Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, home of the San Francisco 49ers, celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 17th, with the Rolling Stones headlining the grand birthday party. However, there are more exciting events ahead of the stadium.

Modern and eco-friendly

The construction of Levi's Stadium began in 2012, and it officially opened two years later on July 17, 2014. Since then, it has hosted numerous sporting events and countless concerts. The plans for a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers emerged as early as 1997. Despite support in a referendum, the renovation of Candlestick Park did not proceed. In 2006, the idea of building the new stadium in the parking lot of the old one was introduced as part of the bid to host the Olympics. However, this plan fell through when the 49ers' owners considered moving the team to Santa Clara that same year.

The stadium's seating is divided into three main levels, offering a total of over 68,500 seats, expandable to 75,000. The distribution is not uniform—the northern and southern ends are lower to accommodate two large video boards, each over 890 m².

© Jim G (cc: by)

The $1.27 billion investment was completed in just 819 days thanks to the straightforward construction using prefabricated elements. The high costs were due to the stadium's rich features and the implementation of eco-friendly solutions. The stadium reuses water, incorporates recycled materials, and these combined efforts earned it a LEED Gold certification.

Looking forward

We've accomplished a lot over the past decade, said 49ers spokesperson Ellie Caple, as quoted by NBC Bay Area. But we're really excited about the next 10 or even 20 years. We know for sure that we will be hosting the Super Bowl and the 2026 World Cup, and this feels like just the beginning.

Levi's Stadium will host six matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026. The plan includes five group stage matches on June 13, 16, 19, 22, and 25, and one Round of 16 match on July 1.

© Wilhelm Y