DPAC presented by First Horizon is celebrating one of its most successful seasons ever, welcoming over 600,000 guests to 258 performances during the recently completed 2025 / 2026 season, making it the second-best season ever in the theatre’s 17-year history.

Owned by the City of Durham and operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), DPAC has welcomed over 7.5 million guests to 3,540 performances since opening in 2008.

In recently released 2026 mid-year national rankings, DPAC was ranked the #1 venue in the United States by Billboard Magazine based on ticket revenues and the #5 theatre in America by Pollstar based on attendance. This ranking places DPAC among many of the nation’s most iconic theatres, including Radio City Music Hall in New York City, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Santana at DPAC on April 3, 2026, for a Sold Out, One Night Only Show

DPAC’s signature series, Broadway at DPAC, presented the biggest Broadway shows direct from New York to sold-out audiences this season, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Outsiders, and Hell’s Kitchen. The 2025 / 2026 season also saw the record-breaking return of HAMILTON for its third multi-week engagement at DPAC. With over 18,000 Broadway at DPAC season ticket members, DPAC remains one of the largest one-week Broadway series in the country.

In addition to Broadway, the 2025 / 2026 season also included a record number of legendary concerts, superstar comedians, family shows, and special events of all kinds with many of these performances being total sellouts.

“It’s amazing to see thousands of guests coming together to share the memories of a lifetime at DPAC,” said Bob Klaus, General Manager of DPAC. “We are grateful to have so many great events and thank all the staff, cast, crew, performers, and guests who made this season so special.”

“As presenting sponsor, First Horizon Bank congratulates DPAC on an outstanding year and the experiences created for the Triangle community,” said Laura Bunn, Mid-Atlantic Regional President for First Horizon Bank. “This special partnership champions one-of-a-kind live entertainment in an intimate setting where the guest experience comes first. We remain committed to expanding access to the arts and delivering memorable moments for our clients and neighbors.”

“Congratulations to DPAC on another successful season of bringing people together,” said Todd Warrick, Triangle Market President for First Horizon Bank. “We are proud to stand alongside a partner that lights up our region through Broadway, concerts, comedy, and special events. Together, we look ahead to another standout season, keeping our clients and neighbors at the heart of every performance.”

 

Top National Rankings

 

Billboard Magazine - DPAC #1 in America 

 

In their just released publication, Billboard Magazine ranked DPAC as a top venue in the U.S. based on ticket revenues.

 

Billboard is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, a division of MRC Media & Info. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music and live events industry.

 

U.S Ranking	Venue / City
1.	DPAC Durham, NC – 2,700 capacity
2.	Beacon Theatre New York, NY – 2,800 capacity
3.	Dr. Phillips Center - Walt Disney Theater Orlando, FL – 2,700 capacity
4.	Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA – 4,600 capacity
5.	Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL – 3,600 capacity

Billboard Boxscore

Mid-Year 2026 Top Venues – 2,501 – 5,000 Capacity

October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026

Ranked by Ticket Revenue Among Reporting Venues

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Pollstar - DPAC #5 in America

 

Pollstar Magazine, known as the Voice of Live Entertainment for over 40 years, has ranked DPAC #5 in reported attendance and #6 in reported ticket revenues among U.S. theatres.

 

Pollstar provides the most up-to-date, relevant, and useful data available for the global concert and live events industry, a focus on editorial excellence, and the most powerful metrics of entertainment industry success available anywhere.

 

U.S Ranking	Venue / City
1.	Radio City Music Hall New York, NY – 6,000 capacity
2.	Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA – 4,600 capacity
3.	Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, FL – 7,000 capacity
4.	Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA – 2,800 capacity
5.	DPAC Durham, NC – 2,700 capacity
6.	Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL – 3,600 capacity
7.	Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN – 2,600 capacity
8.	Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN – 2,300 capacity
9.	The Anthem Washington, DC – 6,000 capacity
10.	Dr. Phillips Center - Walt Disney Theater Orlando, FL – 2,700 capacity

Pollstar

Mid-Year 2026 Ticket Sales - Top 200 Theatres

November 13, 2025, to May 13, 2026

Ranked by Attendance

 

DPAC’s 2025 / 2026 Season Top Events

 

Top Five Broadway Shows:

1. HAMILTON (32 Performances) – May 20 – June 14, 2026
2. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (17 Performances) – December 28, 2025 – January 11, 2026
3. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (16 performances) – September 2 – 14, 2025
4. Hell’s Kitchen (8 performances) – February 17 – 22, 2026
5. Les Misérables (8 performances) – July 15 – 20, 2025

Top Ten Concerts:

1. David Byrne – May 11 & 12, 2026
2. Jill Scott – June 18 & 20, 2026
3. Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas – April 24 & 25, 2026
4. Santana – April 3, 2026
5. Diana Ross – October 21, 2025
6. Joe Bonamassa – March 13, 2026
7. John Fogerty – November 5, 2025
8. Jason Isbell – January 14, 2026
9. Foreigner – July 29, 2025
10. Boz Scaggs – November 20, 2025

Top Five Comedy Shows:

1. John Mulaney (4 performances) – October 2 - 4, 2025
2. Steve Martin & Martin Short (2 performances) – October 18, 2025
3. Bill Burr (2 performances) – April 8, 2026
4. Bert Kreischer (2 Performances) – April 17 & 18, 2026
5. Matt Mathews (2 performances) – September 27, 2025

Top Five Special Events:

1. A Christmas Carol Presented by Theatre in the Park (6 performances) – December 10 – 14, 2025
2. Stardew Valley (2 performances) – October 16 & 17, 2025
3. A Conversation with Kamala Harris – October 15, 2025
4. Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet (2 performances) – November 23, 2025
5. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson – November 13, 2025

Looking Ahead

Throughout the upcoming 2026 / 2027 season, DPAC will continue to bring the biggest shows in the world that play theaters to the Triangle.

DPAC’s signature series, Broadway at DPAC, will present the best shows direct from New York, including the highly anticipated return of WICKED and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the premiere of Maybe Happy Ending, Death Becomes Her, and Just In Time.

The season continues with one-of-a-kind live performances from Wilco, Tori Amos, Gary Clark, Jr., Harry Connick, Jr., Ray LaMontagne, Tom Jones, Beck, Little Big Town, Jeff Arcuri, TWAS the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil, Clint Black and Midland, Derek Hough and more.

For a full list of upcoming events, please visit DPACnc.com.

Link to Venue Photos: https://bit.ly/2026TopVenuePhotos

Link to Mid-Year 2026 Ranking Images: https://bit.ly/2026MidYearRankings

Link to Top Broadway B-Roll: https://bit.ly/25-26TopBroadway

Link to Top Concerts Photos: https://bit.ly/25-26TopConcerts

Link to Top Comedy/Special Events Photos: https://bit.ly/25-26TopComedyandSpecialEvents