Where tennis and music collide

There’s only one place in Charleston where locals can see champions like Serena Williams and musical stars like Kacey Musgraves and Luke Bryan grace the same stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the last 23 years, the Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island has evolved from a venue primarily known for women’s professional tennis into one of Charleston’s premier concert destinations. Initially built to host the Family Circle Cup, the stadium stands as a multi-functional entertainment space that welcomes both tennis enthusiasts and music lovers.

 

A Tennis Legacy Begins

 

The stadium was built in 2001, when the Family Circle Cup, a women’s professional tennis tournament, relocated from Hilton Head Island to Daniel Island. At the time, the facility featured clay tennis courts, hard courts, a clubhouse, a grand lawn, walking and biking trails, a hospitality grove, a pedestrian boardwalk and brick plazas. This was long before the space was renamed to the Volvo Car Open, and now the present-day Credit One Charleston Open (COCO). 

 

Bob Moran, longtime tournament director of the COCO, has seen the stadium’s transformation every step of the way. He explained how the venue has gone through its fair share of name changes.

 

“The Family Circle Cup was held on Hilton Head from 1973 to 2000. The Credit One Stadium was originally built in 2001 as part of a change of location for the Family Circle Cup,” he said. “It was purpose-built as a home for the professional women’s tennis event – a first of its kind.” 

 

The Transformation Begins

 

Since then, the stadium has been no stranger to epic tournaments and sold-out shows, but the idea to revolutionize the venue emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“Our new ownership group asked what it would take to transform the stadium into a world-class tennis and music venue,” Moran said. “We then undertook the process of evaluating all the needs.” This shift saw the stadium not only enhance its facilities for tennis, but also make significant upgrades to support large-scale music events.

 

“The Credit One Stadium has actually been used as a concert venue all the way back to 2002 with acts like Don Henley and John Mayer, to name a few,” Chris Meany, Credit One Stadium’s general manager said. “We held the annual Hootie and the Blowfish back-to-school event for 15 years beginning in 2004. It was in 2013 that we decided to increase the bookings. This is when we kicked off our annual concert series.”

 

Concert-goers at Credit One Stadium have enjoyed performances from a variety of artists, including Counting Crows, Tyler Childers, and New Kids on the Block. But it was the stadium’s 2022 renovations that expanded its capacity and attracted even bigger names. That same year, the stadium also hosted the Credit One Charleston Open (COCO), the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America.

 

Major Renovations and Upgrades

 

The $42 million renovation, completed in April 2022, which was primarily funded by Charleston Tennis owners Ben and Kelly Navarro, was a game-changer for the Credit One Stadium. The project took the stadium from being a 7,000-seat venue to one capable of hosting over 11,000 fans. 

 

Key upgrades included the addition of a 75,000-square-foot, four-story Stage House  building that supports up to 150,000 pounds of entertainment rigging. A new roof and 16 permanent suites transformed the facility into a top-tier venue for both tennis and music events. 

 

“Adding the Stage House building, roof, and permanent suites were the largest changes,” Moran said. “In the past, we used temporary tents and structures to house all of our needs for both tennis and music. The suites are best in class and provide a hospitality option that we never had in the past.”

 

The 167,093-square-foot stadium renovations also included adding premier locker rooms, training facilities, production and media space, catering amenities, a VIP rooftop restaurant, and an outdoor bar.

 

Prior to the redesign, Meany said the stadium did not have dressing rooms for the artists and it was a difficult building to work in. Moran explained how the renovations created a shared space that services both tennis and music. 

 

“For tennis, the building itself is used for all player services, including dining, medical, locker rooms, media and broadcast,” Moran said. “The building then transforms into a ‘back of house’ fixture for all music needs, green rooms, dining, production offices, tour and agent offices, and changing rooms. We were able to build a permanent gym and expansive kitchen that services both tennis and music functions.”

 

These facilities ensure that the stadium can efficiently transition from hosting tennis tournaments, like the annual COCO in April, to concerts that run from late spring through fall. 

 

A Premier Concert Venue

 

Thanks to the recent expansion, the music arena has been booming at the Credit One Stadium. 

 

“The concert series has brought attendees who have never been to our tennis tournament,” Meany said. “The addition of around 20 music dates per year has impacted our revenues in a huge way.” 

 

The stadium has since hosted big-time artists, from Chris Stapleton and Elton John to Big Time Rush and Noah Kahan.

 

Meany highlighted the meticulous planning involved in booking artists. 

 

“We work with various promoters to bring a diverse selection of music to Daniel Island,” he said. “We do our research to ensure we are not dampening our ability to sell tickets, and we pay attention to genres that are emerging and performing well.

 

“When we are making offers to artists, we know that not every artist is going to sell out like Post Malone and Noah Kahan,” Meany continued. “It’s nice to have a facility that sounds and feels good whether you have 6,000 or 11,000 patrons in the stands.”

 

Future Evolution

 

The future of Credit One Stadium looks bright as it continues to host a mix of tennis and music events, along with community-based activities like the annual Christmas tree lighting, Skate the Stadium, and movie nights on the lawn.  

 

“We’re always looking forward to new opportunities,” Moran said. “Outside the stadium itself, we’ve invested in other onsite properties to host various events.” These include a new deck and turf lawn area for community events and a third-floor club in the Stage House for special events, parties, and weddings.

 

Meany echoed this forward-looking sentiment. “In a perfect world, we would always have weekend events, but every venue feels the same way. Our focus is to continue producing the best WTA tennis event in the country and provide our concert patrons with a wide range of musical talent.”