If you like personal space don't go to the van andel. They check your purse, and pockets before you enter, to make sure people don't bring in outside food. This is a bit much for me since even if you have a pack of gum you will be asked to go put it in your car. The events here are cool, but being put under a full body search because they want you to buy their over priced what-nots is very invasive. read more

I went to a concert last night (12/5/19) The seating on the floor was very tight. We were like sardines packed into our seats. With the "enlarging" of the American public, Van Andel needs to redo their seats to accomodate. Very uncomfortable folding chairs. On a bright note, ushers were very pleasant and helpful. read more

I had the pleasure of seeing Cirque du Soleil preform the Crystal show last week & it was beyond amazing to see! Spectacular show. I was completely engaged the entire time & my son (who is five) sat through the whole thing no problem. Absolutely amazing performance to see. The Van Andel Arena has always been a great place to visit for any event I have been too there. Any staff that I had an encounter with were polite, professional & just very pleasant. read more

Van Andel Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

The way the women at the door/women directing people to ticket scanners yell at people is abusive. I'm sooo sorry you're having a bad day but that gives you no right to scream at everyone in anger. Also what are the chances someone could clean the floors so our shoes don't stick to the floor every single time we're there? read more

Almost everyone was super nice. Needless to say, the prices, like at any other arena, are outrageous. On the main floor, everyone stands during the main act. I had an end of aisle seat. I deducted two stars because a security guy put his hands all over me, letting me know I was a little too far into the aisle. I also deducted two more stars because, while I was being "wanded" at the front entrance, by security, they allowed someone to take my phone (an Apple, which also had my ticket on it) and my wallet. Thankfully, the guy who took them brought them back, in two different trips. After the concert, I hopped into my uber, and we drove off. No delay. read more

First time at this arena. Went for frozen on ice. Seats were great and I thought the price was great. We got through security really fast. We parked right up the street. Not a bad walk. It was really packed so I wasn't expecting a close parking spot. Grateful they served beer for the stressed out parents!! read more

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I really do love this venue for events and concerts. I've been to larger venues for sure, but not necessarily better venues. The location is convenient and there are several covered and flat lots within walking distance. The interior layout is ergonomic and there are several concession stands with food, drink, snack and alcohol vendors. The seating inside is reasonably comfortable and not hard to navigate. Looking forward to seeing our next concert here! read more

Van Andel Arena - Getting ready for Elton John!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I posted a review that I made the other day about this arena and removed it, deciding to think it over. So last month I made a trip to Grand Rapids (from the Detroit area) to see Shinedown. It was a Christmas gift that my girlfriend got for her daughter since Shinedown wasn't playing on our side of the state. So far this year this was our third event at Van Andel, first being the Tool show and then the Griffins game the night after. Those two events were great, Shinedown was not. To start, I'll admit here as I did in the arena, that during one of the opening bands at the Shinedown show my GF hit her vape pen, and we got a warning. I took it from her at that moment and that was that. About halfway through the Shinedown set, well over an hour later, I noticed the women working the section (207) staring at me, she was more active with the section than you would usually see at an event, so after noticing again and again I walked to the wall and asked her what was up (I was in seat one). She told me my GF was vaping, and I informed her that she wasn't and that I had her vape in my pocket, she informed me that she had another which was a lie. We had a back and forth conversation with me telling her to stop staring at me and to leave us alone. She disappears, 5 minutes later here comes the security force telling me that my GF and I had to come to the concourse to discuss this. I initially refused and they asked if I would like to get the GRPD involved, so I went down to have the conversation. The conversation was basically, leave or go to jail. I asked them, if she was vaping again, why did I have to walk over to talk to the woman to see why she was staring at me (not the one being accused of vaping either mind you), wouldn't she have approached us? No answer. This, from security personnel that had absolutely no clue what happened. The threat of leave or get arrested by the GRPD was again thrown at me, so little old me has no power, and I'm out $180. DK Security was on the job that night, Michael Pendergast was running the security team that night and has refused to call me back. Only one person at Van Andel seemed to care and if getting me the cost of one ticket refunded...... that's not sufficient. I've never in my life been thrown out of an event and am still stunned this happened, I will never be back. Your security personnel were out of line and then by not refunding me it shows me that you don't care. Sure, its my word vs the woman working the aisle, but what only makes her right? read more

I've been to this arena many times for various events. The past two events I went to were WWE Smackdown Live and Monday Night RAW. We got in an hour and a half early both times which is nice to be able to walk around, get drinks, use the restrooms, buy food, look at merchandise and find our seats. The only downfall to the arena is the prices and how warm is in the building. It was so hot in there last night, I thought I was going to faint at one point. But we toughed it out and enjoyed the evening! Can't wait for the next wrestling event. read more

Van Andel Arena - WWE Monday Night RAW - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I love love love seeing concerts at this arena. It is literally my favorite. But I hate hate hate that they are putting up apartments where more then half the concert goers use to park. So parking is a nightmare if you don't get there at least 3 hours early. read more

I am not about to pay the prices one has to pay for a concert these days and not be able to smoke a cigarette. That is ridiculous. Cater to ALL of your guests and build a designated smoking area. Also...a tight squeeze on seats and was not impressed with the sound system. I refuse to go to any venue(especially paying the outrageous prices for concerts these days)and not have a place to enjoy a smoke with my $20.00 mixed drink on intermission! read more

The music equipment is not properly setup. I remember at the Nelson concert that I could not hear the words at all from most of performers, only loud instruments with muffled singing. The food is horrible, like sucks. And for the price, I'd get more satisfaction eating school lunch than spending an arm and a leg on some nasty crud. The drinks aren't bad if you don't mind spending $18 for a Mikes Hard. read more

Sound for concerts is really bad! No monitors installed that project the stage so you can actually see the band. It's a small arena but not fit for music. Don't waste your money unless it's a sporting event. read more

The seats were not made for large people or people with disabilities. The seats on both levels have no leg room and too many stairs for those of us with bad knees. I can't go back. read more

One of the best arenas out there for hockey on all levels in my opinion. Inside and out, this place is quite the gem. I have been here for some Grand Rapids Griffins games and it has always been such a crazy and exciting atmosphere which makes me understand why the place is so packed all the time. When you walk in, the granite floors are very welcoming and fancy as well as the escalator that goes up to the actual first level. The concessions are very new and serve various different items from nachos to pretzels to many different types of tallboy sized beer to dip and dots. There is always some type of giveaway going on whether its entering in a drawing for a free TV or something or a huge silent auction or free door prizes for attending. The seats are incredibly comfy as well, which definitely lets you know that they take care of their arena because the floors are also very clean. The announcer is so hype and actually sits at ice level and gets the crowd going, along with the drum line that is specially used for the Griffins games. They continue giving free stuff out in the seats but dropping coupons from the rafters, parachuting pizza boxes with coupons, tossing out t-shirts or the t-shirt cannon, or things simply on the seats when you arrive. Tickets are incredibly cheap on top of it all. Row 7 in the lower bowl was only 20 bucks. I love going out of my way for these games. read more

I've been here a few times and I have to say it really is not an ideal concert venue. As someone from the east side of the state I'm aware I'm very spoiled with larger and newer arenas, but this space has so much more potential. It is great for sporting events, but other than that I think from now on I'll be heading back East for concerts. I think my largest complaints is the lack of food options. With SO many great restaurants and beer in the region it is crazy to me that they don't get better vendors in there. read more

My first experience ever in this arena was a nightmare. I went to a concert that was less than half full. Naturally me and my friend moved forward because there was ample room to move to a better seat. Nobody seamed to care that we were moving forward besides one particular woman who seemed to take her job too seriously. The security here likes to pretend they are securing the pentagon. Me and my friend moved to an open seat with nobody disputing our location. The woman made it a point to bring extra security and police into our situation that required none of the sort and Ofcourse being black, the situation escalated us into being kicked out. I will never attend another event or concert in this venue again. read more

I give vanAndel arena five stars my wife and I were there on June 25, 2017 I've been here before pretty small venue about 5000 people and it was an excellent concert. Saw the red hot chili peppers !!!they actually serve beer that you can take back your seats and drinks which is unusual.since we live in Michiana and you sure can't do that anywhere around here ha.The best light show I've ever seen at a concert I've been to a lot read more

Van Andel Arena - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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It was my first time here this past weekend (GO GRIFFINS!) and it was a great time. I am a huge fan of this arena. I was having difficulties with the FlashSeats app and they were able to just swipe my debit card and print my tickets on my way in (Hello Joe Louis Arena, this should be a thing!), it was cool. Also, I sat in a glass seat (they were so inexpensive it was awesome), but I can say that with this arena it looked like any seat would be a good one. From 6-8 they had $2 beers. This is something I hadn't ever seen at an arena (Again, looking at you, Joe Louis Arena), but they did run out of the designated $2 beer before 8pm so grab 2 when you buy them. Arena looked great, the girls bathrooms were stellar by arena standards, and I will come back here to see the Griffins again. read more

This is a nice-sized venue to watch musical performances. The arena is conveniently located in downtown Grand Rapids with easy access to multiple public parking lots, and lots of great restaurants. We enjoyed our comfortable stadium seating and the rest rooms were plentiful. I wouldn't recommend the seating on the floor-level, as the seats were just folding metal chairs. The audience in this section stood the whole time, so if you plan on sitting down in this area, you won't see very much. I would stay away from eating any food here. The pizza and waffle fries were gross and over priced. The bottled water was $3 (including in the vending machines). read more

The seats are very very very tight. I'm 5' tall and feeling very scrunched. No room for your feet or you hit the chair in front of you. My husband was in pain if you know what I mean. God help us if someone needs to get out of their seat and scoot past. Awful experience. read more

I don't think there's a bad seat in this venue. They have a great staff and all the accommodations ( bathrooms, food court and the arena itself) are super clean. Grand Rapids is lucky to have such a cool facility in its city. read more

Van Andel Arena - RHCP concert 2017 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I was pleasantly surprised with this venue. When I visited, it was for a Nine Inch Nails concert, and while I am typically leery of the multipurpose sports arena when used as a concert venue, this was fine. Firstly, my friend and I had super-fan presale tickets, which was supposed to get us early access to the venue. We had to pick up at will call after 6, and could get in "early," with the show at 8. Turns out they weren't ready at 6, so the line queueing up in the cold outside was pretty long. Security eventually let us all come in early and queue up inside, so we'd at least be warm. Nice touch - I'm used to Chicago security who would rather you died, because then they wouldn't have to deal with you. The arena itself is just a small hockey arena, it looked like, maybe a semi-pro basketball team plays there too, not sure. But sound was pretty decent for the layout. Good sightlines...etc. What I was really stunned about (and the reason we have 4 stars here) were the staff. Rather than the typical surly people running will call, security, etc, we had people who appeared to actually care about the job they were doing, something that's usually not the case. I think what made the difference was that most employees were older (if not a few who would fit into the "old" category). Either way, everyone was polite and helpful. Too bad the show was poorly attended, because it rocked...but that means we got to be exactly where we wanted, and didn't have to deal with any odd ball concertgoers. Basically, this is a more enjoyable concert experience than I've had in any of the "dive" (Metro, Riviera, Vic, Aragon, Congress) venues in Chicago. read more

I have always loved Van Andel. My most recent visit there was for the Griffins Hockey game in which I happened to catch a t-shirt! Mmmmmm, free t-shirt. You can't beat $1 beer and hot dogs on Friday's, the arena itself is pretty easy to navigate around, you have a great view of the arena no matter where you sit. Honestly I had a blast and I cannot remember a time in which I didn't enjoy going to Van Andel. i wouldn't hesitate checking out the venue if you had the option of seeing an event there. Zip it up and Zip it out read more

Always fun to go to an event here, and this one was on the bucket list. TSO Christmas concert. Wish the concourse was a bit wider and there was a better location for the vendors to set up. The lines from the vendor tables always block the walkways. read more

I had a good time here with my friends. Got in about ten minutes late as to what time we were told. No big deal though. Found our seats fast because everything was labeled well. I dont think there is a bad seat in the house! Personally I think the sound system might of been too loud but I do have somewhat sensitive ears so I wore ear plugs to help with the pressure. I loved that set changes took no more than about a half hour. The concession staff that I went to was very nice and informative. I just think its silly to take a water bottle and pour it into a cup with no lid (when the soda gets a lid) I would come back again many times. read more

I love this arena. I drove here from Chicago to catch a WWE SuperSmackdown. Most arenas dont work well with phones because Im assuming all the stage equipment or stage sends phones into roaming. (I have sprint.) Anyways my phone worked perfectly there to take pics and still able to send pictures and tweets throughout the night since wwe is social media interactive during some shows. And parking was awesome right across the street! read more

This arena is cozy and fun to visit. We went for a Griffins hockey game and there's not a bad seat in the house. It's right downtown Grand Rapids so there's a lot of action going on that you can do before or after going to the arena. It's clean, nice, and inviting. read more

I absolutely love coming to Van Andel arena! I can only speak about the Griffins games as this is the only times we have been here. The facility is always extremely clean and the concession workers are very friendly. I love the energy at the Griffins games! The announcer is entertaining and it is a great sports arena to take the whole family. Ticket prices are beyond reasonable and there isn't a bad seat in the house. This is an arena done right! read more

I went to Van Andel for 2 hockey games this weekend and came away less than impressed. I've seen professional hockey games in about a dozen arenas, some older than this, that were more updated and offered better services. The main scoreboard is very outdated, and hence is barely used. There's a video screen at one end of the building which is great if you are on that end, but isn't the best if you aren't on that side. Plus, having to look away from the action to see the scoreboard is a pain. As far as the hockey-related things go....Grand Rapids didn't do a lot of promotion stuff. Very little compared to every other minor league game I've been to. It's not a very fan-centric experience at all. Plus, the seats aren't very comfortable at all, especially when you have to get up several times because people who are just there for the $2 beer get up constantly for it. read more

I have attended multiple concerts and hockey games at Van Andel and truly believe that there is not a bad seat in the house. I enjoyed both a rock concert as well as two country concert. My experience with these events was top notch. I enjoy Fridays at Van Andel for hockey for the college nights. read more

Always love coming here no matter what its for. And they do everything here!! As far as arenas go this is one of the cleaner ones I have ever been to (including the bathrooms) All the people working in the food stands are working for their charity / local groups and i really like that. read more

As a venue for hockey, my complaints are limited to the narrow range offered in concessions. As concert venues, it's the absolute worst. Tonight I had tickets to Bob Dylan. Noble prize winning poet. And would you like to know what I got to hear? Guitars. Very little actual singing made it through the cacophony. So lame. And when I complained, I got a speech about how great the acoustics are, so many artists love it, so many tours start here. The problem must be Dylan's sound guys. Obviously touring professionals with decades of experience would do that, not a bunch of yokels that can't even master bush league hockey games. And can we talk about the ladies rooms? First, EEW. Then, maybe add a few more seats? Really. Huge lines for ladies: none for men. Also, consider adding a light bulb, mirror and maybe some dry space? You know, like nice venues have? read more

I had the pleasure of seeing Janet Jackson here recently, and was very impressed!!! Parking near the arena was super reasonable. We paid $8 just a couple blocks away (which is unheard of for event parking in the Detroit area). The venue is much smaller than many others I've been to, so it gave the concert a much more intimate feeling. My only gripe is the fact that the vendors stopped serving beer at 9pm. Since the concert started at 8, this was a bit of a dagger. Other than that, I would definitely choose this venue again for a concert or show. read more

When this place first opened it changed Downtown GR. A Night Life Finally... New jobs and new business every where. Without the Arena Grand Rapids Downtown Nightlife did not happen. That's pretty Awesome....Now back to the fun..... The Sound is really decent for concerts. I saw Tool the day after 9/11 happened and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. I have been here so many times I lost count. I will continue to come back. A very solid venue. read more

This is a nice size arena, fitting around 10,000 people. I saw a Blake Shelton concert and it was so much fun. It got warm in there of course. Parking is cheaper than most arena parking. Generally, I payed 20-25 dollars in Detroit for parking but during mon-Thursday it's only $3-$7 in most lots and it's a close walk. Even during the weekend it's no more than $10-$15. The city is beautiful as well. read more

Very nice arena. We were just here for the Miranda Lambert concert and was very impressed. The sound quality and video features were great. The staff was very friendly as well. There were enough bathrooms (clean by the way) so that it didn't seem too jammed and you didn't waste time standing in line. I have never been here for a sporting event or expo, but was very impressed for this concert. read more

"Guest Service" very unprofessional, unwilling to help and defensive. Definitely require additional training before placed in an important guest service-type role. The staff were unwilling to provide name for additional follow up; citing they are not required to give their name out. I guess that's an instance when you know you are guilty of something. The uniformed security were kind and helpful, however, I believe "event staff" (wearing yellow t-shirts) are unqualified and need to be monitored more closely. We have attended countless events at Van Andel Arena and none have ever warranted this type of follow up. The concert attended last night has forever changed my opinion and future attendance, unfortunately. read more

This venue is pretty alright for concerts. I've been on both the floor and the upper level of the bowl. Bathrooms are large and generally clean. There will be merchandise and food located throughout on different levels. Seating is not hard to find at all- in fact, when I saw Blink-182 last summer, I knew where my seat was quicker than the usher did. He showed a friend and I to the wrong seat. Another time I was there, the ushers on the floor were very friendly in showing me where my seat was. It's not the biggest but it's pretty big. A good venue for Grand Rapids. read more

On August 16th 2019, we were there for approximately five hours. We sat in ADA as our son is physically disabled and in a wheel chair. We sat in section 225-227, four staff members when we arrived were all lounging in guest seating. No one bothered to get up and ask if we needed assistance finding our seats ,they seemed to only move when a member of management came up on the floor which was twice and then sat back down immediately after they walked buy. One staff member proceeded to argue with another staff member ,about why a heads up was not given when management was on the floor. I went to guest services because people needing assistance were NOT being helped. At one point they were sitting in guests seats, oblivious that the guests had grabbed random chairs and sat against the wall. Heaven forbid there had been an emergency, the four staff members would have been of no assistance in any way shape or form in helping anyone with disabilities or in general to safety. I strongly recommended that there be a supervisor for each level for the entirety of the event to inspire people that are getting paid to actually do their job. The venue however was very clean and the show was amazing and we had a great time. Not sure if we will return. read more