Macon Centreplex was built in 1968 as the first facility of its size and kind in the state.
Mayor Ronnie Thompson was among its most influential backers. Thompson, who served from 1967 to 1975, blocked an appearance at the facility by the
boxer Muhammad Ali because the mayor objected to Ali's
Conscientious Objector status during the
Vietnam War. The Centreplex quickly became
Central Georgia's premier sports, entertainment and trade show venue, with concerts by well-known performers such as
Elvis Presley. Presley performed at the centreplex on April 15, 1972, afternoon show and evening show, April 24, 1975, August 31, 1976, and June 1, 1977. Many others have performed here, including
Led Zeppelin, the
Allman Brothers Band,
Kiss,
Van Halen,
Jethro Tull,
James Brown,
War,
Jackson 5,
Jeffrey Osborne,
Earth, Wind, and Fire,
The Emotions,
Bar Kays,
Parliament/Funkadelic,
The Temptations,
OJays,
Chicago,
Leon Russell,
Aerosmith,
Rick James,
Prince,
The Time,
Vanity 6,
George Jones,
Reba McEntire,
Kenny Rogers,
Hank Williams Jr.,
Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Sarah McLachlan,
Billy Joel,
Katy Perry,
Elton John and many others.
R.E.M. filmed part of its first concert film
Tourfilm here on November 11, 1989. Professional wrestling often comes to the Centreplex.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was a frequent visitor of the Centreplex, holding multiple television tapings and non-televised
house shows all throughout the 90s. WCW's
supercard Clash of the Champions XXI aired live from the Centreplex on
TBS on November 18, 1992. The show featured
Ricky Steamboat &
Shane Douglas winning the unified
WCW World Tag Team Championship and
NWA World Tag Team Championship from
Barry Windham &
Dustin Rhodes. Windham turned
heel on Rhodes after the match.
WCW Monday Nitro, WCW's flagship weekly live television show that aired on
TNT, emanated from the Centreplex a few times: — November 20, 1995 (notable for featuring the first one-on-one match in history between
Hulk Hogan and
Sting) — May 27, 1996 (notable for being the first two-hour episode of the show and
Scott Hall's debut in WCW, beginning the
New World Order storyline) — December 23, 1996
WWE also visits the Centreplex. On January 28, 1991, the company (then called the World Wrestling Federation or "WWF") held their 5th and final episode of
The Main Event V, which aired nationally on
NBC on February 1, 1991. The show featured the announcement that
Hulk Hogan would face
WWF Champion Sgt. Slaughter at
WrestleMania VII for the title. The WWF also taped matches and segments for their syndicated shows, which featured the debut of
Paul Bearer as the manager of
The Undertaker. Their flagship weekly live television show,
Monday Night Raw, aired live from the Centreplex on February 20, 1995, and featured the return of
Sycho Sid to the WWF for the first time in almost 3 years. The following two episodes on February 27, 1995, and March 6, 1995, also featured taped matches from the Centreplex. As of 2017, WWE still holds
house shows in the Centreplex about twice a year.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) also held a television taping for their weekly flagship show,
Impact Wrestling, on October 27, 2011, at the Centreplex. The shows aired on
Spike on November 3, 2011, and November 10, 2011.
Donald Trump held a nationally televised campaign rally at the Centreplex on October 16, 2015 during his first United States Presidential campaign. The arena underwent major renovations in 1996 including the addition of the Edgar H. Wilson Convention Centre, which hosts conventions, trade shows and banquets. Three luxury suites were added in 2003 and the Centreplex's exterior redone, resulting in the addition of a giant "M" at the main entrance on the arena.
Replacement In June 2025, the Macon–Bibb County Commission approved a contract with MFA Program Management to plan and oversee the construction of a new sports arena. Gary Wheat, president and CEO of Visit Macon, said the Macon Coliseum is an aging facility that lacks the seating and features to accommodate the type of events the city is looking to attract, and other Georgia cities have invested in new state-of-the-art venues, with
Savannah opening
Enmarket Arena in 2022,
Athens opening the
Akins Ford Arena in 2024, and the
New Augusta Arena under construction at the site of the former
James Brown Arena. The new arena is planned to built adjacent to the existing Macon Coliseum, with the existing arena continuing to operate while the new facility is under construction. The new arena is planned to be financed in part from a $450 million, ten-year
special-purpose local-option sales tax. == In film ==