Upcoming Orlando Magic 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.
Orlando's first major-league team
The Orlando Magic play home games at Kia Center on West Church Street in downtown Orlando. The regular season runs from October to mid-April, with playoffs from April into June. The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division.
The Magic began play in 1989 as an expansion team, the first major-league professional franchise in the Orlando area. The franchise's early history turned on lottery luck. Orlando won the draft lottery in 1992 and took Shaquille O'Neal first overall. It won again in 1993, drafted Chris Webber and immediately traded his rights to Golden State for Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and future picks. With O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic reached the 1995 NBA Finals, where the Houston Rockets swept them.
A second era came with Dwight Howard, the No. 1 pick in 2004. Howard's teams reached the 2009 Finals and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The club drafted first overall again in 2022, selecting Paolo Banchero, and the recent rebuild has centered on that young core. Rosters change, so check the team's current lineup before you buy for a specific player.
Kia Center: layout and levels
Kia Center opened on October 1, 2010, as the Amway Center, replacing the old Orlando Arena (the "O-Rena"), where the Magic played from 1989 to 2010. It was renamed Kia Center in December 2023. It seats 18,846 for NBA games and is also home to the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.
The bowl is organized in two main seating tiers with a premium band in between:
- The 100 level (sections 101–118) rings the court, with courtside seats on the floor in front of it.
- The club and loge level sits below the upper bowl, with club seats, loge boxes and suites. The arena has five concourses in all.
- The 200 level (sections 201–232) is the upper bowl.
These section ranges follow published fan seat-view maps; check the seat map for your specific game before you pay a premium for a location.
Choosing seats for a Magic game
Courtside
Courtside seats on the floor are the most exclusive in the building. They put you within arm's reach of the game, but the low angle makes it hard to follow action at the far basket.
100 level sideline
Center-court sections in the 100 level give the best overall view, and a middle row clears the courtside seats and benches in front of you. These seats hold value for every opponent.
100 level corners and baselines
Corners are the smart compromise: close, angled toward both baskets and usually cheaper than the sideline. Baseline seats behind the baskets are the entry point to the lower bowl, but the backboard and stanchion block part of the view when play is at your end, so favor middle rows over the front rows.
Club seats
Club seats sit at an ideal height for basketball, high enough to see spacing and plays develop, and they come with club amenities. They are a good choice for a business outing or a first game with family.
200 level
The upper bowl is the value option. The first several rows along the sidelines see the whole court clearly. The highest rows in the corners are the seats to skip unless price is the only factor.
When demand peaks for Magic tickets
Every NBA season follows the same structure: October preseason games, an 82-game regular season (41 home games) from October to mid-April, NBA Cup games in November and December, a play-in tournament in mid-April, and four rounds of best-of-seven playoffs from April through June.
- The Miami Heat: the in-state, division rivalry draws the loudest regular-season crowds and Heat fans often make the drive north.
- Star-driven opponents: teams with national followings fill the arena with visiting fans, which pushes demand regardless of standings.
- Tourist seasons: Orlando's visitor traffic peaks around the winter holidays and spring break, and those weeks can add out-of-town buyers to the market.
- Playoff games: postseason dates are announced on short notice and sell quickly.
Weeknight games against lower-profile Western Conference teams are usually the easiest to buy. For the best choice of seats, buy rivalry and weekend games early; for flexible plans, ordinary weeknight games often loosen closer to tipoff.
Getting to Kia Center: SunRail, garages and downtown
Kia Center sits at 400 West Church Street, on the west side of downtown Orlando and close to the Church Street bars and restaurants.
- SunRail: the Church Street SunRail station is about a four-minute walk from the arena. SunRail is a commuter rail line, and its regular schedule does not always match a late finish. The agency has added special late trains for some playoff games, so check the schedule for your date before you rely on it for the trip home.
- Parking: the GEICO Garage serves arena events, and accessible parking is in the ThreatLocker Garage next to the arena. Downtown surface lots and garages fill on big nights.
- Rideshare: expect slow traffic on the streets around the arena right after the final buzzer; walking a few blocks before requesting a ride usually saves time.
For current details, see the Kia Center A–Z guide.
Gameday at Kia Center: bags and entry
Kia Center runs one of the stricter bag policies in the NBA. As of its current A–Z guide, guests may bring one small clutch no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 by 1 inches. Medical and parent bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 inches are allowed and are X-ray screened. The arena also has a no re-entry policy, so plan to stay inside once your ticket is scanned. Check the arena's current policy before you go.
Arrive about 45 minutes before tipoff to clear security and find your seat for the pregame show. Every order on GoodSeats comes with guaranteed entry.
Magic history worth knowing
Few young franchises have reached the Finals as quickly as the Magic, who were there in their sixth season. The 1990s teams built around O'Neal and Hardaway defined the brand nationally. The 2009 run, led by Howard and a lineup of outside shooters, took the club through Boston and Cleveland before the Finals loss to the Lakers.
The arena story tracks the team's growth: the O-Rena carried the franchise for two decades, and Kia Center, opened in 2010, gave Orlando a modern building with club seating and a downtown setting that makes a pregame dinner and a short walk part of the night.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Orlando Magic play?
The Magic play at Kia Center, 400 West Church Street in downtown Orlando. The arena opened in 2010 as the Amway Center and was renamed in December 2023.
Have the Orlando Magic ever won a championship?
No. The Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995, losing to the Houston Rockets, and in 2009, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
What bags can I bring to Kia Center?
The arena's current guide allows one small clutch up to 4.5 by 6.5 by 1 inches, plus medical and parent bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 inches after screening. Check the policy before your game.
Can I take SunRail to a Magic game?
Church Street station is about a four-minute walk from Kia Center. Check the schedule for return trains, since regular service may end before a night game does.
Who is the Magic's biggest rival?
The Miami Heat. The two Florida teams share the Southeast Division, and Heat games are among the most in-demand dates on the Magic schedule.