Levi's Stadium

Lore & Background

In 2006, the 49ers proposed constructing a new stadium at Candlestick Point in San Francisco, the site of Candlestick Park, their home since 1971. After negotiations with the city of San Francisco fell through, the 49ers focused their attention on a site adjacent to their administrative offices and training facility in Santa Clara. In June 2010, Santa Clara voters approved a measure authorizing the creation of the tax-exempt Santa Clara Stadium Authority to build and own the new football stadium and for the city to lease land to the authority. A construction loan raised from private investors was secured in December 2011, allowing construction to start in April 2012. Levi's Stadium opened on July 17, 2014. The stadium was designed by architectural firm HNTB, with civil engineering by Winzler & Kelly (acquired by GHD Group in 2011) and commissioning services by Glumac.

Reader's Guide

Levi's Stadium is designed as an open stadium with a natural grass field. It has a seating capacity of 68,500, expandable to approximately 75,000 for major events. The record attendance for a single day event was almost 80,000 for an Ed Sheeran concert on September 16, 2023. The seating design places approximately two-thirds of fans in the lower bowl.

The stadium features over 109,000 sqft of flexible premium meeting space. Public transit options include VTA light rail (closest station: Great America), VTA Lick Mill station, Amtrak and ACE Santa Clara–Great America station, and dedicated shuttle bus from Warm Springs BART station. The San Tomas Aquino Trail adjacent to the stadium was temporarily detoured for approximately one year starting April 15, but the one-mile section remained closed before and during stadium events since August 2014. The stadium's official mailing address is on Marie P DeBartolo Way (formerly Centennial Boulevard).

Origins and Development

The journey to Levi's Stadium began when the San Francisco 49ers sought a modern replacement for their aging home, Candlestick Park. Initially, in 2006, the team proposed building on the site of their former venue in Hunters Point, aiming to revitalize the neighborhood with retail and housing. However, after negotiations with San Francisco collapsed, attention shifted to Santa Clara, near the team's existing administrative offices. In June 2010, local voters approved a measure creating a tax-exempt authority to oversee construction, followed by securing private financing in late 2011.

Construction officially commenced in April 2012, culminating in the stadium's grand opening on July 17, 2014. Named after Levi Strauss & Co., which secured naming rights in 2013, this facility marked a significant relocation for the franchise, moving approximately forty miles south of San Francisco to establish a state-of-the-art home base within the greater Bay Area.

Architectural Design and Capacity

Designed by architectural firm HNTB, with civil engineering work performed by Winzler & Kelly, the stadium prioritizes fan experience and versatility. It features an open-air design with a natural grass field and a standard seating capacity of 68,500, expandable to approximately 75,000 to host major events like the Super Bowl, WrestleMania, and the FIFA World Cup. On June 27, 2015, The Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well Tour extended the stadium seating capacity to 83,000, although only 77,000 attended the event over two nights.

The record attendance for a single day event was almost 80,000 for an Ed Sheeran concert on September 16, 2023. The seating design places approximately two-thirds of the fans in the lower bowl, one of the largest of its kind in the NFL, with significantly improved accessibility for fans with special needs compared to the now-demolished Candlestick Park. The configuration is similar to Ford Field, with the majority of luxury suites on one side of the field.

The stadium also features over 109,000 square feet of flexible premium meeting space. The stadium had repeated problems with the grass surface, including the grass collapsing under Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker during a week 6 game in 2015, leading to concern about hosting a high stakes game such as the Super Bowl. Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said the day after Super Bowl 50: 'The footing on the field was terrible. San Fran (the 49ers) has to play eight games on that field, so they better do something to get it fixed. It was terrible.'

Sustainability and Green Innovation

Stadium proponents claim the stadium is currently one of the largest buildings registered with the U.S. Green Building Council. It is also believed to be the first stadium that will have both a green roof and solar panels. The 49ers explored collaborative opportunities with the Environmental Protection Agency to explore environmentally friendly components including: use of an outside commissioning agent to verify energy-related systems; use of public transit nearby including VTA, ACE, Amtrak, with connection to a proposed future BART extension; construction of a green roof (27,000± sf) and photovoltaic panels (20,000± sf); use of paving materials and roofing materials with a high solar reflectance index; use of recycled water for landscape irrigation, toilets, and urinals along with water-conserving fixtures; no use of CFC-based refrigerants in the HVAC systems; installation of permanent monitoring systems for ventilation; diversion, recycling, and/or salvaging 75% of non-hazardous construction waste; and use of controllable and programmable lighting and thermal comfort control systems.

Levi's Stadium received a Gold LEED Certificate, making it the first professional football stadium in the United States to receive this certification as new construction. In July 2016, the stadium converted 6,500 square feet of the green roof to an organically maintained rooftop farm named the Faithful Farm, the first rooftop farm on an NFL stadium. As of 2019 the farm was undergoing expansion to add another 6,500 square feet.

Major Events and Historical Significance

Since opening, the stadium has hosted some of the most prestigious sporting events globally. It served as the site of the Pac-12 Football Championship Game from 2014 through 2019 before moving to Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. The venue hosted WWE's WrestleMania 31 on March 29, 2015, Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, and Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026. The stadium also hosted the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship, and hosted six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.