Des Moines Civic Center Seating Chart
Downtown Des Moines' main performing-arts hall, opened in 1979 and the Iowa home of touring Broadway productions. The fan-shaped hall and continental seating give it wide rows and clean sightlines, anchoring the city's cultural district along the Principal Riverwalk.
Sections at Des Moines Civic Center
Here are the 4 main sections on the Des Moines Civic Center chart. Ticket price, distance, and sightline all follow from which one you're in, so find yours on this list before you commit — and remember configurations move: a concert, a game, and a private buyout each use the room differently.
- Orchestra — main floor, full width
- Loge — lowest balcony tier
- Mezzanine — middle balcony
- Balcony — upper tier
Best seats at Des Moines Civic Center
Center orchestra rows M through U give the best Broadway-tour view with full-stage framing and strong sound. The loge center is the premium alternative — elevated and close, clear of any overhang from the floor.
Tips before you go
The hall uses continental seating with no center aisle, so rows are entered from the sides; pick a seat near your preferred aisle. Downtown skywalk-connected garages keep you indoors in Iowa winters and beat street parking after the curtain.
How to read the Des Moines Civic Center seating chart
The Des Moines Civic Center chart divides 2,744 seats on stacked levels facing the stage across 4 named sections — Orchestra, Loge, Mezzanine, and Balcony. Which of those names is printed on your ticket decides more than location: two sections apart can mean a different level, a different price bracket, and a different side of the room entirely.
When you weigh a Des Moines Civic Center ticket, three variables do the work: how far from the stage you are, whether you sit center or off toward a side aisle, and which level you're on. That's why Balcony and Orchestra can price and view so differently while sitting on the same chart. Use the best-seats notes above as the tiebreak for Des Moines Civic Center, then confirm section, row, and seat against the official Des Moines map before checkout.
Some context on size — Des Moines Civic Center's 2,744 capacity places it 4th among the 5 Iowa venues in this guide; Wells Fargo Arena (16,980) is the next size up, Vibrant Music Hall (2,700) the next size down.
Building a seating chart for an event at Des Moines Civic Center
Booked a suite, a club space, or a room adjacent to Des Moines Civic Center for something private? Let the chart above anchor the plan — sections like Orchestra and Balcony and their surrounding tiers show the geography — and lay tables over just the part of it your event occupies. Seat every guest in the maker, export the PDF, and the Des Moines event-services team has a document they can set up from. Full house at Des Moines Civic Center is 2,744, but private events run on a far smaller footprint: dinner rounds, program rows, and a head table are usually the whole build.
Hosting a private event at Des Moines Civic Center?
Sketch your Des Moines Civic Center event in minutes — rounds for dinner service, rows for the presentation, a head table where it belongs. Up to 500 seats per layout, finished as a print-ready PDF the Des Moines event team can work from.
Open the seating chart generatorFrequently asked questions
- How many seats does Des Moines Civic Center hold?
- Full configuration at Des Moines Civic Center is 2,744. Expect the working number to move with the event type: concerts open or close sections that other events leave alone, and a private buyout only counts the spaces you actually book — typically a club, a suite, or one or two of the 4 sections on the Des Moines chart.
- What are the best seats at Des Moines Civic Center?
- Center orchestra rows M through U give the best Broadway-tour view with full-stage framing and strong sound. The loge center is the premium alternative — elevated and close, clear of any overhang from the floor.
- What sections does Des Moines Civic Center have?
- Main sections include: Orchestra — main floor, full width; Loge — lowest balcony tier; Mezzanine — middle balcony. Full breakdown in the sections list above.
- Where is Des Moines Civic Center located?
- Des Moines Civic Center sits in Des Moines, Iowa. For the exact street address, parking, and the transit stop nearest sections like Orchestra, check the official Des Moines Civic Center site before the day — Des Moines venues differ on gate, lot, and rideshare access.
- How do I plan a private event at Des Moines Civic Center?
- Map it in the Seat Chart App maker below: start from Des Moines Civic Center's own layout — sections like Orchestra and Balcony — drop tables to match your event's footprint, assign guests, and export a PDF the Des Moines event-services team can set up from.