Arrowhead | |
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 Aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium with part ofKauffman Stadium visible in the top left corner | |
| Full name | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Arrowhead Drive |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°2′56″N94°29′2″W / 39.04889°N 94.48389°W /39.04889; -94.48389 |
| Public transit |  KCATA: Route 47[1] |
| Owner | Jackson County Sports Complex Authority |
| Operator | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Executive suites | 128 |
| Capacity | 76,416 (2010–present)[2] Former capacity: |
| Surface | TartanTurf (1972–1993) Latitude 36 Bermuda Grass (1994–2012) NorthBridge Bermudagrass (2013–present)[6] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 11, 1968; 57 years ago (1968-07-11)[7] |
| Opened | August 12, 1972; 53 years ago (1972-08-12) |
| Renovated | 1991, 1994, 2007–2010 |
| Expanded | 1995, 1997 |
| Construction cost | US$43 million ($323 million in 2024 dollars[8]) US$375 million (2007–2010 renovation) ($541 million in 2024 dollars[8]) |
| Architect | Kivett and Myers Populous (2007–2010 renovations)[9] |
| Structural engineer | Bob D. Campbell & Co. Structural Engineers[10] |
| General contractor | Sharp-Kidde-Webb Joint Venture[11] |
| Tenants | |
| Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) 1972–present Kansas City Wizards (MLS) 1996–2007 Kansas Jayhawks football (2024) | |
| Website | |
| chiefs.com/stadium | |
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, commonly known asArrowhead Stadium, is anAmerican football stadium inKansas City,Missouri,United States. It primarily serves as the home venue of theKansas City Chiefs of theNational Football League (NFL).
It was built at the same time as neighboringKauffman Stadium, home ofMajor League Baseball'sKansas City Royals, which together form theTruman Sports Complex. Arrowhead Stadium has been in use since1972 NFL season, and is currently the oldest stadium in theAFC. It has a seating capacity of 76,416, making it the25th-largest stadium in the United States and the fourth-largest NFL stadium. It is also the largest sports facility by capacity in the state ofMissouri. A $375 million renovation was completed in 2010.
The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (pronounced G-E-H-A) since March 2021, following a naming rights deal betweenGEHA and the Chiefs.[12] The agreement began at the start of the2021 season and ends in January 2031 with the expiration of the leases for the Chiefs and Royals with Truman Sports Complex owner, theJackson County Sports Complex Authority.[13]
The stadium is scheduled to host matches for the2026 FIFA World Cup where it will temporarily be referred to asKansas City Stadium for FIFA-regulated marketing reasons. It has also hosted othersoccer games and college football games for regional teams.
When theDallas Texans of theAmerican Football League (AFL) relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and were rebranded as theChiefs, they played their home games atMunicipal Stadium. They originally shared the stadium with theKansas City Athletics ofMajor League Baseball, but the Athletics relocated to Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, with the expansionKansas City Royals being added in 1969.
Municipal Stadium, built in 1923 and mostly rebuilt in 1955, seated approximately 35,000 for football, but as part of theAFL–NFL merger announced in 1966, NFL stadiums would henceforth be required to seat no fewer than 50,000 people. The loss of the A's was a shock to local sports fans and community leaders and there was a growing sense that government subsidy of a stadium complex would be necessary to keep major league baseball and professional football in the city.[14]
When Kansas City was unable to find a suitable location for a new stadium,Jackson County stepped in and offered a location on the eastern edge of town near the interchange ofInterstate 70 andInterstate 435. Voters approved a $102 million bond issue in 1967 to build a new sports complex with two stadiums. The original design called for construction of side-by-side baseball and football stadiums with a common roof that would roll between them.[15] This design proved to be more complicated and expensive than originally thought and so was scrapped in favor of a more conventional open-air configuration. The Chiefs staff, led by team general managerJack Steadman, helped develop the complex.[16]
Construction began in 1968. The original two-stadium concept was initially designed by Denver architectCharles Deaton and Steadman. The baseball and football stadiums have a very different appearance, but share utilities, parking, and underground storage. Plans to have covered stadiums were dropped, leaving two open-air stadiums. Lamar Hunt included an owner's suite, complete with three bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, to the design of the football stadium. To increase seating while limiting the stadium's footprint, the upper sections were placed at a steep incline which cannot be replicated in modern stadiums due to accessibility regulations.
Deaton's design was implemented by the Kansas City architectural firm ofKivett & Myers. Arrowhead Stadium is considered by some to have had an influence on the design of several future NFL stadiums. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture Sharp-Kidde-Webb construction firms.[17]
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Construction on Arrowhead Stadium was completed in time for the1972 season. On August 12, 1972, the Chiefs defeated theSt. Louis Cardinals 24–14 in the first preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium.
In the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium in 1972, the Chiefs were defeated by the Miami Dolphins,[18] the team that defeated the Chiefs in the final game football game at Municipal Stadium, a double overtime playoff game on Christmas Day 1971 that is still the longest game in NFL history.[19]
On November 5, 1972, 82,094 people (the largest crowd to see a game at Arrowhead Stadium) saw the Chiefs defeat theOakland Raiders, 27-14, to mark their first regular-season victory in their new home.
In 1973, the stadium was the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate the nearer goal line. (Initially, they resembled little Indian arrowheads.) This practice would eventually spread to the other NFL stadiums as the 1970s progressed, finally becoming mandatory league-wide in the1978 season (after being used inSuper Bowl XII), and become almost near-universal at lower levels of football.[20]
On January 20, 1974, Arrowhead Stadiumhosted thePro Bowl. Due to an ice storm and brutally cold temperatures the week leading up to the game, the game's participants worked out at the facilities of theSan Diego Chargers. On game day, the temperature soared to 41 °F (5 °C), melting most of the ice and snow that accumulated during the week. TheAFC defeated theNFC, 15–13.
In 1984, the Jackson County Sports Authority re-evaluated the concept of a fabric dome. The concept was disregarded as being unnecessary and financially impractical. Arrowhead hosted theDrum Corps International World Championships in 1988 and 1989.
In 1991, twoDiamond Vision screens shaped as footballs were installed. In 1994, other improvements were made and natural grass playing surface was installed, replacing the original artificialAstroTurf playing field.
In 2009, Arrowhead Stadium completed the installation of a multimillion-dollar integrated system fromDaktronics. Two high definition video displays were retrofitted into the existing football-shaped displays in both end zones. Approximately 1,625 feet (495 m) of digital ribbon board technology was also installed in the stadium.[21]
In 2013, Arrowhead Stadium started using a new playing surface known as NorthBridge Bermudagrass. The reason the team made the switch was due to the cold weather tolerance, rapid recovery and aggressive rooting.[6]
In 2021, the Chiefs sold the naming rights for Arrowhead Stadium toGEHA, renaming it GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.[22]
Arrowhead Stadium will be one of the hosts for the2026 FIFA World Cup and it is scheduled to undergo small renovations in the years ahead. Seating capacity is expected to be reduced in the corners of the end zones to comply withFIFA field regulations. Space would also have to be made for hospitality and media seating (outside of the stadium's already existing press box). The field will also undergo improvement to its ventilation system.[23] In February 2024, renovations were announced and showcased. The renovations were scheduled to begin in 2027 if an extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax fromJackson County, Missouri, voters was approved;[24] however, the sales tax extension failed to pass.[25]
In 1990 in a game against theDenver Broncos, the Chiefs were threatened with a penalty if the crowd would not quiet down. AfterJohn Elway was backed up to his own goal line and unable to even run a play he quickly spoke to refereeGordon McCarter. After listening to Elway, McCarter said "Any further crowd-noise problem will result in a charged timeout against Kansas City. Thank you for your cooperation."[28]
On October 13, 2013, in a game between the Chiefs andOakland Raiders, the crowd at the stadium set aGuinness World Record for the loudest stadium, with 137.5dB.[29] That record would be broken bySeattle Seahawksfans atCenturyLink Field on December 2, 2013 at a home game against theNew Orleans Saints. Seattle gained the record by reaching a noise level of 137.6 decibels.[30] The Chiefs reclaimed the title on September 29, 2014 in aMonday Night Football game against theNew England Patriots, hitting 142.2 decibels.[31]
Arrowhead Stadium has hosted fiveBig 12 Conference football championship games:Kansas State versusOklahoma in 2000 and 2003,Colorado versusOklahoma in 2004,Nebraska versusOklahoma on December 2, 2006, andMissouri versusOklahoma in 2008.
From 2007 to 2011, Arrowhead Stadium hosted theBorder War between theKansas Jayhawks and theMissouri Tigers. The 2007 game between the No. 2Jayhawks and No. 3Tigers, dubbed "Armageddon at Arrowhead" by media and fans, drew the second largest crowd in stadium history, at 80,537, with the Tigers winning 36-28.[32] Kansas also playedOklahoma at Arrowhead in 2005. Missouri played Arkansas State in 2005 and BYU in 2015 as home games at Arrowhead. Missouri was scheduled to play Arkansas in 2020; however, the game location was changed to Columbia due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
In 2009 and 2010, Arrowhead Stadium hosted the annual "Farmageddon" game (a reference to the shared agricultural roots of the two competing schools) between theIowa State Cyclones and theKansas State Wildcats.[33] Iowa State previously played at Arrowhead against the Florida State Seminoles in the 2002 Eddie Robinson Classic, whileKansas State playedCal in the 2003 Eddie Robinson Classic.
In 1998,Oklahoma State moved its scheduled home game vs.Nebraska to Arrowhead. The move was done to boost attendance and revenue:Lewis Field in Stillwater sat less than 50,000 fans at that time, the Huskers were the defending national champions, and with many Nebraska supporters living only a few hours' drive viaInterstate 29 from Arrowhead, it made sense for a program which, at the time, was one of the Big XII's lesser teams.
The stadium also played host to the annualFall Classic at Arrowhead, a Division II game that featured two nearby powerhouse programs inNorthwest Missouri State University andPittsburg State University. The 2004 game featured No. 1 Pittsburg State defeating No. 2 Northwest Missouri State in the only Division II game to feature the nation's top two teams playing in the regular season finale.
For the 2024 season, Kansas played four conference home games at the stadium due to renovations attheir stadium.[34]
| Date | Winner | Loser | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3, 1998 | Nebraska | Oklahoma State | 24–17 | 79,555 |
| August 26, 2000 | Kansas State | Iowa | 27-7 | 77,148 |
| August 24, 2002 | Florida State | Iowa State | 38–31 | 55,132 |
| August 23, 2003 | Kansas State | California | 42-28 | 50,823 |
| September 3, 2005 | Missouri | Arkansas State | 44–17 | 32,906 |
| October 15, 2005 | Oklahoma | Kansas | 19–3 | 54,109 |
| November 14, 2015 | Missouri* | BYU | 20–16 | 42,824 |
| September 28, 2024 | TCU | Kansas | 38–27 | 47,928 |
| October 19, 2024 | Kansas | Houston | 42–14 | 38,619 |
| November 9, 2024 | Kansas | Iowa State | 45–36 | 51,109 |
| November 23, 2024 | Kansas | Colorado | 37–21 | 56,470 |
| August 28, 2025 | Nebraska | Cincinnati | 20-17 | 72,884 |
*Win vacated
With the formation ofMajor League Soccer in 1996, Arrowhead Stadium became home to the Kansas City Wiz, now known asSporting Kansas City. After the 1996 season, the team was renamed the Wizards. They left after the 2007 season, after being sold by the Hunt Family toOn Goal, LLC, once their lease ended. This was also beneficial so that construction work on Arrowhead Stadium's renovation could take place during the NFL off-season. The Wizards moved to CommunityAmerica Ballpark, now known asLegends Field, in 2008 and did not return to Arrowhead except for one friendly.[35]
That friendly was played on July 25, 2010; the Wizards facedManchester United at Arrowhead Stadium for theEnglish team's third preseason friendly in America during 2011. Due to ticket demand, they could not play the game at their new home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The match ended with Kansas City winning 2-1 withDimitar Berbatov scoring the only goal for Manchester United on apenalty kick.
The stadium has hosted twoUS Men's National Team matches and threeWomen's National Team matches.
Arrowhead hosted MLS teams Sporting Kansas City andInter Miami in a 2–3 victory for the later on April 13, 2024 to accommodate for the large demand for tickets to see Inter Miami playerLionel Messi. It was Sporting's first game at the stadium since 2010 and attracted a crowd of 72,610, the fourth highest attended MLS event.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Game type | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7, 1999 |  United States | 6–0 |  Finland | Women's International Friendly | 36,405 |
| August 20, 2000 | United States | 1–1 |  Canada | Women's International Friendly | 21,246 |
| April 25, 2001 | United States | 1–0 |  Costa Rica | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF final round | 37,319 |
| October 22, 2003 | United States | 2–2 |  Italy | Women's International Friendly | 18,263 |
| October 16, 2004 | United States | 1–0 |  Mexico | Women's International Friendly | 20,435 |
| July 25, 2010 | Kansas City Wizards | 2–1 |  Manchester United | Club Friendly | 52,424 |
| March 31, 2015 | Mexico | 1–0 |  Paraguay | International Friendly | 38,114 |
| April 13, 2024 | Inter Miami CF | 3–2 | Sporting Kansas City | 2024 MLS season | 72,610 |
| July 1, 2024 |  Uruguay | 1–0 | United States | 2024 Copa América Group C | 55,460 |
Arrowhead Stadium was chosen as one of the 16 venues that will host games during the2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States,Canada andMexico. The stadium will require renovations. Kansas City, Missouri mayorQuinton Lucas estimated the cost of the necessary renovations at $50 million.[36] The stadium will host six matches, including four group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, and one quarterfinal match.[37]
| Date | Time (UTC−5) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group J | |
| June 20, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group E | |
| June 25, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group F | |
| June 27, 2026 | --:-- | TBD | – | TBD | Group J | |
| July 3, 2026 | --:-- | Winner Group K | – | 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L | Round of 32 | |
| July 11, 2026 | --:-- | Winner Match 95 | – | Winner Match 96 | Quarter-finals |
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On April 4, 2006, Jackson County voters approved a tax increase to finance municipal bonds to pay for $850 million in renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and nearbyKauffman Stadium.[38] Before the bond election, the NFL announced it would award hosting rights of a future Super Bowl to Kansas City provided it would have a climate-controlled stadium. With the passing of the stadium bill, the Chiefs signed a new lease which ensures that the team will remain at Arrowhead until at least 2031.[39]
However, a second bond issue to build the rolling roof shared with Kauffman Stadium that was part of the original 1967 stadium plan was defeated by voters, and Kansas City chose to withdraw its request to hostSuper Bowl XLIX in 2015; the game was played at theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium) inGlendale, Arizona.[40]
On August 15, 2007, the Chiefs announced final plans for the renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which would cost $375 million. The cost to the city was reduced by $50 million thanks to an additional payment by the Hunt family, which originally had intended to donate $75 million. The renovated stadium features the Chiefs Hall of Honor, a tribute toLamar Hunt, and "horizon level" seating in whichluxury suite owners sit outdoors.[41]
Reconstruction for the stadiums started on October 3, 2007. Refurbishment of nearby Kauffman Stadium, home to theKansas City Royals baseball team, commenced at that time, and both completely-refurbished stadiums were ready for play by the 2010 season.[42]
In 2019, the Chiefs announced multiple renovations for the 2020 season, which included replaced seats in the lower level, a new video display on the East end, and locker room upgrades.[43]
In February 2024, the Chiefs announced additional plans to renovate the stadium starting in 2027, which would further increase the seating capacity along with other upgrades;[24] however, those plans were shelved in April when voters rejected a 40-year sales tax increase to help fund the project.[44][45] The Chiefs will consider options beyond renovating Arrowhead Stadium, including building a new stadium in theKansas City area, including the Kansas side of the state line.[46]
From 1963 to 2008, the TD Pack Band was a mainstay at every Chiefs home game. The band was founded bytrumpeter Tony DiPardo.[47] The band was previously known as The Zing Band while the Chiefs played atMunicipal Stadium. DiPardo, nicknamed "Mr. Music",[48] was born inSt. Louis, Missouri on August 15, 1912. DiPardo wrote songs about the team such as "The Chiefs are on the Warpath" and "The Hank Stram Polka". DiPardo received aSuper Bowl ring for the Chiefs' victory inSuper Bowl IV. DiPardo died in 2011.[citation needed] On September 8, 2018,Taylor Swift hosted a show from herReputation Stadium Tour, followed two nights of her signatureEras Tour at the stadium on July 7–8, 2023.[49]On October 1, 2023,Beyoncé performed at the stadium and concluded her spectacularRenaissance World Tour. At the end of the show, she premiered the teaser forRenaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.[50]
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Kansas City Chiefs 1972 – present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of the Kansas City Wizards 1996 – 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the NFL Pro Bowl 1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the AFC Championship Game 2019 – 2023 2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of the Big 12 Championship Game 2000 2003 – 2004 2006 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the Drum Corps International World Championship 1988 – 1989 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
