Most of the time the biggest acts get all the attention but the holiday season is known as a chance to go home and I think the biggest venues have been neglected. The holiday season brings big shows to these big stages, so for the past five weeks the Radio City Music Hall has been the top spot with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, but event he holidays cannot withstand the draw of a championship game.

Dolphin Stadium in Miami is now the number one venue thanks to the Orange Bowl’s turn as the BCS Championship game. This year the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners will play on January 6, 2009, so do not look for any change in the venue standings until after the New Year.

Of course, those two top spots have been propelled by seasonal exhibitions. The epitome of consistency is the Gershwin Theatre. The number three venue has been able to survive the grim economic news and sell out all of the 1,809 seats each show most weeks thanks to the continued popularity of Wicked.

While Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center fill make an appearance in the top ten, they remain near the top for different reasons. Madison Square Garden is perhaps New York’s premier location. While the big seller is not the Knicks, the arena is busy almost everyday, whether it is hosting a Cirque Du Soleil production or a WWE event. The Staples Center has the celebrity draw of Los Angeles Lakers games in addition to huge concerts like the Celine Dion tour and the resurrection of Britney Spears.

These huge venues have been able to weather the recent economic storm and remain among the most popular and best venues. Hopefully this is just a gift from Santa. Hopefully these places can continue to draw crowds in the post-holiday session.