The Tsongas Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell was recently ranked number 13 in performance worldwide by Venues Today Magazine, for its capacity category of 5,001 to 10,000. The announcement came as the trade magazine released its Mid-Year Top Stops rankings for the period between Oct. 16, 2011,  and May 15, 2012. Calculations were based on concert and non-sporting event gross sales during the evaluation period. During that time, the center held 18 live entertainment events and saw a combined attendance of 71,144, an increase of about 25,000 from the same time last year. UMass Lowell acquired the former Paul E. Tsongas Arena in February 2010, making significant investments in upgrades to the property. The center is managed by Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum.