Acrisure Arena Will Be the Coolest Hotspot in Coachella Valley

Humanity is a team sport, and a challenging one at that. It’s easy to go through life being selfish, but it’s much more difficult to constantly consider and collaborate. We can accomplish great tasks when we work together, and the ultimate example of this truth is the forthcoming Acrisure Arena.

“It’s a $300 million privately funded world-class new arena,” narrates John Bolton, the General Manager of the venue. Acrisure will be the home of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the official farm team for the Seattle Kraken.

And if you think hockey in the desert is aspirational, you’ve just discovered the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to Bolton’s commitment to ingenuity and inclusion.

“Sports really unites people from all walks of life under a common bond of support, pride, loyalty. Sports, like the arts, gives kids the opportunity to live beyond their wildest imagination of what they can achieve in life. They create pathways for young people to find ways to be successful.”

Like a Zamboni smoothing the surface for those who follow, Bolton prioritizes diversity. “It’s a foundational piece of our culture. Hiring staff across all levels of our organization that highlight women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ community.”

In fact, rainbow realness is woven into the fabric of the Firebirds’ very aesthetic.

“When we launched the brand, so to speak, for the team, it included the different Pride logos as well. We announced Pride weekend in Palm Springs and were immediately part of the parade there. We continue to want to certainly celebrate that as we go forward.”

But as he peers ever forward, Bolton also glances back at his early days in entertainment.

“I got involved in doing events totally by accident in college. I went to school to be a hospital administrator,” he recounts. “I just fell in love with it and had immediate success with it. So, since really the age of 19, I’ve been involved in promoting events, doing events, so it’s just been a part of my life and culture. It’s what I love to do.”

Bolton is as comfortable ushering in a new era of high-octane hockey action as he is booking A-list musical acts.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter what type of event it is. Just standing at the back of the arena and seeing everyone have a wonderful experience and a fun time really provides a lot of self-satisfaction for me, to know that I was part of the team that made that happen. That’s always been very meaningful to me … I love being a behind the scenes guy. I take pleasure in seeing other people enjoy their experience, to have a good time, to be on the front row watching their favorite artists. Those are the kind of things that really make me excited.”

But the scope of Acrisure is gloriously grand, even for a dreamer like John Bolton.

“It’s hard for me to get my hands around having another 120 event nights. Another 120 options of things to do, I think will be tremendously meaningful to the valley on a year-round basis. It gives 120 more excuses to go out, to do something, to remain active, reasons to invite your friends to visit, to see a show, really creating those life-long memories from events that will take place at the arena over the next 30 years.”

Bolton can balance the immensity of decades with the gravity of the here and now.

“We are beginning to approach what I call the fun part of this project, and that is when we really start announcing shows. People really begin to understand the impact this venue’s going to have on the valley, Riverside County, and the greater Southern California area.”

Punctuating his passion, Bolton continues, “So many exciting things are going to be starting. Every week, there’s going to be a new show announced. It’s to me like the reward for all the challenging work behind the scenes that we have been doing for the past couple of years to get this project off the ground. Everyone around us that has been involved in the project, it will begin to pay off in dividends of people understanding how cool this venue is going to be and amazing artists and events that will play here on a regular and routine basis.”

So, don’t just sit on the sidelines; get in the game!

“I would just encourage people to become engaged with the venue and that might be through social media, it might be other ways, but I would say for sure, just sign up for the email newsletters to make sure that they get pre-sale opportunities, to find out what shows are coming, when they’re going on sale.”

Amidst the impressive portfolio of performers and players that Bolton has overseen in the past, he considers the greatest attraction to be you.

“They key to success for our venue is for people to support the venue and to buy tickets because as people buy tickets and events are successful, more events will continue to come to the valley. We’re interested in really creating that market. Palm Springs and Coachella Valley has never really been a tour stop on any major tour. Granted, we have one-off events like Coachella and Stagecoach and things like that, but for X artist to have us as the 32nd stop on a 40-city tour, that’s never really happened before. Those things are going to start happening and it’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be fun.”

But there’s one concept that Bolton holds in higher esteem than tickets or publicity or any of the other trappings of stadium life: togetherness.

“Community really is a place where people share common interests, at the same time celebrating the diversity and differences among us. A place where we support each other. From a venue perspective, for me it’s a safe place where people come to celebrate a social connection through music, sports, or arts. Enjoying a live experience with your favorite band and thousands of your closest friends. I hope Acrisure Arena will serve as a place like that, where we can come together as one Coachella Valley uniting all the residents of the nine different cities. Because if you think about it, there’s not really a gathering place in the valley where everyone comes together on a regular and routine basis. Acrisure Arena can provide that opportunity that we’ve never really had in the valley.”

So, lace up your love for life, because John Bolton is breaking ground on a new era of so-cool SoCal happenings. Good show, good game, and good times ahoy!