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The Alliant Energy Center, formerly
known as the Dane County Expo Center until the late 1990s and Veterans Memorial
Coliseum before that, plays host to a variety of different events ranging from agricultural
expositions to big-ticket concerts. The venue is comprised of a 225,000-square-foot
expo hall, a coliseum, an arena and eight exhibit buildings. The Alliant Energy
Center boasts a prime location just between downtown Madison and the University
of Wisconsin campus.
Built in 1967, the Alliant Energy Center, as it is now known looks much like a large
circus tent. It remains the venue of choice for the music headliners capable of
packing its close to 10,000 seats. A diverse range of acts including Alice Cooper,
Green Day, Korn and Hilary Duff have attracted large crowds to the Alliant Energy
Center in recent years. Historically, the Alliant has been a favorite arena of return
for such storied musical acts as the Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath and Bob Dylan.
The Alliant Energy Center was even host to an Elvis Presley concert back in the
mid seventies.
Back in 1985, not only did the Grateful Dead pack the venue for a repeat performance,
but they enjoyed playing there so much that selected songs from that concert made
it onto a recording of the band's favorite live tracks.
The Alliant Energy Center can also accommodate other events such as rodeos, circuses,
theatre-in-round, ice hockey and basketball. The venue is home to annual events
such as the World Dairy Expo and the Midwest Horse Show and Fair.
However, perhaps the most famous annual event at the Alliant Energy Center is the
Dane County Fair. The Dane County fair features agricultural exhibitions, dozens
of food vendors, carnival rides, and live musical entertainment. The fair usually
attracts over 68,000 patrons.
Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison WI 53713
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