Soldier Field

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Soldier Field (historically often referred to as Soldiers' Field[1]) is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National Football League (NFL) since 1971,Template:Efn as well as Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) from 1998 to 2006 and since 2020.Template:Efn It also regularly hosts stadium concerts and other large crowd events. The stadium has a football capacity of 62,500, making it the smallest stadium in the NFL. Soldier Field is also the oldest stadium established in the NFL and 3rd oldest in MLS.

The stadium's interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility but lowered its seating capacity, eventually causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL and University of Notre Dame football. It hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup championships. In 1968, it hosted the inaugural World Games of the Special Olympics, as well as its second World Games in 1970. Other historic events have included large rallies with speeches, including by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr.

History

File:Child,Mother,Father,MilitaryFamily.jpg
Sculpture of a sailor and his family, gazing eastward over Lake Michigan

On December 3, 1919, Chicago-based architectural firm Holabird & Roche was chosen to design the stadium,[2] which broke ground on August 11, 1922.[3] The stadium cost $13 million to construct (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation/year), a large sum for a sporting venue at that time (in comparison, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had cost less than US$1 million in 1923 dollars). On October 9, 1924, the 53rd anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the stadium was officially dedicated as "Grant Park Stadium",[4] although it had hosted a few events before then, including a field day for Chicago police officers on September 6, and the stadium's first football game, between Louisville Male High School and Austin Community Academy High School, on October 4.[2] On November 22, the stadium hosted its first college football game, in which Notre Dame defeated Northwestern University 13–6.[2]

On November 11, 1925, the stadium's name was changed to Soldier Field, in dedication to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat during World War I. Its formal rededication as Soldier Field was held during the 29th annual playing of the Army–Navy Game on November 27, 1926.[5][6] Several months earlier, in June 1926, the stadium hosted several events during the 28th International Eucharistic Congress, the first held in the United States. During the Century of Progress World's Fair in 1933, it served as the main stage.[7]

The stadium's design is in the Neoclassical style, with Doric columns rising above the East and West entrances.[8] In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators, and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the interior field, upper promenades, and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone,[9] bringing the seating capacity to over 100,000.[10]

Chicago Bears move in

File:8X10A 1961 Chicago Bears o-line practice 1.jpg
The 1961 Chicago Bears practicing for the Armed Forces Benefit Football Game, which was primarily held at Soldier Field from 1947 to 1970. The Bears permanently moved in the following year.

Before they moved into the stadium, the Chicago Bears had played select charity games at Soldier Field as early as Template:Nfly, when they played their former crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cardinals.[2] The Cardinals also used the stadium as their home field for their final season in the city in 1959.

In Template:Nfly, the Bears moved into Soldier Field full-time, originally with a three-year commitment.[11][12] The team previously played home games at Wrigley Field, the home stadium of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB), but were forced to move to a larger venue due to post-AFL–NFL merger policies requiring that stadium capacities seat at least 50,000 spectators as well as lighting for potential night games. The Bears had initially intended to build a stadium in Arlington Heights, but the property did not fit the league's specifications.[13]

On September 19, 1971, the Bears played their first home game at Soldier Field, in which they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17–15. In 1978, the Bears and the Chicago Park District agreed to a 20-year lease and renovation of the stadium; both parties pooled their resources for the renovation.[14] The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 until 1987, and was replaced with natural grass in 1988.[15] On February 27, 1987, Soldier Field was designated a National Historic Landmark.[16]

Replacement talks

In 1989, Soldier Field's future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a "McDome", which was intended to be a domed stadium for the Bears, but was rejected by the Illinois Legislature in 1990. Because of this, Bears president Michael McCaskey considered relocation as a possible factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in Hoffman Estates, Elk Grove Village and Aurora. In 1995, McCaskey announced that he and Northwest Indiana developers agreed to construction of an entertainment complex called "Planet Park", which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, and in 1998, then-Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley proposed that the Bears share Comiskey Park with the Chicago White Sox.[17]

Renovations

Beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box, as well as 60 skyboxes, were added to the stadium, boosting its capacity to 66,030. In 1988, 56 more skyboxes were added, increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992. By 1994, however, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the open end of the U shape. This moved the field closer to both ends in order to move the fans closer to the field, at the expense of seating capacity.[5] The front row 50-yard line seats were only Template:Convert away from the sidelines, the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums until MetLife Stadium opened in 2010 with a distance of Template:Convert.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

2002–03 renovation and landmark delisting

File:Soldier Field Chicago aerial view.jpg
Soldier Field aerial view (1988) before interior redesign

In 2001, the Chicago Park District, which owns the structure, faced substantial criticism when it announced plans to alter the stadium with a design by Benjamin T. Wood and Carlos Zapata of Wood + Zapata in Boston. The stadium grounds were reconfigured by local architecture firm Lohan Associate, led by architect Dirk Lohan, grandson of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The stadium's interior would be demolished and reconstructed while the exterior would be preserved in an example of facadism. A similar endeavor of constructing a new stadium within the confines of a historic stadium's exterior was done with Leipzig's Red Bull Arena, which similarly built a modern stadium while preserving the exterior of the original Zentralstadion. Fans and radio hosts, such as WSCR's Mike North, criticized the small seating capacity of the new venue, and others have criticized the Park District's lack of care to the field surface after the first seasonal freeze and a refusal to consider a new-generation artificial surface, leaving the Bears to play on dead grass.

File:Soldierfield2002.jpg
Aerial view of Soldier Field during renovation, April 2002

On January 19, 2002, the night of the Bears' playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, demolition began as tailgate fires still burned in trash cans in the parking lots. The removal of 24,000 stadium seats in 36 hours by Archer Seating Clearinghouse, a speed record never exceeded since,Script error: No such module "Unsubst". was the first step in building the new Soldier Field. Nostalgic Bears fans recalling the team's glory seasons (especially 1985), as well as some retired players, picked up their seats in the South parking lot. The foremen on the job were Grant Wedding, who installed the seats himself in 1979, and Mark Wretschko, an executive for the factory who made the new seats. As Soldier Field underwent renovation, the Bears spent the 2002 NFL season playing their home games at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois. On September 29, Template:Nfly, the Bears played their first game at the renovated Soldier Field, in which they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers, 38–23. The total funding for the renovation cost $632 million; taxpayers were responsible for $432 million while the Chicago Bears and the NFL contributed $200 million.[18][19]

File:The Soldier Field.jpg
Soldier Field after interior rebuild, with maintained exterior below.

Several writers and columnists attacked the Soldier Field renovation project as an aesthetic, political and financial nightmare. The project received mixed reviews within the architecture community, with criticism from civic and preservation groups.[20] Prominent architect and native Chicagoan Stanley Tigerman called it "a fiasco.[21] Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin dubbed it the "Eyesore on the Lake Shore,"[22][23][24] while others called it "Monstrosity on the Midway" or "Mistake by the Lake".[25] The renovation was described by some as if "a spaceship landed on the stadium".[26][27] Lohan responded:

I would never say that Soldier Field is an architectural landmark. Nobody has copied it; nobody has learned from it. People like it for nostalgic reasons. They remember the games and parades and tractor pulls and veterans' affairs they've seen there over the years. I wouldn't do this if it were the Parthenon. But this isn't the Parthenon.[21]

Proponents of the renovation argued it was badly needed because of aging and cramped facilities. The New York Times named the renovated Soldier Field one of the five best new buildings of 2003.[28] Soldier Field was given an award in design excellence by the American Institute of Architects in 2004.[29]

On September 23, 2004, as a result of the renovation, a 10-member federal advisory committee unanimously recommended that Soldier Field be delisted as a National Historic Landmark.[30][31] The recommendation to delist was prepared by Carol Ahlgren, an architectural historian at the National Park Service's Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska, who was quoted in Preservation Online stating, "if we had let this stand, I believe it would have lowered the standard of National Historic Landmarks throughout the country. ... If we want to keep the integrity of the program, let alone the landmarks, we really had no other recourse." The stadium lost the landmark designation on February 17, 2006.[32]

Subsequent developments

File:Soldier Field W 2022.jpg
Soldier Field in 2022 from the east

In May 2012, Soldier Field became the first NFL stadium to achieve LEED status, a program intended to award environmentally sustainable buildings.[33]

On July 9, 2019, the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer (MLS) announced an agreement with the Village of Bridgeview to release the team from their lease with SeatGeek Stadium, where they had played since 2006. As a result, the Fire returned to Soldier Field for the 2020 MLS season.[34]

On June 17, 2021, the Chicago Bears submitted a bid for the Arlington Park Racetrack property, making a move from Soldier Field to a new venue more possible.[35] On September 29, the Bears and Churchill Downs Incorporated announced that they had reached an agreement for the property.[36]

On September 5, 2022, the Kentucky bluegrass was replaced with Bermuda grass after poor field conditions were noted in an August 13 preseason game.[37]

Public transportation

The closest Chicago 'L' station to Soldier Field is the Roosevelt station on the Orange, Green and Red lines. The Chicago Transit Authority also operates the #128 Soldier Field Express bus route to the stadium from Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station. There are also two Metra stations close by: the Museum Campus/11th Street station on the Metra Electric Line, which also is used by South Shore Line trains, and 18th Street, which is only served by the Metra Electric Line. Pace also provides access from the Northwest, West and Southwest suburbs to the stadium with four express routes from Schaumburg, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Palos Heights and Oak Lawn.

Facility contracts

The pouring rights of non-alcoholic beverages at Soldier Field were held by The Coca-Cola Company from at least 1992 until 2012, when the Bears signed a contract with Dr Pepper Snapple Group (later Keurig Dr Pepper), making it the only stadium in the NFL then (with Cleveland Browns Stadium striking a similar deal in 2018) to have such rights held by the company.[38][39] With the 2003 renovation, the Bears gained power in striking sponsorship deals at Soldier Field; the Miller Brewing Company was given the pouring rights of alcoholic beverages, while Delaware North Sportservice was named the food and beverage service provider.[40][41] Aramark took over service operations at the stadium when the latter contract expired in 2013.[42]

Events

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American football

Single events

File:The Army-Navy football game at Soldier's Field (cropped).jpg
Soldier Field during the 1926 Army–Navy Game

NFL playoffs

College football

Northern Illinois Huskies play select games at Soldier Field, all of which have featured them hosting a team from the Big Ten Conference. Northern Illinois University (NIU) is located in DeKalb, Template:Convert to the west on Interstate 88.

  • On September 1, 2007, NIU faced the University of Iowa in the first Division I College Football game at Soldier Field since the 2002 renovations. The Hawkeyes defeated the Huskies 16–3.
  • On September 17, 2011, the Huskies returned to play the Wisconsin Badgers in a game that was called "Soldier Field Showdown II". The eventual Big Ten champion Badgers topped NIU 49–7.
  • On September 1, 2012, NIU hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in a season opener that was called "Soldier Field Showdown III". The Hawkeyes narrowly defeated the Huskies 18–17.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football used the stadium as home field for the 1929 season while Notre Dame Stadium was being constructed. The school has used Soldier Field for single games on occasion both prior to and since the 1929 season, and boasts an undefeated 10–0–2 record there. At Soldier Field, Notre Dame has played Northwestern four times, USC and Wisconsin twice, and Army, Drake, Great Lakes Naval Base, Navy, and Miami once each.[46]

Motorsport

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File:1951+A016019 (3552594501) (2).jpg
Motorsport race at Soldier Field in 1951

Beginning in the 1940s and through the late-1960s (except for during World War II), motorsport races regularly were held on a short track at the stadium. In 1956 and 1957, NASCAR held races at the stadium, including a NASCAR Cup race.[47][48]

In the early-to-mid 1980s saw the US Hot Rod Association host Truck and Tractor Sled Pull Competitions and Monster Truck exhibitions here. The engines on some of the vehicles would echo through the skyscrapers in downtown Chicago as they made their pull. Damage to the stadium turf on a few of the event occasion's led USHRA to move events to the Rosemont Horizon (known today as Allstate Arena).Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Ice hockey

On February 7, 2013, the stadium hosted a high school hockey game between St. Rita High School from the city's Southwest side and Fenwick High School from suburban Oak Park.[49]

File:2014 NHL Stadium Series, Soldier Field.JPG
Soldier Field during the 2014 NHL Stadium Series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Miami RedHawks played a doubleheader on February 17, 2013, with the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Hockey City Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the stadium.[50] A Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-squad game was held in affiliation with the Hockey City Classic.[51]

On March 1, 2014, the Chicago Blackhawks played against the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the NHL Stadium Series. The Blackhawks defeated the Penguins 5–1 before a sold-out crowd of 62,921.[52] The team also held its 2015 Stanley Cup Championship celebration at the stadium instead of Grant Park, where other city championships have typically been held, due to recent rains.[53]

On February 7, 2015, Soldier Field hosted another edition of the Hockey City Classic. The event had been delayed due to unusually warm weather (Template:Convert) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between Miami University and Western Michigan, followed by a match between the Big Ten's Michigan and Michigan State[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61] On February 5, the organizers of the Hockey City Classic organized the Unite on the Ice event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event was centered upon a celebrity hockey game with former NHL and AHL players, as well as a public free skate at Soldier Field. Participants in the celebrity game included Éric Dazé, Jamal Mayers and Gino Cavallini. Denis Savard was in attendance, serving as an honorary coach during the game.[62] On February 15, 2015, Soldier Field hosted another Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic.[51]

style="text-align:center; Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"|Date style="text-align:center; Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"|Away Team style="text-align:center; Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"|Result style="text-align:center; Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"|Home Team style="text-align:center; Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;"|Spectators
February 7, 2013 St. Rita High School 0–3 Fenwick High School unknown
February 17, 2013 Miami (OH) 1–2 Notre Dame 52,051
Minnesota 2–3 Wisconsin 52,051
March 1, 2014 Pittsburgh Penguins 1–5 Chicago Blackhawks 62,921
February 7, 2015 Miami (OH) 4–3 Western Michigan 22,751
Michigan State 1–4 Michigan 22,751

Soccer

1994 FIFA World Cup

File:The Refurbished Soldier Field.jpg
Soldier Field before a soccer game, 2004
style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Time (CDT) style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
June 17, 1994 2:00PM Template:Fb 1–0 Template:Fb Group C (opening match) 63,117
June 21, 1994 3:00PM Template:Fb 1–1 Template:Fb Group C 63,113
June 26, 1994 11:30AM Template:Fb 0–4 Template:Fb Group D 63,160
June 27, 1994 3:00PM Template:Fb 1–3 Template:Fb Group C 63,089
July 2, 1994 11:00AM Template:Fb 3–2 Template:Fb Round of 16 60,246

1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Time (CDT) style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
June 24, 1999 17.00 Template:Fbw 2–0 Template:Fbw Group B 65,080
19.00 Template:Fbw 7–1 Template:Fbw Group A 65,080
June 26, 1999 16.00 Template:Fbw 0–2 Template:Fbw Group D 34,256
18.30 Template:Fbw 4–0 Template:Fbw Group C 34,256

CONCACAF Gold Cups

File:UsavsHonduras.JPG
Soldier Field during the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
21 June 2007 Template:Fb 1–2 Template:Fb Semifinals 50,760
Template:Fb 1–0 Template:Fb
June 24, 2007 Template:Fb 2–1 Template:Fb Final 60,000

2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
23 July 2009 Template:Fb 1–2 Template:Fb Semifinals 55,173
Template:Fb 1–1 (3–5 pen) Template:Fb

2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
12 June 2011 Template:Fb 6–1 Template:Fb Group A 62,000
Template:Fb 4–1 Template:Fb

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
July 28, 2013 Template:Fb 1–0 Template:Fb Final 57,920

2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
July 9, 2015 Template:Fb 3–1 Template:Fb Group C 54,126
Template:Fb 6–0 Template:Fb

2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Time (CDT) style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
July 7, 2019 8:15 PM Template:Fb 1–0 Template:Fb Final 62,493

2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Time (CDT) style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
June 24, 2023 9:06 PM Template:Fb 1–1 Template:Fb Group A 36,666

Copa América Centenario

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style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Time (CDT) style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #1 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Result style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Team #2 style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Round style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Spectators
June 5, 2016 4:00PM Template:Fb 0–1 Template:Fb Group C 25,560
June 7, 2016 7:00PM Template:Fb 4–0 Template:Fb Group A 39,642
June 10, 2016 8:30PM Template:Fb 5–0 Template:Fb Group D 53,885
June 22, 2016 7:00PM Template:Fb 0–2 Template:Fb Semi-finals 55,423

Single events

Special Olympics

The first Special Olympics games were held at Soldier Field on July 20, 1968. The games involved over 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and Canada competing in track and field and swimming. In 1970, the second international games occurred, when Special Olympics returned to Soldier Field.[64][65]

Rugby union

On November 1, 2014, the stadium hosted its first international rugby union test match between the United States Eagles and New Zealand All Blacks as part of the 2014 end-of-year rugby union tests.[66] Over half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days.[67] The All Blacks beat the Eagles 74–6.[68] The stadium hosted its second international rugby union match on September 5, 2015, with the United States hosting Australia as part of the 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches shortly before both teams were due to travel to England for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[69] The Eagles were defeated 47–10. On November 5, 2016, Ireland beat New Zealand 40–29 at Soldier Field as part of the 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals – the very first time Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in a test match in 111 years of play.[70]

style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Winner style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Score style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Opponent style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Attendance
November 1, 2014 Template:Ru-rt 74–6 Template:Country data US 61,500
September 5, 2015 Template:Ru-rt 47–10 Template:Country data US 23,212
November 5, 2016 Template:Ru-rt 40–29 Template:Country data NZ 60,000
November 3, 2018 Template:Ruw-rt Black Ferns (NZ Women's Rugby team 67–6 Template:Ruw Women's team 30,051
Template:Ru-rt 54–7 Template:Country data ITA
Template:Ru-rt 59–22 Template:Country data US
November 1, 2025 Template:Ru-rt – Template:Country data NZL
File:Fare Thee Well - Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead 9.jpg
Soldier Field during the Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead tour, 2015
Flames burst from a backpack on Rammstein singer Till Lindemann during a performance at Soldier Field.
German band Rammstein performs at Soldier Field, September 3rd 2022 as part of their North America Stadium Tour

Concerts

width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Date width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Artist width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Opening act(s) width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Tour / concert name width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Attendance / Capacity width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Revenue width=10% style="text-align:center;Template:NFLPrimaryStyle;|Notes
August 21, 1937 Lily Pons
Rudy Vallee
Jascha Heifetz
Bobby Breen 		— Chicagoland Music Festival — —
August 15, 1964 Johnny Cash
June Carter 		— — —
August 9, 1966 Barbra Streisand — An Evening with Barbra Streisand Tour — — First solo headliner
July 18, 1970 Template:Show — WCFL's Big Ten Summer Music Festival — —
June 4, 1977 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Foghat
The J. Geils Band
Climax Blues Band 		ELP Works/Super Bowl of Rock #1 63,848 / 65,000 $647,172
June 19, 1977 Pink Floyd In the Flesh Tour 67,000 / 67,000 $670,000[71]
July 9, 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd Point Blank 77,197 —
July 10, 1977 Ted Nugent Lynyrd Skynyrd
REO Speedwagon
Journey
.38 Special 		Super Bowl of Rock #3 63,870 / 65,000 $627,995 First solo male headliner
August 13, 1977 Peter Frampton Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Rick Derringer
UFO 		Super Bowl of Rock #4 47,365 / 65,000 $476,007
September 24, 1977 Chicago — Lincoln Park Zoo Benefit — —
July 8, 1978 The Rolling Stones Journey
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Peter Tosh 		The Rolling Stones US Tour 1978 70,725 / 70,725 $919,425[72]
August 26, 1978 Parliament-Funkadelic The Bar-Kays
Con Funk Shun
A Taste of Honey 		Funk Fest — —
July 19, 1980 Smokey Robinson The O'Jays Budweiser Superfest 41,322 / 58,000 $702,474
August 10–18, 1983 Template:Show — ChicagoFest — —
August 9, 1985 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — Born in the U.S.A. Tour 71,222 / 71,222 $1,228,500
July 31, 1987 Madonna Level 42 Who's That Girl World Tour 47,407 / 47,407 $1,066,658
July 29, 1990 Paul McCartney — The Paul McCartney World Tour 55,630 / 55,630 $1,807,975
June 22, 1991 Grateful Dead — Summer Tour 1991 58,416 / 58,416 $1,573,891
June 25, 1992 Grateful Dead Steve Miller Band Summer Tour 1992 110,670 / 118,394 $3,116,492
June 26, 1992
June 18, 1993 Grateful Dead Sting Summer Tour 1993 115,239 / 115,239 $3,041,690
June 19, 1993
July 12, 1994 Pink Floyd — The Division Bell Tour 51,981 / 51,981 $2,056,105
July 23, 1994 Grateful Dead Traffic Summer Tour 1994 111,002 / 111,002 $3,546,758
July 24, 1994
September 11, 1994 The Rolling Stones Lenny Kravitz Voodoo Lounge Tour 90,303 / 90,303 $4,194,320
September 12, 1994
July 8, 1995 Grateful Dead The Band Summer Tour 1995 113,327 / 113,327 $3,694,431
July 9, 1995 Final concert by the band.[73]
July 11, 1995 Pearl Jam Bad Religion
Otis Rush 		Vitalogy Tour 47,824 / 47,824 $1,028,216 Played on the Grateful Dead's stage
September 14, 1996 Little Feat Taj Mahal — —
June 27, 1997 U2 Fun Lovin' Criminals PopMart Tour 116,912 / 127,500 $5,956,587
June 28, 1997
June 29, 1997
July 18, 1997 Template:Show — Vans Warped Tour — —
September 23, 1997 The Rolling Stones Blues Traveler Bridges to Babylon Tour 107,186 / 107,186 $6,260,000
September 25, 1997
May 10, 1998 George Strait — Country Music Festival Tour 45,486 / 45,486 $1,813,825
April 25, 1999 George Strait — Country Music Festival Tour 36,022 / 36,022 $1,402,194
May 13, 2000 Wilco — — —
June 29, 2000 Dave Matthews Band Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Ozomatli 		The Summer 2000 Tour 115,006 / 115,006 $5,175,270
June 30, 2000
June 16, 2001 NSYNC BBMak
3LW
Dream 		PopOdyssey 85,650 / 103,903 $4,739,359
June 17, 2001
July 6, 2001 Dave Matthews Band Buddy Guy
Angélique Kidjo 		The Summer 2001 Tour 103,675 / 103,675 $4,834,864
July 7, 2001
September 10, 2005 The Rolling Stones Los Lonely Boys A Bigger Bang 55,046 / 55,046 $7,231,427
July 21, 2006 Bon Jovi Nickelback Have a Nice Day Tour 52,612 / 52,612 $3,988,455
October 11, 2006 The Rolling Stones Elvis Costello and the Imposters A Bigger Bang 33,296 / 33,296 $4,020,721
June 21, 2008 Kenny Chesney Keith Urban
LeAnn Rimes
Luke Bryan
Gary Allan 		The Poets and Pirates Tour 46,463 / 48,585 $4,063,663
October 11–12, 2008 Template:Show — Chicago Country Music Festival — —
June 13, 2009 Kenny Chesney Lady Antebellum
Miranda Lambert
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland 		Sun City Carnival Tour 48,763 / 50,109 $3,184,606
September 12, 2009 U2 Snow Patrol U2 360° Tour 135,872 / 135,872 $13,860,480
September 13, 2009
June 12, 2010 Template:Show — The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 — — Event held in parking lot
June 19, 2010 Eagles Dixie Chicks
JD & the Straight Shot 		Long Road Out of Eden Tour 29,233 / 32,420 $3,186,493
July 7, 2010 deadmau5 Rye Rye
Brazilian Girls 		— —
July 30, 2010 Bon Jovi Kid Rock The Circle Tour 95,959 / 95,959 $8,606,259
July 31, 2010
July 5, 2011 U2 Interpol U2 360° Tour 64,297 / 64,297 $5,786,335
August 23, 2011 Wayne Baker Brooks Sugar Blue — —
July 7, 2012 Kenny Chesney
Tim McGraw 		Jake Owen
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals 		Brothers of the Sun Tour 51,100 / 51,100 $5,109,399
July 12, 2013 Bon Jovi The J. Geils Band Because We Can 45,178 / 45,178 $4,690,204
July 22, 2013 Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake 		DJ Cassidy Legends of the Summer 52,671 / 52,671 $5,715,152
August 10, 2013 Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran
Casey James
Austin Mahone 		The Red Tour 50,809 / 50,809 $4,149,148
July 24, 2014 Beyoncé
Jay-Z 		— On the Run Tour 50,035 / 50,035 $5,783,396
August 29, 2014 One Direction 5 Seconds of Summer Where We Are Tour 104,617 / 104,617 $9,446,247 During the August 29 show, the band performed a cover of "Happy Birthday" by Mildred J. Hill dedicated to Liam, and "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson.
August 30, 2014
August 31, 2014 Luke Bryan Dierks Bentley
Lee Brice
Cole Swindell
DJ Rock 		That's My Kind of Night Tour 50,529 / 50,529 $3,754,362
June 6, 2015 Kenny Chesney
Miranda Lambert 		Brantley Gilbert
Chase Rice
Old Dominion 		The Big Revival Tour 43,630 / 48,278 $3,776,207 Chesney was the main headliner, and Lambert joined as the co-headliner only for the Chicago show.
July 3, 2015 Fare Thee Well — Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead 210,283 / 210,283 $30,683,274 50th anniversary concerts[74]
July 4, 2015
July 5, 2015
July 18, 2015 Taylor Swift Vance Joy
Shawn Mendes
HAIM 		The 1989 World Tour 110,109 / 110,109 $11,469,887 Andy Grammer and Serayah were special guests.
July 19, 2015 Sam Hunt, Andreja Pejić and Lily Donaldson were special guests.
August 23, 2015 One Direction Icona Pop On the Road Again Tour 41,527 / 41,527 $3,382,655
May 27, 2016 Beyoncé Rae Sremmurd The Formation World Tour 89,270 / 89,270 $11,279,890
May 28, 2016 DJ Scratch
July 1, 2016 Guns N' Roses Alice in Chains Not in This Lifetime... Tour 82,172 / 96,088 $8,843,684
July 3, 2016
July 23, 2016 Coldplay Alessia Cara
Foxes 		A Head Full of Dreams Tour 95,323 / 95,323 $10,215,572 The July 23 show was cut short due to inclement weather.[75]
July 24, 2016
June 3, 2017 U2 The Lumineers The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 105,078 / 105,078 $13,435,925
June 4, 2017
June 18, 2017 Metallica Avenged Sevenfold
Local H
Mix Master Mike 		WorldWired Tour 51,041 / 51,041 $6,093,976
August 17, 2017 Coldplay AlunaGeorge
Izzy Bizu 		A Head Full of Dreams Tour 52,726 / 52,726 $6,026,402
June 1, 2018 Taylor Swift Camila Cabello
Charli XCX 		Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour 105,208 / 105,208 $14,576,697
June 2, 2018
July 28, 2018 Kenny Chesney Thomas Rhett
Old Dominion
Brandon Lay 		Trip Around The Sun Tour 52,189 / 52,189 $5,751,195
August 10, 2018 Beyoncé
Jay-Z 		Chloe X Halle and DJ Khaled On the Run II Tour 86,602 / 86,602 $12,303,099 During the second show, "Summer" was added to the setlist. "Apeshit" was also performed for the first time in its entirety with choreography and background dancers.
August 11, 2018
October 4, 2018 Ed Sheeran Snow Patrol
Lauv 		÷ Tour 47,263 / 47,263 $4,339,350
May 11, 2019 BTS rowspan="2"Template:N/A Love Yourself World Tour 88,156 / 88,156 $13,345,795 [76]
May 12, 2019
June 21, 2019 The Rolling Stones St. Paul and the Broken Bones No Filter Tour 98,228 / 98,228 $21,741,564
June 25, 2019 Whiskey Myers
August 26, 2021 Kanye West Template:N/A Kanye West Presents: The Donda Album Experience Third listening event before the release of his album Donda.
September 4, 2021 Los Bukis rowspan="2"Template:N/A Una Historia Cantada 80,335 / 80,335 $9,356,386
September 5, 2021
May 28, 2022 Coldplay H.E.R.Drama Music of the Spheres World Tour 107,072 / 107,072 $10,969,930
May 29, 2022
June 25, 2022 Kenny Chesney Florida Georgia Line

Old Dominion Michael Franti & Spearhead

Here and Now Tour 52,792 / 52,792 $6,054,015
July 24, 2022 The Weeknd Kaytranada
Mike Dean 		After Hours til Dawn Stadium Tour 48,887 / 48,887 $7,961,796 [77][78]
August 5, 2022 Elton John N/A Farewell Yellow Brick Road 48,813 / 48,813 $7,118,811
August 19, 2022 Red Hot Chili Peppers The Strokes
Thundercat 		2022 Global Stadium Tour 47,019 / 47,019 $7,500,942 [79]
August 20, 2022 Bad Bunny N/A World's Hottest Tour 50,854 / 50,854 $14,109,590
September 3, 2022 Rammstein Duo Abélard Rammstein Stadium Tour 47,263 / 48,000 $9,051,337
May 6 2023 Luke Combs 55,047 / 55,047 $5,713,363
June 2, 2023 Taylor Swift Girl in Red
Owenn 		The Eras Tour First female act in history to sell out three shows on a single tour.[80]
June 3, 2023
June 4, 2023 Muna
Gracie Abrams
July 22, 2023 Beyoncé Renaissance World Tour 97,686 / 97,686 $30,115,863 [81]
July 23, 2023
July 29, 2023 Ed Sheeran Khalid
Cat Burns 		+-=÷× Tour 73,015 / 73,015 $8,054,888
September 15, 2023 Karol G Agudelo
Young Miko 		Mañana Será Bonito Tour 52,505 / 52,505 $10,028,807
June 15, 2024 Kenny Chesney
Zac Brown Band 		Megan Moroney
Uncle Kracker 		Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour
June 27, 2024 The Rolling Stones Bettye LaVette Hackney Diamonds Tour
June 30, 2024 Lainey Wilson
July 20, 2024 George Strait Little Big Town

Chris Stapleton

[82]
August 9, 2024 Metallica Pantera
Mammoth WVH 		M72 World Tour 134,400 / 134,400 $16,328,255
August 11, 2024 Five Finger Death Punch
Ice Nine Kills
August 24, 2024 Pink Sheryl Crow
KidCutUp
The Script		 P!NK: Summer Carnival
May 15, 2025 Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Tour
May 17, 2025
May 18, 2025
May 24, 2025 AC/DC The Pretty Reckless Power Up Tour
May 30, 2025 The Weeknd Playboi Carti
Mike Dean 		After Hours til Dawn Tour
May 31, 2025
June 6, 2025 Kendrick Lamar
SZA 		Grand National Tour [83]
July 18, 2025 Blackpink Deadline World Tour The first K-Pop girl group to hold a concert at this venue.[84]
August 28, 2025 Oasis Cage the Elephant Oasis Live '25 Tour
August 29, 2025 My Chemical Romance Devo Long Live The Black Parade Tour
August 30, 2025 The Lumineers St. Vincent

Lake Street Dive

Automatic World Tour
August 31, 2025 System of a Down Avenged Sevenfold

Polyphia Wisp

September 1, 2025


Other events

File:XXVIII International Eucharistic Congress, First General Meeting, Solemn Pontifical High Mass.jpg
Eucharistic Congress in 1926
File:FDR-Soldier-Field-October-28-1944.jpg
President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Soldier Field, 1944
File:Douglas MacArthur speaking at Soldier Field HD-SN-99-03036.JPEG
Gen. Douglas MacArthur at Soldier Field, 1951
File:Gay Games 2006, Chicago.jpg
Opening ceremonies of the 2006 Gay Games at Soldier Field

In popular culture

  • In the Marvel Comics event Siege, Soldier Field is inadvertently destroyed mid-game by Thor's friend Volstagg when he is tricked into fighting the U-Foes through Loki and Norman Osborn's manipulations of events.[107] The stadium is later seen being rebuilt by the heroes after Steve Rogers is appointed head of U.S. Security, following the aforementioned event.[108]
  • The 1977 documentary film Powers of Ten focuses on two people having a picnic on the east side of Soldier Field.[109]
  • The stadium appears in the 2006 Clint Eastwood–directed movie Flags of Our Fathers, when the survivors of the Iwo Jima flag-raising reenact it for a patriotic rally.[110]
  • The opening match of the 1994 World Cup at Soldier Field was one of the five events covered in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary June 17, 1994.
  • Soldier Field features (much changed) in August 4017a.d. in From The Highlands short story in David Weber's anthology collection Changer Of Worlds. It appears to have gone through multiple renovations, rebuilds and even having been built over, until nothing but the open space of the original remained.
  • In the 13th episode of Chicago FireTemplate:'s fourth season, Soldier Field is featured on one of their calls for a terrorist hoax. The stadium appears again in the 21st episode of the fifth season as one of their calls for a high angle rescue. This stadium is featured again in the eighth season as members of firehouse 51 respond to help victims of a deadly infection. It is also featured and referenced in the fifteenth episode of season 9 as the preferred location for a medal ceremony for firefighter Randy McHolland (Mouch).
  • In both the book and TV series, Daisy Jones & the Six, the eponymous group plays their final concert at Soldier Field on July 11, 1977.

Gallery

See also

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Notes

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References

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Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
  4. ↑ "60,000 Voice City's Spirit at Stadium Fete" Template:Webarchive, Chicago Tribune, October 10, 1924, p. 5
  5. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ "Soldier Field" Template:Webarchive, Chicago Architecture Info. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  63. ↑ Liverpool Hold Off Olympiacos at Soldier Field Template:Webarchive ICC.com July 28, 2014 Retrieved July 28, 2014
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  74. ↑ Waddell, Ray (July 4, 2015). "Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Sets Attendance Record at Chicago's Soldier Field" Template:Webarchive, Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
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  95. ↑ Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Campaign Address at Soldier Field", October 28, 1944
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  107. ↑ Siege #1
  108. ↑ Avengers (vol. 4) #1
  109. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  110. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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