SoFi Stadium

The SoFi Stadium is one of the newest stadiums in the USA, having only opened in 2020. It is now widely considered the benchmark for architects when tasked with new stadium builds, and for good reason.

The stadium combines modern technology, such as a translucent canopy and 5G internet, with traditional non-negotiables, such as unrestricted views, clean facilities and suitable food and drink options.

Speaking of the translucent canopy, this is without doubt the standout feature of the stadium. This canopy drapes over the top of the stadium to ensure that players, staff and fans are comfortable at all times, regardless of the weather.

On a hot day in California, the canopy protects people in the stadium from intense heat, while in rainy conditions, it keeps everyone inside dry. It feels as if all bases were covered during the design stage and that attention to detail has certainly paid off.

Another bit of kit that helps the fan experience at SoFi Stadium is the Infinity Screen, which hangs from the roof of the stadium. It’s the first of its kind in the world, and is the largest LED content playback system ever deployed. Each panel of the screen can be uniquely or congruently programmed with statistics, live and/or animated content. 

To add to the experience for those visitors not interested in sports, there is the attached SoFi Stadium music and theatre venue known as the YouTube Theatre. With its 6,000 seats and regular performances, one can easily spend an enjoyable few hours there if they are waiting for someone to finish watching a match at the stadium. 

The SoFi Stadium will play host to eight matches during the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. These matches are as follows:

• 12 June: Group Stage match
• 15 June: Group Stage match
• 18 June: Group Stage match
• 21 June: Group Stage match
• 25 June: Group Stage match
• 28 June: Round of 32 match
• 2 July: Round of 32 match
• 10 July: Quarter-final

For context, this stadium is located in California, a mere 12 miles away from Los Angeles. Therefore, it has attracted its fair share of big names despite only opening in 2020. Some of the most notable people to have been spotted at the stadium include:

• Justin Bieber
• Hailey Bieber
• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
• Macaulay Culkin
• Kendall Jenner
• Emma Stone
• Jay Z

Reported Arsenal fan & music artist Justin Bieber in attendance at the SoFi Stadium tonight. 👋🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kMkPZn8czN

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 28, 2024

The stadium is the home of both the LA Rams and LA Chargers – two major NFL franchises. Some of the chants you can expect to hear on a trip to the SoFi Stadium when the Rams are in action include:

• Whose House? Rams’ House!
• L-A-RAMS
• Let’s Go Rams!

Some of the chants you can expect to hear when the LA Chargers are playing include:

• Bolt Up!
• Let’s Go Chargers!

When was SoFi Stadium built?

The construction work led by the main Project Manager Legends Global Planning began in 2016 and it took 4 years for this state-of-the-art stadium to be completed. 

The stadium officially opened on 08 September 2020. 

What is the main sport played at SoFi Stadium?

The arena is built mainly for American Football with both LA franchises the Rams and the Chargers calling SoFi Stadium their home since 2020. The college American Football team LA Bowls from the NCAA also play their home matches there from 2021 onward. 

​The story of SoFi Stadium

The LA authorities had a long selection process for a new large stadium in the City of Angels. Eventually designers HKS won the bid with their project and on 17 November 2016, they broke ground to start the construction of SoFi Stadium. 

After 4 years of hard labour and investment believed to be just shy of $6 billion SoFi Stadium was finally completed and officially opened in the autumn of 2020. From day one the arena has been the new home for both NFL franchises LA Rams and LA Chargers. 

SoFi Stadium also hosts lots of music events and its capacity can be increased to over 100,000 for big concerts. 

Ironically, the first year after opening was a rough period for SoFi Stadium. The completion of this ultramodern venue coincided with the peak of the pandemic, so for the best part of 10 months after the ribbon was cut all sports events were without crowds and all music events, including Taylor Swift’s landmark Lover Fest concert, had to be cancelled. 

Only a limited amount of soccer matches have been played on SoFi Stadium up to now, but the arena has been chosen to be one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup. The first soccer games at SoFi Stadium were played on 03 August 2022. It was a double-header between the two LA teams The Galaxy and LAFC against two Mexican sides. SoFi Stadium also hosted the CONCACAF 2023 final between Mexico and Panama and is scheduled to host several games of the 2024 Copa America. 

The price of the so-called ‘in-person tours’ starts at $30 but depending on how much access you want to gain it can swell up to as much as $150 per person. 

The Tours normally include all of this: Tours feature a behind-the-scenes experience of SoFi Stadium’s most exclusive spaces including premium suites, team locker rooms, the player tunnel and more. To book a tour for individuals or groups one needs to get in touch and here’s how to do that: [email protected].  

By public transport

SoFi Stadium encourages visitors to use public transport and the LA Metro is your way to go for it. No matter, where you are in LA you are never more than a 5-minute walk from a metro station, with very well-organised bus scuttles doing the final leg of the journey to and from SoFi Stadium. 

The stadium is accessible from bus shuttles to two nearby Los Angeles Metro Rail lines: the C Line at Hawthorne/Lennox station and the K Line at Downtown Inglewood station. These shuttle services operate every five to eight minutes starting three hours before kick-off time and continuing until 90 minutes after the game’s conclusion

By car

All LA sports venues are famous for one thing and SoFi Stadium is no exception: reaching them by car and finding a place to park can be a frustrating and expensive experience! 

Naturally, the stadium has a large parking zone with different levels that open depending on the size of the event the stadium is hosting. Pre-booking your parking spot is a must if you want to arrive in your vehicle. Remembering where you parked and finding your car after the event is an entirely different experience on its own. 

The culinary experience at SoFi Stadium can be overwhelming with countless options offered by the franchise owning the food/drinks rights for this venue LA Eats. 

LA Eats hubs can be found on levels 3, 4, 6 and 8. The main food offered as one can expect is burgers and other traditional stadium food favourites. Naturally, there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. 

If you don’t feel like embracing the LA Eats experience you will have to look for another option outside SoFi Stadium. Luckily, we’ve tried them all and here are our recommendations: 

Common Space (3411 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne,) – any lovers of craft beers must visit this place. 

El Colibri Juice and Snacks (128 S. La Brea Ave., Inglewood) – this is only a small store-front but the freshly squeezed juices you can find there on a hot Californian day will feel like a godsend, trust us. The sandwiches it offers ain’t bad either. 

Far Field Beer Co. (4471 Rosecrans Ave., Lawndale) – this is a place where all lovers of craft beer and ales will feel like they’ve found heaven. 

1010 Wine and Events (1010 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood) – For those who prefer wine this is a must-go place. Any kind of Californian wine you fancy will be there waiting for you. The food menu is neat but one can enjoy lots of traditional LA cuisine here. 

There are at least a dozen other eateries, cafes and drinking hubs in the vicinity too, so really the choice is endless.