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Nassau Coliseum Concert Calendar Booking Up In Advance of Reopening

coliseum plan
Here’s a rendering of what Forest City Ratner’s redeveloped–and scaled down– Nassau Coliseum would look like.

Besides the much-anticipated Billy Joel concert, more than a dozen high-profile music artists are scheduled to perform at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum after it reopens in April following its $260-million renovation.

The line-up includes pop, rock and dance music stars as well as basketball games and the last-ever circus performances by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey after nearly 150 years in business.

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is scheduled to reopen Wednesday April 5. Forrest City Ratner, the company that took over operation of the county-owned Uniondale arena, booked hometown hero Billy Joel to play the venue’s reopening concert. He also played the last concert ever at the old coliseum before it got a makeover.

Stevie Nicks, the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac dubbed “The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” will play the second concert at the new coliseum at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6.

The rest of the opening week at the coliseum features some of Long Island’s most famous.

Idina Menzel, a Syosset native best known as the voice of Queen Elsa in Frozen, takes the Nassau Coliseum stage at 8 p.m. Friday, April 7. Tickets for that concert go on sale Jan. 27. The performance is the first in her latest tour.

A concert scheduled for next day was cancelled. Pop princess and Huntington native Mariah Carey was going to open for R&B icon Lionel Richie on Saturday, April 8, but Richie had to nix the date because he is recovering from surgery.

Rounding out opening weekend is Latin pop superstar Marc Anthony, who comes to Uniondale at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 9.

After that, WWE Monday Night Raw revisits the arena at 7:30 p.m. April 10, the Harlem Globetrotters return to the coliseum at 7 p.m. Friday, April 14. Classic rockers Def Leppard play the arena at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 15. And Monster Jam, the traveling monster truck rally, returns April 21-23.

Beyond the opening week, singer Barbara Streisand will take the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 4 and Metallica will rock the arena at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 17. And crooner Barry Manilow performs there at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus will have a 10-day run from May 12-21. It will be their last ever after 146 years in business. But those eager to see this historic show ride off into the sunset should act fast since last show ever sold out almost immediately after the closure plans were announced.

So far, there are only three concerts scheduled for this summer, including The Weeknd at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3. The Total Package tour, featuring New Kids on The Block, Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men hits the coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 7. And rapper J. Cole will bring his 4 Your Eyez Only Tour to the arena on Saturday, Aug. 5.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame brings his Us + Them tour to LI at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15 and Saturday, Sept. 16.

The coliseum even has some fall events booked. Bruno Mars is coming to town at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. And the Stony Brook University Mens Basketball team will face off against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, Nov. 11.

This list will be updated as more events are added before the coliseum reopens. For more information on purchasing tickets to these visits, visit ticketmaster.com