Lumen Field ‘fanovation’ style celebration

Article posted by Coliseum, July 26^th, 2022

Image: Seattle Sounders

With July 20^th officially marking 20 years since the Lumen Field first opened its doors on July 20^th, 2002, the National Football League (NFL) team Seattle Seahawks, the soccer stadium operating company First & Goal Inc. (FGI) and the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Seattle Sounders FC have announced plans to celebrate Lumen Field’s 20^th anniversary with new capital projects designs to modernize and upgrade various areas throughout the stadium.

‘Seattle Sounders’ quoted Chuck Arnold, President, Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc., as stating, “As we celebrate 20 years of incredible sports and entertainment events at Lumen Field, we are thrilled to reimagine and transform our guest experience. We’re calling these upgrades ‘fanovation’ – where our fans and their experience are at the forefront of our decisions. We are excited for our guests to see several new innovative projects come to life at Lumen Field over the next three years.”

The 72,000-capacity Lumen Field is a multipurpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located in the City’s SoDo neighborhood, it is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) and OL Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

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Said Peter Tomozawa, Sounders FC Owner and President of Business Operations, “From its earliest conception, Lumen Field was designed with soccer in mind. The Sounders and our fans have shared a host of incredibly special moments under those towering arches, and we hope to share many more in the coming years, both with Sounders and FIFA World Cup™ matches. The stadium upgrades undertaken by FGI are going to take an already world-class facility and truly make it a superb place where all fans will come away with memories. We are excited to see this work come to life over the next few years and are thrilled to be able to share this enhanced Lumen Field on the world’s largest sporting stage in 2026.”

Lumen Field renovation projects for 2022 include the following:

Cityside Bars

‘Seattle Sounders’ stated that a new 6,300-square foot premium food and beverage area named Cityside Bars is being added in the North end of the stadium. Open to all fans on Seahawks and Sounders gamedays, this project transforms the currently unused space underneath the stadium’s iconic Hawks Nest into a covered open-air fan gathering area with premium lower-level views of the playing field. The space features two nearly 40-foot-wide bars along with 83 feet of drink rails facing the field, an oversized outdoor gas fireplace and Pacific Northwest-themed finishes. The new amenities at Cityside Bars are scheduled to be completed by this Fall, in time for the final stretch of Sounders FC’s season and any playoff matches.

New North Videoboards

Installation of two new North-end videoboards will significantly enhance the fan experience. The Mitsubishi Pixel Pitch Diamond Vision displays (39.90’h x 70.34’w) will more than double the size of the previous videoboards. Fans can expect to see the full 16×9 game presentation highlighted by enhanced graphics and 4K pan and zoom for highlights and replay reviews. Sounders FC fans have likely noticed the current construction of these new videoboards on the North side of Lumen Field, which are scheduled to be completed by this Fall, in time for the final stretch of Sounders FC’s season and any playoff matches.

Concourse Concession Upgrades

For all Seahawks games and for special Sounders FC matches where the upper level of the stadium is widely opened, concession enhancements are on the way for the upper concourse. An area titled District Market is being added in the South end of the upper level behind the Toyota Fan Deck and offers a more modern, open food and beverage experience with the opportunity for checkout-free transaction technologies. The space will also feature food from the stadium’s community neighbors in Seattle’s International District.

Additional details on Lumen Field Fanovation projects scheduled for 2023 and 2024 will be announced in the future, including:

New Tunnel Club Premium Hospitality Area

Lumen Field plans to add a new pregame Tunnel Club. This new premium offering provides fans a ticketed pregame hospitality club adjacent to the Seahawks locker room, which features all-inclusive premium food and beverage options. For Sounders FC matches, this new area will replace the current Field Club.

Verizon Lounge Upgrades

The stadium’s Verizon Lounge is scheduled to undergo numerous future renovations. The current Verizon Lounge serves as a buffet-style restaurant pregame, with two bars available throughout the game to Delta Sky360° Club ticket holders. Preliminary concepts for the space’s remodel include creating two standing room open-air decks with views of the field, a new premium bar and general upgrades to finishes throughout the area. These changes are taking place after 2023.

A Proud Past and Bright Future

The Lumen Field stadium complex includes Lumen Field, the 325,000-square foot Lumen Field Event Center and WAMU Theater, and is home to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, MLS’ Seattle Sounders FC and NWSL’s OL Reign. In addition, Lumen Field and Lumen Field Event Center typically host more than 300 event days and 2.4 million attendees annually during an average year. The venue has hosted many premier concerts, including American singer-songwriter Beyoncé, American heavy metal band Metallica, English rock band Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and U2, as well as international soccer matches, Supercross, corporate events, and community gatherings.

The stadium’s first-ever sporting event was hosted on July 28^th, 2002, where the USL Seattle Sounders defeated the USL Vancouver Whitecaps 4-1 at what was then named Seahawks Stadium. Sounders FC’s winning ways on their home turf have continued, with the club owning a 130-46-44 regular-season record at Lumen Field since joining MLS in 2009.

Sellout streak

The stadium currently holds a 154-game sellout streak for Seahawks games and Lumen Field has been placed first or second in total MLS attendance every year since 2009, when Sounders FC entered the league. ‘The Rave Green’ have set several attendance records at Lumen Field, including the 2019 MLS Cup – where 69,274 fans watched Sounders FC claim its second league title, marking the most-attended sporting event in Lumen Field’s history and the most-attended soccer match in the history of Washington State – and the 2022 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Champions League Final – where the crowd of 68,741 set the record for largest standalone crowd in CCL history and saw Sounders FC become the first MLS club to win the coveted continental title.

In June 2022, FIFA announced Lumen Field as a host venue for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Celebrating the local community, including the support of women and minority-owned businesses in its hiring and vendor selection processes, is also a priority for the stadium and its commitment to the growth of the vibrant Seattle economy.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 23^rd FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The tournament will be jointly hosted by 16 Cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.

In celebration of the stadium’s 20^th anniversary, Lumen Field will relive various memorable moments from under the arches. Sounders FC matchdays are set to feature some of the best moments at Lumen Field, both on the videoboards and with a visual exhibit on the concourse level, and the team is asking for participation from fans to share favorite moments as well. Seahawks gamedays will feature iconic moments and bring back special guests to celebrate. The stadium’s social media channels will also celebrate significant anniversary dates, such as the first games for the Seahawks, Sounders FC and OL Reign, along with historic concerts and other events from its history. Fans will also have the chance to win tickets to 20 events at Lumen Field this year in celebration of the 20^th anniversary. Fans can follow along on Lumen Field’s social channels for details.

Fans can visit LumenField.com/Fanovation for more information.

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