Work underway on $30 million Rose Bowl Stadium renovation

Article posted by Coliseum, June 4^th, 2026

Image: Coliseum GSVA

California’s historic Rose Bowl Stadium is gearing up for its third Olympic Games in 2028 with a $30 million renovation project.

The Rose Bowl will host Olympic soccer, including the semi-final and final matches for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Inside the Games said The Rose Bowl Operating Company broke ground in January as part of its strategic investment towards modernising the 103-year-old stadium.

The 89,702-capacity Rose Bowl Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium located in Pasadena, California, United States. Opened in October 1922 the stadium is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark.

It is home to the UCLA Bruins football program representing the University of California, Los Angeles, in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I.

The Rose Bowl Stadium renovation involves an overhaul of its south end — the one facing the San Gabriel mountains — that will transform 5,000 underutilized bench seats into a field-level club featuring slightly more than 1,000 VIP seats.

The transformation is expected to be finished in time for UCLA football‘s home opener against San Diego State on Sept. 12.

Jens Weiden, CEO of the Rose Bowl Stadium, said, “The Rose Bowl Stadium continues to honour its past by investing in its future.

“This project ensures that the most important moments in sports and entertainment will be staged in a setting that reflects both tradition and progress.”

Besides premium seating, this phase of the Rose Bowl Stadium renovation upgrade will feature enhanced hospitality spaces and an outdoor patio that will welcome athletes, performers, and fans alike.

The stadium’s new area, called the South Field Club, will cost about $30 million and is part of the Rose Bowl Lasting Legacy Campaign. The funds were generated by sponsorship partners and private donors, not taxpayer bonds as were used for the construction of the Terry Donahue Pavilion from 2011-13.

A dining area will feature various seating areas, showcasing the craftsmanship that has made the city California’s architectural centre.

Planter boxes will separate the new zone from the field, featuring roses tended to by stadium staff, honouring the country’s oldest football game.

The Bruins have been considering a move to the SoFi Stadium, but the UCLA announced in a statement in February that it will keep its Pasadena home, at least for the 2026 season.

UCLA’s current lease with the Rose Bowl runs through 2044 and limits its control over seating, suites and the ancillary revenue streams. Currently, the UCLA does not receive Suite revenue.

The proposed moved to SoFi has been a point of friction between the two parties, eventually leading to a lawsuit from the historic venue, which alleged that the move would cause more than a billion dollars in damages to the city of Pasadena and its residents.

Inside the Games further stated that the stadium, however, is determined to keep the sporting grounds relevant through its The Lasting Legacy Campaign.

Eight major improvement projects, including the South End Zone, are set for completion by and beyond the 2028 Olympic Games as part of Rose Bowl Stadium renovations.

Finished plans include refurbishing the historic marquee sign, East Side Safe Standing section, and the Seating Bowl sound system replacement — to enhance concerts and performances.

Gas and water infrastructure replacements and improvements are also set to be made and the venue. Mobile service enhancements and an upgraded videoboard experience are also in the works.

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