Arrowhead Stadium – stadium description

Kansas City Chiefs' first home was the Municipal Stadium, erected back in 1923. The building, despite having undergone major renovation in 1955, proved insufficient for the NFL team. Especially after the merger of AFL and NFL in 1970, when the minimum capacity criterion changed to 50,000.

A vast plot south-east of the city was selected to host the new venue. Not just that, but an entire complex of two major stadiums (the other being baseball's Kauffman Stadium) and an almost literal sea of parking around them. Launched in 1968, the construction process lasted until mid-1972, ending soon enough to welcome the 1972 football season at Arrowhead.

The first official game played at Arrowhead ended up with St. Louis Cardinals being beaten 24-14. In November of that year the first major attendance record was witnessed as over 82,000 people enjoyed the Chiefs face Oakland Raiders.

In the following years Arrowhead played host to numerous major events, of course mostly with Chiefs being the home side. The 1974 Pro Bowl was staged here, as well as global marching band championships of 1988 and 1989. In 1990s the stadium saw first major upgrades, including the two iconic giant screens shaped like footballs. The synthetic field was replaced by natural grass in 1994.

A fundamental upgrade only came in 2007, worth roughly 6 times the cost of the original stadium. The operation preserved its unique layout and also included changes to the nearby Kauffman Stadium. Most important changes to Arrowhead saw two vast pavilions added to the sides of the stadium, providing new facilities for Chiefs, guests and hospitality clientelle.

As part of the project, monument to historical owner of the team Lamar Hunt was erected. South side of the stadium got additional boxes and media facilities, while the stadium has since then been neighboured by a hall of honour. All of that was ready ahead of the 2010 season.

As mentioned before, Arrowhead has a unique layout, with the second tier resembling a bowl cut on both ends. These ends make a perfect fit for the football-shaped screens. As of writing this, no other stadium has been designed to mimic it.

The Sea of Red, as some call it, is also known for producing quite some noise. It officially enjoyed to records in loudest match noise. First, during the 2013 Oakland Raiders clash, it landed in the Guinness Book of Records with 137.5 decibels. It then lost the record after just a few months to Seattle's CenturyLink Field. Finally, in September of 2014 it regained global dominance with sound reaching intense 142.2 decibels.