More than 1.4 million people attended 466 events, conventions and concerts at the Birmingham Jefferson Jefferson Convention Complex in 2024, as the city’s top venues continue to rebound from the COVID pandemic.

At Legacy Arena, Protective Stadium and the BJCC Concert Hall, nearly a million people attended 271 events. And ticket sales for P!NK LIVE in November eclipsed $40 million, making her the highest-grossing female artist ever at the BJCC.

“It was a year full of great signature events,” said Tad Snider, the CEO of the BJCC on Wednesday following the board’s monthly meeting. “We had a couple of events with same-day sellouts, and Zack Bryan sold out two shows back-to-back. Team that with $2.4 million in gross revenue at the stadium, including a great Birmingham Bowl game with Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, and by all of our measures, pre-COVID and since, 2024 broke all those metrics.”

Buoyed by major sold-out acts lured following the $125 million renovation of Legacy Arena and $175 million construction of Protective Stadium, it’s believed to be the BJCC’s best year ever, Snider said.

At midyear 2024, Legacy Arena ranked No. 52 worldwide for tickets sold and No. 55 in gross revenue, according to Pollstar, which tracks and ranks ticket sales at venues. The BJCC Concert Hall was ranked No. 46 worldwide for tickets sold and No. 70 in global gross revenue.

“It was a great year for us,” Snider added.

The success validated the significant investment in the aging arena and new stadium, Snider said.

“In terms of investment return on the dollar, based on feedback from the public, our concert partners and sports partners like the NCAA, the investment in the arena is probably the best one we’ve made,” he said. “Essentially taking a building 50 years old and being able to reposition it for another 25 or 30 years, most of the feedback we received from people — especially if it’s the first time they come to an event since the renovation — they almost can’t believe it’s the same building.”

Based on current bookings in 2025 and 2026, Snider says the complex sees the convention and meeting segment “coming back” to pre-pandemic levels.

The BJCC is emphasizing what Snider calls the “fan experience” inside and outside the venues.

The renovated Arena Club at Legacy, where event attendees pay for a “premium” pre-event experience including food and libations, is selling at 70-100% of its 250-person capacity, officials reported at today’s board meeting.

The $3.9 million renovation of the piazza between the arena and concert hall began this week and is expected to be completed by mid-May when the World Police & Fire Games are scheduled to be held, according to the BJCC.

Snider also said meetings are being held with retailers and restaurants throughout downtown, and other areas of the city, including the south side, to ensure greater collaboration on taking a “destination approach” to elevating the “fan experience” while out-of-towners visit the city for events.

Snider said the BJCC got feedback from the Birmingham Bowl and the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament to improve the fan experience outside the venues.

“So, all our hoteliers are fully bought into the excitement around having those tourists in town, having a great Birmingham experience that we all want them to have,” he said. “Same thing with restaurants — just make sure that while we have the opportunity to be on a national stage and people are visiting Birmingham, sometimes for the first time, we’ve really got a solid plan in place for that. It’s an opportunity for us to continue to improve what our visitors experience.

BJCC officials also reported today that 33,500 tickets have already been sold for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Regionals that will be held at the arena March 28-31.