The field of dreams – and the story behind it
Built to accommodate previously nomadic NFL city rivals Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, SoFI Stadium is an award-winning arena that has seen a lot of significant action in the short time since its opening in 2020.
Once a racetrack owned by studio moguls and movie stars, this was where the cream of Hollywood came to gamble and schmooze, shareholders including Bing Crosby, Walt Disney and Ronald Colman. Literary figures such as cult writer Charles Bukowski were also regulars, but by the 1990s, it was on its uppers, saved by the opening of a casino still in place after the rebuild from 2016 onwards.
The notion to build a multi-purpose stadium here arose in 1995 when NFL sides, the LA Raiders and LA Rams upped sticks for Oakland and St Louis respectively. Sold, then resold, the racetrack was never converted, although the idea – in fact, the need – to bring NFL back to Los Angeles kept options open for its potential reconstruction.
With Rams owner Stan Kroenke of Arsenal fame buying up a large plot alongside, the writing was on the wall. The racetrack was demolished in 2015, the Chargers as well as the Rams making plans to return to LA. Not all was smooth sailing, however – proximity to the flight path into Los Angeles Airport delayed construction.
The stadium would be built three storeys down to circumvent strict laws on interfering with air traffic, meaning it now sits in a bowl. To prevent flooding, rainwater is diverted to the nearby man-made lake.
As costs spiralled – eventually estimated to be north of $5 billion, making it the most expensive stadium to date – the Covid lockdown hit. By now, the arena was 90% complete and would be officially opened that September, although not functioning at full capacity until social restrictions began to lift.
Sports fans were rewarded for their patience by the awarding of the Super Bowl to Los Angeles for 2022. Offsetting the record-breaking costs of construction, an equal recording-breaking deal was set up with San Francisco-based financiers SoFi, happy to stump up $30 million a year to have their name attached to the arena.
Of course, for the World Cup, this will be known as Los Angeles Stadium, although Inglewood is its own separate city some 13 miles south-west of Downtown LA.
Nonetheless, Super Bowl LVI, witnessed by a full complement of 70,000 spectators, became a celebration of Los Angeles, and not just because it was by the LA Rams. The cream of West Coast rap – Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar – performed the halftime show, during which Eminem famously took the knee, begging the question as to what’s being planned here for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2028.
For the World Cup, some 400 of the 70,000 seats have been removed from the corners to widen the pitch, arranged in five tiers above the long sidelines, four behind the goals. Suspended over the pitch, an oval double-sided videoboard gives SoFi Stadium its signature look.
Linking the sports field and the 6,000-seat entertainment venue next door, Dallas-based designers HKS, responsible for the AT&T Stadium there, have created a vast canopy made up of 302 polymer panels, also covering a pedestrianised plaza. Opposite, the water feature reflects the stadium’s name, giving the sponsors a little extra for their money.
As well as the inevitable Cinépolis, chic residences and retail units, Cosm offers a shared-reality experience beneath an 87-foot diameter dome display, plus fine dining. Coming on stream by the end of 2026 will be the $300-million, 300-key Kali Hotel and Rooftop, in time not only for the Olympics but also Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.
And the name of this whole 300-acre shebang? Hollywood Park. The racetrack is gone but not forgotten. They even rebuilt the casino.
getting here
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
Los Angeles Airport (LAX) is five miles (8km) west of SoFi Stadium, connected via LAX Metro Transit Center by a bus service on game days. A pink sign at the Lower/Arrivals level outside each of nine airport terminal buildings indicates the stop for the free Metro Connector shuttle bus (every 10mins) to the Transit Center, arriving at/leaving from Bays 1 and 2.
For a taxi, Uber or Lyft, head to Terminal 1 for LAX-it (‘LA Exit’), signposted green, either by walking or taking the free LAX-it shuttle from your arrival terminal.
The stadium bus service ($1.75, every 10mins) usually leaves from Bay 8 at the LAX Metro Transit Center, journey time 15mins, dropping off/picking up from Lot S – E Arbor Vitae/District Dr, a 5-10min walk to the stadium. The Transit Center also links to Metro Lines C and K, allowing you to ride into the city or Downtown Inglewood Station (Line K, 6min journey time), itself a 30-min walk from the stadium. Line K terminates at Expo/Crenshaw, crossing with Line C to Downtown LA and Santa Monica.
Machines at stops and stations sell TAP top-up cards ($2), download the TAP app or use your Apple Wallet. A regular oneway ride is $1.75 – from Downtown to the stadium, add a $3.50 roundtrip fare.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
Choosing which of the various drinking destinations around Hollywood Park you prefer partly depends on how you get here. Drivers might opt for the convenience of somewhere like Chilis, one of several family-friendly chains along W Hollywood Blvd, as it offers a certain amount of free parking, loads of TVs inside and your passengers can lay into the Modelo or Michelob. If you’re arriving early, happy hours are Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm. The burgers are branded Big Mouth for a reason.
The other side of the lake from the stadium complex, by the Cinépolis, The Meeting Spot is aiming to generate a sense of community, an alfresco space consisting of a 160-seat patio and, it is hoped, several outlets. For the time being, while you can order up Californian wines and lagers, micheladas and various salad bowls, there’s a catch – your three hours’ ‘free’ parking involves a minimum spend of $30. Sport doesn’t really get a look-in, either, with little promised for the World Cup.
Back on W Century Blvd, those who spot a Tom’s Watch Bar on the map might be disappointed as the parking situation is problematic. Come by Uber, hit the rooftop – having reserved your seats – and you’ll be treated to the same multi-screen experience familiar to many in 20 cities across the States. The watchword at Tom’s Watch Bars this summer? Affordability. Look out for drinks deals.
On W Century Blvd but within the stadium complex, the Century Bar & Grill harks back to the old racetrack days, though with 21s-century style. Though it’s attached to the casino, you don’t need to gamble to access the bar and grill, and there’s limited free parking in the garage. With no table reservations on match nights, a simple first-served policy might suit many visitors, particularly with so many TVs, including in the adjoining, low-lit lounge bar. On these occasions, the kitchen will be working from an Event Menu of superior burgers, premium cocktails and 20-plus beers in two sizes.
Nearby, Cosm provides the ultimate viewing experience, placing you inside the arena and saturating you with the action from every angle. Any other big-screen sports bar will feel like listening to the commentary on the wireless afterwards.
At present, general admission for some games is only $11.50, although you can pay considerably more than that for prominent seats. For those who haven’t got tickets but wish to feel like they’re there, this is the next-best thing. In fact, with the World Cup so drastically expensive and sanitised, this might well be the future of spectating.
And for those lucky few who not only make it inside the stadium but are granted access to the Wynn Club, the superexclusive VIP retreat on the second floor of the east side of the arena, if the luxury fare isn’t being set out on a platter before you, one of the chefs will make it for you. Once the game’s over and the schmoozing is done, a lift whisks you down to the valet parking beneath the stadium.
