Durham Performing Arts Center entertained more than half a million guests during the 2015-16 season, setting new records for attendance and ranking in the top 10 attended United States venues for the fifth time.
Pollstar Magazine, an entertainment industry publication, ranked DPAC as third in attendance among reporting theater venues in the United States. DPAC’s total attendance hit 511,073, a 14 percent increase over last season. Its eighth season also saw an increase in total events and sellout performances compared to last year, with 249 events and 119 sellout performances. DPAC seats 2,700, and opened in 2008.
Last year, DPAC ranked No. 4 by Pollstar and No. 3 by Billboard and Venues Today.
Top Five Broadway Events for the 2015-16 Season:
- The Lion King
- The Book of Mormon
- Beautiful
- The Illusionists
- Sound of Music
Top 15 Concert Events for the 2015-16 Season:
- Aretha Franklin
- Duran Duran
- Mark Knopfler
- Hall & Oates
- Frankie Valli
- Mary J. Blige
- Jill Scott
- Jackson Browne
- Gladys Knight & The O’Jays
- Patti LaBelle
- The Moody Blues
- Ricky Martin
- Faith Evans & Mase
- Yanni
- Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club
First and second, respectively, on the magazine’s list were Fox Theatre in Atlanta and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.