When it comes to stadium design and technology, the $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium is a real gamechanger.
The home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, and Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, SoFi Stadium is an award-winning architectural marvel located in the heart of Inglewood in Los Angeles. Designed to mimic SoCal’s sweeping coastline, a curving polymer canopy roof gracefully covers the indoor/outdoor facility—the NFL’s first—as well as an adjacent 2.5-acre plaza. The canopy provides weather protection while allowing the breeze to flow in from the nearby Pacific Ocean. California’s famously warm sunshine lights the field during the day, while at night the stadium and canopy emit an otherworldly glow visible for miles.
Stadium Features
At 3.1 million square feet, SoFi is not only the NFL’s largest stadium facility, it’s also considered the most technologically advanced sports venue ever built (and, perhaps not coincidentally, the only one with a miniature replica of it at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad). It features an oval-shaped, dual-sided videoboard that extends for 120 yards over the field. The shimmering lakes and cascades in front of the stadium are both beautiful and functional: The six-acre lake captures and filters as much as 80 percent of the property’s stormwater, which is then recycled and used for irrigation. For those of you keeping score, that can add up to a savings of 26 million gallons of water annually.
The stadium seats 70,000 for football games and as many as 100,000 for other major events, with 275 luxury suites and seats that put you closer to the field than those of any other NFL stadium. The dining options at SoFi Stadium are local, and varied: An L.A.-centric food program directed by James Beard Award–winning chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo showcases four themed concession areas, which take their culinary inspiration from the city’s most renowned dining streets: Olvera Street (Mexican specialties), Fairfax Avenue (deli-style foods), San Vicente Boulevard (Italian favorites), and Sawtelle Boulevard (Japanese fare).
Go Behind the Scenes
To get a sense of how truly unique SoFi Stadium is, nothing beats a guided tour. You’ll have the chance to go behind the scenes and visit locker rooms, see luxury suites, and even run through tunnels as you take the field—just like your gridiron heroes. Several options are available, including special Rally Day Tours that take place the day before home games, with a focus on the Rams or Chargers, depending on which team is playing. Some of the tours also include a credit at The Equipment Room—the official team store for the Chargers and Rams, where you’ll find gear that’s exclusively available at the stadium.
Events at SoFi Stadium
Looking ahead, the stadium will host the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Summer Olympics. The stadium is also a major venue for concerts and live entertainment. The Rolling Stones have already played at SoFi and scheduled shows range from the likes of K-Pop sensations BTS to country star Kenny Chesney. The stadium complex also includes the YouTube Theater, a 6,000-seat concert hall where Elvis Costello recently performed.