

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This review is an overall rating of Rupp Arena AND the new VIP Club Access experience. The 3-star rating is mostly because of the VIP Club Access experience. My husband and I went to the Mount Westmore concert last night at Rupp. The concert was off the chain! They put on a show! They can get my money again. But our experience leading up to it was "okay" at best. First off, the VIP Club Access comes with VIP parking that we could never find. And we weren't the only ones. When I made it into the club, several people had trouble finding the correct Central Bank Parking Garage. Apparently there were several. My husband and I ended up just paying for parking AGAIN in one of the other Central Bank parking garages. I guess they assumed that everyone is familiar with Rupp. Wrong. There was supposed to be Coat Check offered at the door but not everyone was aware of that. And if you didn't come in through the parking garage (the same one we couldn't find), well you wouldn't have known where the coat check was anyway. They didn't have tickets for the coat checks so they had to use pieces of paper. I ended up checking my coat but I went back and got it long before the concert ended so that I didn't have to fight the crowd. The hor d'oeurves were decent. Cocktails were good at a reasonable price. Room was spacious. Staff were friendly. Restrooms were clean. VIP area was nice but for the full VIP experience they'll need to step their game up. Based on this VIP Club Access experience, I probably would NOT pay the $200 again. It was nice...but not worth what we paid for it. read more

Just saw comedian Bert Kreischer, Tops off World Tour at this venue. Bert was "on" tonight. The staff at the arena were amazingly friendly & helpful. The staff directing traffic both in & out were extremely efficient. Thank you for making it an enjoyable date with my hubby for his early birthday present. read more

Not the best design for a stadium at least not for a concert. They put t-shirt sale booths in terrible locations block the primary walking path so it made it extremely difficult to walk around, especially at the beginning when most people were trying to get to their seats. Concessions were alright. Bathroom were as expected, not really that bad considering. Seats were extremely close, side by side space felt really cramped. If you're coming for an event, you're coming. Not like my review would encourage or discourage anyone. read more

I really hope they renovate Rupp soon. I wasn't a fan of the bleachers in the nosebleeds. I just needed to lean my back on something. I'm so used to the comfortable seats at Yum! I was able to see the huge screen of Tim and Faith behind them as they performed. I didn't feel like I was that far from the stage even though we actually were pretty far. They've got some nice views upstairs though. I've been here for many a UK basketball game and it's always enjoyable. I felt bad for the guys hoisted all the way up holding the spotlights. I guess they don't have a control panel for them yet. Goes to show how much they really need to update the place. I don't mind coming back here again. Parking is never all that bad to find. And traffic is nothing compared to Louisville. I still prefer the Yum center though. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I am a UK fan. I attended the University of Kentucky. I've been to Rupp Arena a lot! And.. it's not great. I mean, it's ok.. It's a venue to host basketball games and events, like concerts and expositions; but, once you've been somewhere like the Yum! Center, you'll understand what I'm saying about Rupp. So, I'm hoping for (and looking forward to) the new Rupp Arena they've been talking about for years! Hopefully they'll do all of those renovations and turn Rupp Arena into something amazing! But for now, if you're going to Rupp, just know that it's not super awesome. There are some cool aspects! There are a few small local shopping opportunities outside of the arena. But, the arena itself, particularly the seating, is the major issue. It's stadium seating, and it's cramped, and steep, and uncomfortable. Unless you're in lower level seating, it's not great. The area around Rupp is nice though! So attending events there offers the opportunity for some good eating and drinking, as long as everything isn't packed due to the event you're going to. But, if that's the case if you venture a block or two away you should be good. All in all, if there's an event I want to attend I'm not going to say no because it's at Rupp Arena. But, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they improve this spot soon! read more

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Attended my Grandson's graduation today and it's the first time to visit Rupp. It was amazing to me how bad the traffic is in and around the arena. It took almost 45 minutes to go from Broadway to the High Street parking lot. It was a very poor traffic system and the police directing did not do much to help. The arena itself was very nice for the ceremony and the setup for it was very good. read more

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Rupp arena, the worlds largest arena built specifically for basketball. Love this place, you haven't seen a basketball game until you have seen one at Rupp read more

I went to see Justin Timberlake this week and was at Rupp for the first time. If you are able to get lower seat then the venue is probably pretty good. We however had top seating and it was horrible. The biggest issue is I felt like I was going to fall straight to the floor all night. The incline is so steep that I sat the whole show and gripped the bench seat I was on. I've been to upper level seating at many other areas and never felt this way. I've been to the Yum center and Wrigley Field, for example, and sit in the upper levels and it was fine. However, this was absolutely not something you could do if you even had a slight fear of heights. The second biggest issue is when you're in the upper levels you are actually above the lighting. I had most of my view obstructed by the lights that were hung from the rafters that were constantly shining in your face and honestly, I couldn't even see the screen that showed Justin. So basically you spend all night with a death grip on your seat, afraid to stand up because you literally feel like you're gonna fall straight to the floor and your view is obstructed. read more

Rupp Arena - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky