AmericanAirlines Arena opened during the 1999-2000 NBA season, on December 31, 1999. The inaugural event was Gloria Estefan's Millennium Concert Spectacular.

In addition to breathless NBA basketball action, you can see and hear the grace and beauty of ice shows, the spectacle of the circus, the excitement of star studded concerts, and the exciting addition of the WNBA's Miami SOL, which completed its inaugural season in August of 2000.

The arena seats 19,600 when fully utilized for Miami HEAT basketball, but the upper balconies can be closed to create a more intimate atmosphere of just 16,000 seats. The arena is able to be configured in five separate ways for concerts and other events, seating as few as 5,000 and as many as 20,000 patrons.

AmericanAirlines Arena features 939 parking spaces for games for Premium seat and Club Chivas ticket holders, and parking is open to the public for concerts and non-game events. There are also 900 parking spaces available at the Miami-Dade Community College parking garage, located two blocks west of the Arena. Spaces are $9 per game, or they are available on a season pass. These parking spaces must be pre-purchased through the Box Office. Please call (786) 777-HEAT. Not including the Bayside Marketplace parking garage, there are 5,900 public, private, and on-street parking spaces. Not including retail and hotel parking areas, there are 8,200 business and vacant lot spaces available. Prices vary. Valet Parking is available for all games and most concerts. Prices may vary.