When the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles opens its doors on Sunday, it will have many firsts up its sleeve.
The opulent new home of National Football League (NFL) teams Los Angeles Rams and Chargers will host the 2022 Super Bowl and the opening ceremonies of the 2028 Olympics.
The SoFi Stadium is the brainchild of Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Built at a cost of $5.5 billion (Dh20bn), it is the most expensive stadium in the world, and entirely privately financed.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 70,000, which can be expanded to 100,000 when needed. It will also feature 260 luxury suites and 13,000 premium seats.
The crown jewel of the breathtaking venue is the videoboard that hangs 122 feet above the playing field.
Keeping up with other striking numbers of the stadium, the videoboard is the largest ever created, with 70,000 square feet of digital LED space. It is also the first and only board that is capable of 4k video from end to end.
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Largest sports stadiums in the world
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20. The Bukit Jalil National Stadium near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has a seating capacity of 87,411, and is the 20th biggest sports stadium on earth. AFP -
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during the 21st South East Asian Games. Allsport -
19. The Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, has a capacity of 87,451. AFP -
The Jordan-Hare Stadium during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the LSU Tigers in Auburn, Alabama. AFP -
18. The Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida can host 88,548. Wikimediacommons -
University of Central Florida Golden Knights against the University of Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Getty -
17. The Wembley stadium in London is the epicentre of English football with a capacity of exactly 90,000. Getty -
The Jacksonville Jaguars kick off their NFL match against Houston Texans at the Wembley Stadium in London. Getty -
16. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, has a capacity of 90,888. AFP -
An NCAA match between the Michigan Wolverines and UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. The venue has been deemed a 'National Historic Landmark'. Getty -
15. The Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, USA, has a capacity of 92,100. Wikimediacommons -
The Cotton Bowl in Texas, USA. Wikimediacommons -
14. The Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, USA, can host 92,746. AFP -
The Sanford Stadium during the game between Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Athens, Georgia. AFP -
13. The Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, can seat 94,736. Getty -
The Soccer City Stadium, also called the FNB Stadium, during the African Cup of Nations in Johannesburg. Allsport -
12. The Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, is currently the biggest football venue in the world with a capacity of 99,354. Getty -
The Camp Nou ahead of the Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Liverpool in 2019. Getty -
11. The Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia is the second biggest cricket venue in the world, with a capacity of 100,024. Wikimediacommons -
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the most iconic venues in the world. Getty -
10. The Darrel K Royal Stadium in Austin, Texas, is the 10th largest stadium in the world with a seating capability of 100,119. Wikimediacommons -
The DKR-TM Stadium in 2011 during the match between Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks. Wikimediacommons -
9. The Bryant–Denny Stadium, at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, USA, can seat 101,821. Wikimediacommons -
The Bryant-Denny Stadium during an Alabama football game against the Tennessee Volunteers. Wikimediacommons -
8. The Tiger Stadium, located in Baton Rouge on the campus of Louisiana State University, has a capacity of 102,321. Wikimediacommons -
A night game in Tiger Stadium at the Louisiana State University. Wikimediacommons -
7. The Neyland Stadium at Knoxville, Tennessee, can seat 102,455. Wikimediacommons -
Tennessee Volunteers before the start of their game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is the seventh biggest stadium in the world. Getty -
6. The Kyle Field at College Station, Texas, has a capacity of 102,733. Wikimediacommons -
The Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, during the 2015 season. Wikimediacommons -
5. The Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, USA, has a capacity of 102,780. AFP -
The Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University in Columbus is the fifth largest stadium in the world. Alamy Stock Photo -
4. The Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions, in Pennsylvania, USA. Its capacity is 106,572. Alamy Stock Photo -
The Beaver Stadium during the NCAA college football game between Penn State and Michigan. Shutterstock -
3. Michigan Stadium is the American football stadium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is the largest stadium in the United States, the third largest in the world with a capacity of 107,601. Alamy Stock Photo -
Aerial view of the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, USA. AFP -
2. The Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat, India, is the world's biggest cricket stadium. The venue in Ahmedabad has a capacity of 110,000 and was inaugurated by US President Donald Trump in February. AFP -
The Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat is the second largest stadium in the world. AFP -
1. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. It is the largest stadium in the world, with a total capacity of 114,000. Shutterstock -
Performers during the Arirang mass games at the The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.
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“Everyone was interested in taking it to the next level. It is connected to the architecture and allows us to create this canvas for digital immersion,” Lance Evans, the stadium’s main architect from design firm HKS, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
“The way that the videoboard interacts as you walk around the venue is the beautiful piece of the design. You always feel like you are connected to it but it doesn’t scream for your attention."
When the audiences come back, fans will get to enjoy their suites that start at an eye-watering $17,000, which include 32 tickets to the game and $2,500 in food credit.
SoFi, NFL’s biggest stadium, is located in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood and is designed to capture breeze from the Pacific Ocean, 10 kilometres away. The clear plastic roof blocks the sun’s rays and panels can be opened to release hot air, keeping the venue four degrees cooler than the outside.
Fans can walk from the parking lot almost directly into the fifth level of the arena. Construction workers dug up over 7 million cubic yards of dirt to build an arena that sits 100 feet below grade.
Los Angeles Rams will unveil their showpiece stadium on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
