Coast Coliseum planning for busy 2022 season

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Monday morning’s news about rising country star Morgan Wallen making a tour stop in Biloxi excited not only fans but the staff at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

“We’ve got probably the hottest ticket in live entertainment,” Executive Director Matt McDonald said. “Morgan Wallen is selling tickets in every market he is in. This is a major event in terms of popularity, in terms of demand. It will sell out in a matter of minutes.”

Tickets will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. both online and at the Coliseum box office. Wallen will hit the stage on March 3 with special guests HARDY & Larry Fleet. Officials hope more than 10,000 tickets will be available for sale.

The act is a sign of things to come for the Coast’s arena after 2021 started off slow due to COVID-19 restrictions. Officials hope they can continue the wave of big events and packed crowds into the new year.

“We caught fire in April and had probably the best April we ever had in the building. June was very strong for us. July was good. August was good. October was phenomenal,” McDonald said. “We’re seeing a lot of positive trends going into 2022. We’ve already got some major events on the books that are already on sale or are about to go on sale.”

Planning with little to no pandemic restrictions means the venue can plan for a busy year, bringing more acts that cater to different demographics, musical tastes and interests.

“We are certainly excited when we get the big names in and we’re going to keep trying to do that,” McDonald said.

From Disney On Ice to professional hockey and even to Chris Stapleton, there’s going to be a lot of attention on the Coliseum in the coming months, and officials are excited to see how much business comes from the busy venue.

Officials said it’s mainly a regional crowd that packs the 10,000-seat arena.

“A rising tide certainly lifts all boats,” McDonald said. “And that means hotel rooms, that means restaurants, that means buying fuel at our local service stations. It means a lot of different things for a lot of different people.”

The hope is that as the Coliseum sees more people in seats, so will nearby businesses.

“We’re here to stimulate the economy and make things happen, not just in Biloxi but for the entire One Coast region,” McDonald said.

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