Upcoming Charlotte Hornets dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Hornets in brief: an expansion team with two lives
The Charlotte Hornets play home games at Spectrum Center in uptown Charlotte, from mid-October to mid-April. The franchise history has an unusual shape. The original Hornets joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1988 and moved to New Orleans in 2002 (that team is now the Pelicans). Charlotte got a new team, the Bobcats, in 2004, and that franchise became the Hornets again for the 2014–15 season, reclaiming the records and history of the 1988–2002 teams.
The name came from a fan contest and refers to Charlotte's Revolutionary War resistance: British commander Lord Cornwallis reportedly called the town a "hornet's nest of rebellion." The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division and has not yet won a division title or a championship.
- Colors: teal, dark purple, gray and white.
- Mascot: Hugo the Hornet.
- Ownership: Michael Jordan held majority control from 2010 until selling to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall in August 2023.
Picking seats for a Hornets game at Spectrum Center
Spectrum Center seats 19,444 for NBA games and has two main seating bowls: the 100 level (the lower bowl around the court) and the 200 level (the upper bowl). Premium options include courtside seats, terrace tables for groups and open-air suites.
Courtside and the benches
Courtside rows put you on the floor, at the highest prices in the building. One seating guide places the Hornets bench in front of section 104 and the visitors in front of section 106; treat that as orientation and confirm on your listing's seat map.
Lower bowl sideline vs. baseline
Seating guides single out sections 104–106 and 113–115, the center-court sections on each sideline, as the most desirable. Rows a little above the floor, rather than the very first row, keep the benches and staff out of your sightline. Baseline and corner sections cost less and are a good choice when the Hornets shoot toward you, but the far end of the court is harder to follow.
The 200 level
The first three rows of the upper bowl, rows A through C, sit much lower than the rest of the level, which makes them some of the best values in the arena. Upper-level sideline seats near center court show the full floor; the highest rows in the corners are the ones to skip if you can.
The NBA season and the Hornets games in highest demand
Each NBA team plays 82 regular-season games, 41 at home. Preseason games come in early October, the regular season runs from mid-October to mid-April, and the playoffs run from April into June. The NBA Cup, the in-season tournament introduced in 2023–24, places a handful of November and December games in a group stage that counts in the standings.
- Star-driven visitors: teams with national fan bases fill the building with road fans and push demand up.
- Southeast Division games: Atlanta is a short drive down Interstate 85, so Hawks fans make the trip.
- Weekend and holiday games: Friday and Saturday nights and holiday weeks draw more families.
- Playoff games: the franchise has reached the postseason only occasionally, so any home playoff date is a high-demand ticket.
- Weeknights against rebuilding teams: the easiest and least expensive way in.
Prices for low-stakes weeknight games often soften close to tipoff, while weekend dates and marquee opponents tend to hold.
Traveling with the Hornets
Atlanta is the easiest road trip, a drive of a few hours on Interstate 85. Washington, Orlando and Miami, the rest of the Southeast Division, are short flights. Because the original Hornets became the New Orleans franchise, a game against the Pelicans carries a little extra history for longtime fans.
In any road arena, upper-level corner sections are usually the most affordable, and buying earlier is wise for games against popular opponents.
Getting uptown: light rail, parking and entry rules
Spectrum Center, at 333 East Trade Street, sits next to the Charlotte Transportation Center, so light rail, streetcar and bus all work well. The LYNX Blue Line stops at the CTC/Arena station, steps from the arena entrances, and LYNX park-and-ride lots let suburban fans avoid uptown traffic. For drivers, the arena counts roughly 30,000 off-street parking spaces within a 15-minute walk. Rideshare pickup is generally on East 5th Street.
As of the 2026 season, Spectrum Center permits only small bags, clutches, crossbody bags and wristlets no larger than 5 by 7 by 1.5 inches, and prohibits backpacks, large purses and totes. Most events use mobile tickets, the arena is cashless with cash-to-card kiosks, and guests who leave cannot reenter on the same ticket without prior staff approval. Check the Spectrum Center A–Z guide before you go, since policies change.
From the Coliseum sellouts to Spectrum Center
The original Hornets played at the Charlotte Coliseum, which seated almost 24,000 and was the largest basketball-specific arena in the NBA at the time. Despite doubts that Charlotte could support a team, the Hornets sold out 364 consecutive games across nearly nine seasons and led the league in attendance eight times.
- November 4, 1988: the first game, a 133–93 loss to Cleveland; the first win came four days later against the Clippers.
- Early 1990s: Larry Johnson, the 1991–92 Rookie of the Year, Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues formed the core of the early-1990s teams.
- 1993: in the franchise's first playoff appearance, Mourning hit a game-winning shot against Boston in the first round, and the team reached the conference semifinals.
- 2005: the current arena opened as Charlotte Bobcats Arena; it was Time Warner Cable Arena from 2008 to 2016 and has been Spectrum Center since.
- 2014–15: the Hornets name returned, along with the teal and purple.
Spectrum Center has also hosted the 2019 NBA All-Star Game and the 2012 Democratic National Convention. A city-approved renovation, planned in 2022, has been expected to wrap up around 2027, so some areas of the building may look different from older photos.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Charlotte Hornets play?
The Hornets play at Spectrum Center at 333 East Trade Street in uptown Charlotte. It opened in 2005 and seats 19,444 for NBA games.
Are the current Hornets the same team as the original Hornets?
The current franchise began as the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004 and took back the Hornets name in 2014. It also reclaimed the history and records of the original 1988–2002 Hornets, who moved to New Orleans.
How do I get to Spectrum Center by light rail?
Ride the LYNX Blue Line to the CTC/Arena station, which is steps from the arena entrances.
What size bag can I bring to Spectrum Center?
As of the 2026 season, only small bags no larger than 5 by 7 by 1.5 inches are allowed, and backpacks and totes are prohibited. Check the arena's current policy before you go.
What are the best seats for a Hornets game?
Center-court lower-bowl sections, roughly 104 to 106 and 113 to 115, give the best view. Rows A through C of the upper bowl are a strong value.