Sports Illustrated Stadium – stadium description

Where does Sports Illustrated Stadium get its name from?

The name Sports Illustrated Stadium comes from the Sports Illustrated brand, one of the most recognizable titles in the history of American sports media. The venue has carried this name since December 2024, when the New York Red Bulls announced the signing of a 13-year sponsorship agreement with the Sports Illustrated Tickets platform, belonging to the owner of the Sports Illustrated brand rights.

The change of name from Red Bull Arena to Sports Illustrated Stadium was part of a broader commercial partnership, which also includes solutions in the field of ticketing, fan engagement technologies and joint promotional activities. As part of the agreement, the stadium became the first sports venue in history to bear the name of the legendary magazine.

Although the editorial office of Sports Illustrated itself is not directly involved in the management of the venue, the use of this brand aims to emphasize its long tradition in the world of sports and strengthen the stadium’s recognition both in the United States and abroad.

Where is Sports Illustrated Stadium located?

Sports Illustrated Stadium is located in the city of Harrison, New Jersey, in the northeastern part of the United States. The venue is situated in the Passaic River valley, in the New York metropolitan area, just a few kilometers west of downtown Manhattan.

The stadium is located at 600 Cape May Street, near Harrison Station, which makes it one of the best located sports venues in the region in terms of transportation accessibility.

The direct proximity of New York, Newark and Jersey City makes Sports Illustrated Stadium lie in the heart of an urbanized metropolitan area, combining the urban landscape with recreational waterfront space along the Passaic River.

What is the capacity of Sports Illustrated Stadium?

Sports Illustrated Stadium can hold 25,000 spectators, which makes it one of the most intimate, yet most modern soccer stadiums in the United States. This capacity was designed to create a compact, loud atmosphere typical of European football venues.

The stands have been placed very close to the pitch, providing excellent sightlines from every seat and intensifying the match experience. In the northern part of the venue there is a section dedicated to the most passionate supporters – the so-called South Ward, known for constant support and impressive tifos.

The stadium infrastructure also includes premium zones, VIP boxes and business suites which together cover more than 1,000 upgraded standard seats. Despite the modern amenities, the stadium has maintained an intimate character, making the atmosphere during New York Red Bulls matches one of the most intense in all of Major League Soccer.

When was Sports Illustrated Stadium opened?

Sports Illustrated Stadium was officially opened on March 20, 2010. The ceremonial opening coincided with the inaugural New York Red Bulls match against Santos FC from Brazil – the match ended with a 3:1 victory for the hosts. This event had symbolic significance, as the stadium was the club’s first modern venue dedicated exclusively to soccer.

Construction of the stadium began in 2008 and lasted less than two years. The project was carried out in cooperation with the City of Harrison and the State of New Jersey, and the investor was Red Bull GmbH. Initially, the stadium was called Red Bull Arena, and its creation represented an important step in the development of Major League Soccer infrastructure, setting a new quality standard in American football.

Who uses Sports Illustrated Stadium on a daily basis?

The main user of Sports Illustrated Stadium on a daily basis is the New York Red Bulls soccer club, competing in Major League Soccer. This is the team that has been playing home matches here since the stadium opened, making the venue the central point of its sporting, organizational and marketing operations. The stadium is one of the key elements of the club’s infrastructure and the place where most events connected with the team take place – from league games to cup fixtures, as well as commercial events and fan meetings.

The stadium is also used by the reserve and youth teams of the Red Bulls organization, including those associated with the club’s soccer academy. The venue is also used by the soccer federation and local organizations that occasionally use it during sporting events, tournaments and special matches. Thanks to this, Sports Illustrated Stadium is active throughout the year, serving as the center of football life in the New York metropolitan area.

What events have taken place at Sports Illustrated Stadium?

Since its opening in 2010, Sports Illustrated Stadium has been the venue for many prestigious sporting events at both national and international level. Major League Soccer matches involving the New York Red Bulls are held here regularly, including playoff matches, derby games against New York City FC, and encounters with the biggest clubs in the league. The stadium has also hosted the finals of domestic soccer competitions and games in the U.S. Open Cup.

The venue has been used many times as a place for international matches. Both the men’s and women’s national teams of the United States have played friendly matches and international tournament games here, strengthening the stadium’s status as one of the most important football venues in the entire northeastern region of the United States. In addition, the stadium occasionally hosts football events with foreign clubs and national teams, including matches during international tournaments and preseason tours.

What does the architecture of Sports Illustrated Stadium look like?

Sports Illustrated Stadium stands out with a modern, European architectural concept designed to create a typical football atmosphere, without athletic tracks and unnecessary open spaces. The stands are very steep and located exceptionally close to the pitch, making spectators almost on the grass, while the sound of chanting accumulates inside the arena. The structure is based on a steel and aluminum façade, giving the stadium a sense of lightness and a futuristic appearance, especially visible under nighttime LED lighting.

The roof of the stadium has been designed to cover all sectors, and its steel arms extend partially over the stands, which helps maintain loud acoustics and protect spectators from weather conditions. Large glazed surfaces used in the stadium’s structure allow natural light to illuminate the interior and create a modern, spacious visual form. The venue was designed as a soccer-specific stadium, which means that the entire structure is optimized exclusively for football and the intensity of the sporting spectacle.

What facilities and technological solutions does Sports Illustrated Stadium have?

Sports Illustrated Stadium has been equipped with modern facilities and technologies aimed at improving fan comfort, optimizing stadium operations and ensuring high quality of sporting events. The venue features an extensive audiovisual infrastructure, including high-quality sound systems and large high-resolution video screens which allow the presentation of replays, statistics and multimedia materials during matches. The stadium lighting is based on LED technology, allowing energy savings and creating lighting effects adapted to the character of events.

For fans, numerous catering points, bars, relaxation zones and spacious promenades have been prepared to facilitate movement around the venue. The stadium also offers extensive premium zones, VIP boxes and business suites with panoramic views of the pitch, as well as modern media facilities and areas dedicated to commercial partners.

Sports Illustrated Stadium also features amenities adapted to the needs of people with disabilities, such as easily accessible sectors, special viewing areas and elevators. Fans have access to free Wi-Fi and cashless payment systems, improving service efficiency on matchdays. The venue also uses modern solutions for safety and crowd management, which allows for smooth event organization at full capacity.

How can you get to Sports Illustrated Stadium and what transportation options are available?

Sports Illustrated Stadium is located within the newly built Miami Freedom Park complex, therefore access to the stadium has been designed to allow travel by various modes of transportation and handle large matchday traffic.

The stadium will be located right next to Miami International Airport, making it one of the best connected sports venues in the United States in terms of air and road connections. Major transportation arteries of Miami such as State Road 836 (Dolphin Expressway) run in the direct vicinity, enabling fast access from the city center and surrounding suburbs. The complex will also include extensive parking infrastructure for private cars.

The stadium will also be accessible by public transport — there are planned connections with the city bus network and integration with the Miami-Dade Transit system. City authorities also announce improved transport connections and additional bus lines on matchdays, to encourage fans to use public transport instead of cars.

With sustainable transport in mind, the complex will also be equipped with bicycle infrastructure and drop-off areas for ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft. Thanks to this, the stadium is intended to offer a wide range of travel options for Miami residents, visitors from other parts of Florida and fans arriving from abroad.

What sporting events take place at Sports Illustrated Stadium?

Sports Illustrated Stadium will primarily be the venue for Inter Miami CF’s home matches in Major League Soccer, which means that the most frequently played sporting events at this venue will be related to the club’s league and cup fixtures. The stadium will become the central point of Inter Miami’s sports operations from the moment of its opening, replacing the existing DRV PNK Stadium as the team’s main match venue.

In the future, the stadium is also expected to host other football events – both friendly matches and international tournaments, including games of national teams and events organized by CONCACAF, U.S. Soccer or federations from South America. Miami as a global metropolis, and the growing role of Inter Miami in the world of football, make the stadium potentially one of the key football venues in the United States.

It is also not excluded that the stadium will host women’s football competitions, youth tournaments, collegiate fixtures and sporting events related to other disciplines, if the infrastructure allows it. However, the main and permanent function of the stadium will be Inter Miami CF matches in MLS – these will form the core of Sports Illustrated Stadium usage and attract the largest audiences and media interest.

Are concerts or other cultural events organized at Sports Illustrated Stadium?

Since Sports Illustrated Stadium is still under construction, no concerts or cultural events have formally taken place there yet. However, according to design assumptions and the way infrastructure is planned – the stadium is intended to function as a multifunctional venue and will be adapted to host large non-sporting events.

The plans include the possibility of hosting concerts of the world’s biggest music stars, city festivals, entertainment shows and media events, which is a natural direction considering Miami’s profile as one of the leading cultural and entertainment centers in the USA. Thanks to its location in a key metropolitan area and the large scale of the investment, the stadium has the potential to become one of the most attractive event venues in Florida.

After completion, Sports Illustrated Stadium is intended to be not only a sports arena, but also a center for major music, commercial and social spectacles, which fits into the strategy of the city and Inter Miami – to ensure the stadium operates throughout the entire year, not only on MLS matchdays.

Has Sports Illustrated Stadium undergone any modernization or expansion?

Sports Illustrated Stadium has undergone several significant upgrades since its opening in 2010, aimed at improving fan comfort and enhancing technical infrastructure. One of the most important changes was the modernization of the South Ward supporters’ section, where in 2020 a safe-standing system was introduced. This structure allows fans to actively support the team while standing, while also complying with safety requirements and the conditions for hosting international matches.

In the following years, the stadium expanded its premium offer. In 2022, the VIP areas were expanded and refreshed, introducing new business suites, hospitality salons and modernized commercial spaces. The goal of these changes was to increase the service standard and improve the quality of experience for corporate partners and guests.

In 2023, a new pre-match event area was created on the stadium grounds – an outdoor fan zone with its own stage, bar and space for fan activities. Recently, stadium lighting has also been modernized, introducing energy-efficient and visually impressive LED systems with dynamic color effects during events. The LED belt surrounding the upper sections of the stadium has also been updated and is used during match displays and commercial activations.

What are the plans for the future of Sports Illustrated Stadium?

Plans for the future of Sports Illustrated Stadium focus primarily on strengthening its role as a modern and multifunctional entertainment arena in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region. In the coming years, the stadium is expected to become a place not only for football matches, but also for an expanded concert, event and commercial offer closely linked with the Sports Illustrated brand.

One of the most important elements of the development plan is the full implementation of ticketing services through the SI Tickets platform, which in the coming seasons is expected to completely replace the previous ticketing solutions. This will allow better integration of the fan experience, development of dedicated premium offers, introduction of exclusive hospitality packages and loyalty programs.

The stadium management also announces further expansion of VIP spaces and areas for business partners. Plans include enhancing matchday experiences with new social zones, themed bars, upgraded premium areas and solutions allowing commercial events to be organized also outside matchdays. Thanks to this, the stadium aims to strengthen its position as a venue generating event traffic throughout the year, not only during the sports season.

Additionally, the stadium is expected to play a strategic role in supporting the organization of major international tournaments, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which may translate into further infrastructure investments and improvements in sports facilities. The club’s authorities and commercial partners view Sports Illustrated Stadium as a long-term development project, whose importance is expected to grow systematically in the region and across the entire MLS market.