Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan has been the city’s main arena since it opened in 1996, seating just over 10,000 for hockey/basketball configurations and hosting everything from AHL hockey to national touring concerts. It’s home to the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) since 1996, the Grand Rapids Gold (NBA G League) since 2022, and the Grand Rapids Rise (pro volleyball) since 2024, plus a steady concert calendar that has included acts like The Offspring, Bad Religion, Nine Inch Nails, the Jonas Brothers, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
How the seating is laid out
The bowl is split into Lower Level and Upper Level, each further divided into Goal, Corner, and Side sections, plus separate Lower Box and Upper Box tiers. As a general rule for hockey and basketball events: Side sections near center ice/court have the best all-around sightlines, Corner sections are the next best (a slightly angled view of one end), and Goal-end sections put you looking straight down the ice or court, which is the weakest angle for tracking play across the full surface.
Best value seats
Lower Level Side sections are the strongest combination of price and view for Griffins hockey or Gold basketball — close enough to the action to read the play, centered enough to see both ends. If those are out of budget, Upper Level Side sections keep the same centered angle from farther back, which usually beats a Lower Level Goal or Corner seat for actually following the game.
Concerts
For concerts, the stage is typically built at one end of the arena rather than center-ice, which flips the seating logic — floor seats and lower sections facing the stage become the priority, and the arena’s usual sports seating chart doesn’t directly apply. Always check the specific show’s configured seating chart rather than assuming hockey/basketball sections carry over.
Buying tips
- Seat numbering runs from the aisle of the lower-numbered adjacent section to the aisle of the higher-numbered one — useful for judging how close to a section’s edge (and the nearest aisle) a specific seat sits.
- Use an interactive seat-view tool on the ticketing site before buying, since “Corner” and “Goal” sections can vary more in actual view quality than the labels suggest.
- For family outings, Lower Box aisle seats make concession and bathroom runs far easier during a full Griffins game.