Lumen Field

Lumen Field

Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium was built between 2000 and 2002 on the site of the Kingdome. It has a seating capacity of 68,740 for NFL games and 37,722 for most MLS matches. The complex also includes the Event Center which is home to the Washington Music Theater and a parking garage.

About Lumen Field in brief

Summary Lumen FieldLumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. Originally called Seahawks Stadium, it was renamed Qwest Field in June 2004 when telecommunications carrier Qwest acquired the naming rights. The stadium was built between 2000 and 2002 on the site of the Kingdome. It has a seating capacity of 68,740 for NFL games and 37,722 for most MLS matches. The complex also includes the Event Center which is home to the Washington Music Theater, a parking garage, and a public plaza. The venue hosts concerts, trade shows, and consumer shows along with sporting events. Lumen Field is part of Seattle’s bid to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was awarded to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In August 2013, the Sounders broke a new home field attendance record when 67,385 fans turned out to watch them play the Portland Timbers. It hosted several CONCACAF Gold Cup matches across multiple editions, and the Copa América Centenario in 2016. The first sporting event held included a United Soccer Leagues Seattle Sounders match in 2003. The MLS expansion team Seattle SoundersFC, began its inaugural season in 2009 at the stadium. It also hosted the 2010 and 2011 tournament finals for the U.S. Open Cup. The XFL’s Seattle Dragons also played at Lumen field in 2020. It was the first in the NFL to install a FieldTurf artificial surface. The Seattle Seahawks played their home games at the King dome from their 1976 inaugural season until 1999.

In 1997 local billionaire Paul Allen pledged to acquire the team if a new stadium could be built. He asked the state legislature to hold a special statewide referendum on a proposal to finance a new venue. The vote passed on June 17, 1997, with 820,364 in favor and 783,584 against. Allen agreed to pay the USD 4 million cost, the legislature agreed. Allen was closely involved in the design process and emphasized the importance of an open-air venue with an intimate atmosphere. In October 2013, a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled that the legislature acted properly in the public interest and dismissed the lawsuit pending the Supreme Court’s decision in December. The public funding was unpopular farther away in Seattle’s northern and eastern suburbs in the eastern portion of the state. It received 60% approval, but it was close in Seattle’s northern and northern suburbs. In May a Seattle resident filed a lawsuit claiming the legislature didn’t have authority to call for such a vote, since it would be paid for by private party who could gain a gain from the vote. The result was delayed until the vote was pitched to voters in June 1997, after which the proposal was pitched as providing both a top-level stadium for the Seahawks and a venue for the Sounders FC. It became known as CenturyLink Field inJune 2011 after Qwest’s acquisition by CenturyLink, and then received its current name in November 2020.