Xcel Energy Center

Pretty amazing venue for a concert. Parking at the science center is convenient and usually around $ 10. Tons of great restaurants nearby for eats and drinks before or after whatever you event you attend here.
I went to see The Cure here on a Tuesday evening. Though I was initially put off by our seats. Mainly because we bought them when the stage was in the middle of the venue. When that sold out they bumped the stage back for more seats. Not happy with whomever made that decision!
Thankfully the seats were still really good and we had a decent view overall.
I’ve seen hockey games here too. Regular seats and in the suites. All experiences were great.

Last night my girlfriend and I went to the Cure concert. This was a huge stadium show, and I’m so glad it was here and not at an open-​air venue or something small like First Avenue. The show was nearly sold out. Our seats were in section 102, row 34. There were no obstructions to our view, and the sound was amazing! (I’ve been to some First Ave shows lately and the sound quality has been awful, so this was a nice change.)
Concerts can get long, and if you have any dietary restrictions, you should probably eat right before showtime because there are no gluten free, vegan, or affordably-​priced food/​beverages here. A 20 ounce bottled soda was $ 5.

I recently went to a concert at Xcel and it was my first time there. Large venues and arenas typically stress me out but my experience here was really smooth! Quick and easy security check when we entered and easy to navigate.
We were in a balcony section but still had a great view of the stage. As I sat there I thought, «this would be a great seat to watch some hockey.» So I may try to make that happen in the future. My only comment is that pick up and drop offs are a bit tough with the traffic and street pattern around the venue but that is out of their control. Great first experience!

Well not much more to say than the best pro hockey arena in the country (I have sampled many of them). No part of this place looks 16 years old now that they installed a huge new scoreboard (makes me forget to look down at the ice sometimes) and new seats. The X feels modern but is filled with old time Minnesota hockey stuff. Love the high school hockey jerseys lining the club level. Great ushers and bartenders (Chris) and decent food choices. Love this place.

Go Wild! Okay, so it was my first ever hockey (much less professional hockey) game to attend. It rocked my southern socks off. Ive been to many other professional sporting events and arenas, and this place rocked! It was a consumers dream! If you wanted to buy it (for astronomical airport-​on-​steroids-​prices) you could! Besides the one, ironically sobering, $ 24 round of 2 brews I bought ($ 28 with tip), it was a great, clean, organized facility with a great ambience and a good flow. Can’t wait to come back!

Don’t hope that by showing up for CONCERT tickets you will beat the crowd and go early !
They claim to have a «Lottery system» but they random pick one number and and all the folks who were there for hours early can get shoved back to the end of the line.
After being there waiting patiently in line, and in an order we arrived at, No fighting no disagreements, we all knew who was in front of you, What a BAD system HAS to change !
I was 12^th in line, waited 3 hours early and they banded all folks in order with a number.
From 1 to 130 (that day) or so thought I would be in the front of line to buy tickets. And they once they banded everyone, picked a random number it was about 105 (that day) and lined up folks from 106 and on until they reached the high limit of 130 for the wrist bands given out, then all the 1^st ones in line like me, so I ended up being back about 142^th.
And once up to the window all the cheaper seats were sold out !, The one’s I wanted !!!
So don’t show up 3 hours prior to sale time and expect to be the first ones in line. I asked why call it a lottery when the ones who where all very orderly in line for 3 hours up to the sale time have to maybe be pushed back in line. As we were all banded in an order we arrived at in line.
They gave no answer, said its how they do it…(Upset for sure). A lottery is a random draw for all and Yes some may be offered a quicker chance at sales of tickets, but what they use is a MISCARRIAGE of the investment of time and Patience of the early arrivers.

A great place to see a Wild hockey game or a concert. The seats are good at all levels. The bathrooms are clean. Good food choices during events. Our favorites include the Huge, stuffed backed potatoes. They are latered with buffalo chicken (my favorite), Mac & Cheese (also good) or traditional fixings. At just under $ 10, it’s one of the best food deals under the roof. Mini donuts are also a hit. They’re always served warm — either at the stand or from vendors walking the steps. Good beer variety here, but prices are steep.

Was here for the Foo Fighters. Seats are comfortable and the acoustics were great. Ushers were very friendly.

I went to game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round where the Minnesota Wild played the St. Louis Blues. I sat in section 118, row 6 seat 13. What an amazing seat that was. I bought my ticket on StubHub, showed the ticket through the app and walked right in. The lines we seemingly short for the majority of the game. The only lines were for the restroom facilities. Everywhere you go though, that’s going to be the case.
Easy walking access from the main concourse to my seats. It is a bit steep, but that’s how you fit 40,000+ fans into one place.
I would recommend this Venue for a hockey game anytime.

As an out of town visitor to this arena, I was quite impressed with what I saw at Xcel.
We took the light rail in, which was a great idea, as its a few blocks away from the station. We arrived for the Wild/​Blues game and were excited to see yet another stadium layout.
The scoreboard is huge, and wherever you are in the arena, you will see what’s going on. The stairs go up more at an angle so you do need to hold on railings as you travel to and from your seat.
The area itself is clean, kept up well and very welcoming.
Pricing for food and beer were reasonable. They have a happy hour so to speak so before the game you can get a beer for cheap. We settled for a big thing of popcorn for $ 6 which is a steal compared to the prices you’ll get at other arenas.
We were welcomed in, as were all the other Blues fans who had traveled up here for the game. Granted it helped that the Wild beat us but overall there weren’t any issues being out of towners.

Great venue to catch a hockey game or a concert.
As far as concerts go, I’d say the Xcel is far superior to the Target Center. The arena may be a bit smaller, but the acoustics are miles better, plus I find the overall facilities to be nicer.
And the X is awesome for Wild games. I’ve been fortunate enough to always sit somewhere on the lower level for games, and boy is it an experience. The fans are always great and loud and the atmosphere is just fantastic. If you’re in the Twin Cities during hockey season, I’d definitely recommend going to a game, even if you’re not a Wild fan, or a hockey fan. Maybe we’ll convert you.
The staff always seems friendly and helpful, and the building is always pretty clean, as clean as you can be during a busy event anyway. I have to say, I love the concessions at the X. There’s a wide variety of food and drink options. The cheese curds are my favorite.
Public transportation to and from is very easy now that the green line is up and running, and there are a lot of parking options nearby for a variety of reasonable prices, depending on how far away you want to park. There are tons of restaurants and bars within walking distance, although if you’re going before an event, especially before a Wild game, get there early. My favorite is the pub McGovern’s which is right down the street, but get there by 4:30 before a 7pm Wild game if you want a table right away.
I’d definitely recommend seeing some sort of event at the X, whether it be a concert, a Wild game, or maybe even the state hockey tourney.

I’ve seen a few concerts there. My most recent one was Fleetwood Mac the other day. they hold a lot of great concerts from great musicians. They do well at getting a lot of big namers to perform there. The employees there appear to run the stadium pretty well. The sound acoustics are a lot better than Target Center (they’re good too; don’t get me wrong). I think this is a big detail that makes the shows a lot better and funner. As long as they keep doing great shows there, I will keep coming.

My first NHL hockey game and my pops got us some great seats! Right behind the visiting bench! If your going to experience something new this is the way to do it! Absolutely perfect! Only problem is the seats are so close together there is not much leg room, and my brother in-​law and dad (who I was sitting in between) are both bigger dudes and man was in uncomfortable sitting!
The stadium facilities are great! Awesome scoreboard, lots of bathrooms, and food vendors! It’s super clean and feels very modern, but also kinda classic! I was here once before for a concert (Bob Dylan with the Foo Fighters acoustic opening) One thing that I take away from both the concert and the Hockey game is the arena is very very very loud! And the acoustic are bit echoey! If your bringing kids to the game I would suggest bringing ear plugs! Usually at a sporting event the closer you are to the action the less loud it is, but we were almost right on the ice, 3 rows up and it was deafeningly loud! And I go to lots of rock shows and this was worse on my ears!
Still I think this would be a great place to bring the family and or go hang with friends for a few hours and check out some hockey or a show! There is lots of parking around the arena and plenty of good food options both in and outside of the arena! My brother in-​law sampled the Bar-​b-​q Sandwich and also ordered some Fried Pickles! I just got some beers! Food prices are pretty standard for pro sports! 9 dollar 20 ounce light beers, 13 dollars if you choose a local or craft beer! With prices like that it helps keep me sober during the game! If only the Seats, and leg room were a little better, and the acoustics worked on this would be a 5 place!

The Xcel Energy Center is about 15 years old but it is one of my favorite rinks to watch hockey in. In fact, I think it’s one of the best rinks in the NHL. Now that I live in Chicago I spend more time at the United Center catching Blackhawks games however whenever I’m in the Twin Cities I try and catch a game with a friend of mine who is a season ticket holder.
A few years ago I noticed they had displayed all the area high school team jerseys along the concourse celebrating the rich history of hockey in the State of Minnesota. Go Wayzata Trojans! They also had all of the Minnesota collegiate team jerseys on the wall too! In the last few years I have only seen games from the Club Level so I hope these features are still part of the arena. On the Club Level all the bars and food venders are great. The bars all have plenty of beer options on tap featuring many area craft breweries as well as a pretty decent liquor selection as well. As for food, the options tend to be pretty limited to normal stadium food but that’s not usually a problem as I enjoy going to Cossetta’s before each game.
As for the overall hockey experience, the crowd is always good and when the Wild are scoring the atmosphere is great. One of the unique features I like about the arena are the four corners in the top tier. One of the corners features a Split Rock Lighthouse-​like replica whose light bathes the arena in spinning light when the Wild score, accompanied by a legit fog horn! It makes me think of Duluth whenever I hear it.
All in all, the hockey experience at the «X» is one of the best in the league and all hockey fans, young and old, should see a game here. Don’t tell people in Chicago this but I’d rather watch games here than at the UC :)

Lets Go WILD!!! It’s always a treat when I get to go to the Xcel Energy Center. It’s a great arena for watching hockey. I’ve had seats up on the glass, on the lower level, the club level, and the upper deck and honestly they are all great seats. Wherever you are sitting, the seats provide a much more enjoyable viewing experience compared to watching the game at home on HD. The way the arena is constructed almost reminds me of a theatre where the upper deck and club level are hovering right over the lower deck so you are still the same distance from the glass just higher up. That way even up in the upper deck you still have a great view of the game.
As far as food and drinks it’s exactly what you would expect. Beer is obviously way over priced but at least they give you a huge cup that you can bring home. I’ve collected so many that they pretty much consist of all of the cups in my cupboard. Food is really expensive as well so I would suggest getting there early and exploring downtown St. Paul. There are some great spots to eat where you can get much better food for the same price. Also, there are a few restaurants who will bus you to and from the game such as Mancini’s and O’Gara’s.
Not only does the Xcel Energy Center host the Minnesota Wild, but they also double as a venue for big name performing artists. I’ve been to a concert once at the Xcel and from what I remember it was a great venue. They remove the rink completely which provides a lot of room for floor space. Then they also sell tickets to fill up the lower level, club, and upper deck.
Great venue to watch concerts, and an even better venue to watch the Minnesota Wild make it to the playoffs!

When in Minnesota…
Check out a Minnesota Wild hockey game! What a fantastic experience! My husband and I were in Minnesota because he had a work conference. So when we found out it was opening night for the Wild, we were game for a night of fun. Hockey isn’t big in Hawaii (um, obvious, right?), but I’ve been told there is nothing like watching a hockey game LIVE. #truth
Transportation to the Xcel Energy Center was extremely easy via the Green Line (see my review of the Metro Light Rail system:
). Literally, we caught the Green Line from Nicolett Mall to Central St. and walked up the hill the Xcel Energy Center. As we say in Hawaii, «Supah easy!»
As for the game itself, RIDIC FUN! Fans are serious here and I loved it! The night we went, the Wild were putting on a hockey clinic — I think they out shot the Colorado Avalanche 49 – 7 (or something ridiculous like that). They beat them 5 – 0. On our chairs there were towels, so you can imagine I got a lot of practice in whipping my towel around during those goals!
We were disappointed with the food options. A few nights before we had the BEST time at Butcher & The Boar beer garden eating brats, so we thought we’d have some at the game. #FAIL…maybe it was opening night probs, but the kiosk was short-​handed and basically a mess. They had ice-​cold brats (bummer!), so we had to settle on a semi-​warm italian sausage. We also grabbed a Mac & Cheese Baked Potato which turned out to be cold, too. Ugh!
Besides are food being crappy, the experience of the Excel Energy Center was excellent! Good signage (so you won’t get lost) and a lot of helpful workers. Every seat was a great seat (even ours which was in the popular named nosebleed seats). It was nice to be WILD fan for a night!

Maybe I’ve only been to old arenas, but this place is pretty nice! The concessions were delightful. So many different choices and who doesn’t love mini-​doughnuts? Plus, I enjoy that the chairs are padded.
Went to a couple of hockey games here, but am kind of interested in seeing a band now. If the sound is off, I probably won’t care because I’ll be too busy enjoying the concessions.
Parking can be a bit of a hike and if it’s the middle of winter, cold as heck, so come prepared.

Came here to watch my Anaheim Ducks take on the Wild. The lower bowl has excellent sight lines, and its very open. Walking around the concourse, there’s statues of Snoopy and other Peanuts characters which I found cute, and a nice touch for Charles Schultz.
The area bars and restaurants support their Wild, and there’s even a bus (I heard) that will take you to the game from select places.
The fans are great, and they support the local youth hockey. If you walk around the arena, there’s jerseys of the local schools hanging in the ceiling.
Overall a great arena. Just wish it wasn’t so darn cold in Minnesota!

This review is simply for their main floor concert seating. I love the X: great ushers, clean, good sound, well organized.
Twice (shame on me) I’ve had the opportunity to buy up front main floor seats. You really need to rethink this decision– or at least I do.
Their seats are 15 seats to a row, they are one piece fixtures that are literally 14″ across. The seats are ¼″ apart. You cannot move these seats.
I am not a large person and have nothing against large people… however, when you pay top dollar for good seats. it would be nice not to have half of your seat taken up by someone else’s ass. For gosh sakes, we’re in Minnesota where the average size woman (for example) is 14. Size 14 is a far cry from 14″ of ass space! If I wanted to snuggle with someone, I’ll make my own arrangements, thank you very much.
Is it too much to ask to space the flipping chairs out? Between obese people and them carrying extra large jackets that they are forced to hold on their laps, it’s just ridiculous.
I am venting as a person that can fit in these seats– I can’t imagine how self conscious larger people must feel having to squish themselves into this arrangement.
C’mon Xcel use your heads.

Not a bad place for a concert. I’ve only attended two concerts at Xcel. The last concert being George Michael. Yeah I said it, and it was worth my tax return dollars that year.
I was really impressed wth the set up, but I think that’s has to do more with George’s people.
Our seats were decent and pretty close to the stage. The acoustics were decent. Not so decent was the pack of girls behind us who screamed at the highest pitch known to man at everything. Shiat! How annoying. I’m all for enjoying yourself at a concert, but not enough to make people get up and leave. The people to their left and behind us got up and left.
The seats were tolerable, cramped yes, but that’s to be expected. Our area was clean and didn’t have a lot of crap laying around.
Ushers and ticket takers were pleasant and helpful. Quick in, quick out.
Bathrooms were fairly clean for hosting that many people and luckily for me when I chose to go the lines were not that long.
Thankful to be within walking distance. I have a hard time paying to park a car.
I would return for the right concert or event.