Rose Bowl Stadium: The Story of an LA Icon

The world-famous Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena has hosted five Super Bowls, gold medal matches for two Summer Olympics, two FIFA World Cup Finals, superstar concerts and the annual Rose Bowl Game for which it’s named. Sports Illustrated has named Rose Bowl Stadium the number one venue in college sports and one of the Top 20 Venues of the 20th Century.

In August 2019, SI named Rose Bowl Stadium the Greatest Stadium in College Football History: "The history and beauty surrounding the Rose Bowl is the reason why this stadium tops the list."

Rose Bowl Stadium was built in 1922 and is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark. The stadium was designed by architect Myron Hunt, who also designed the Ambassador Hotel and Henry Huntington’s house, which later became the main gallery of the Huntington Library.

Rose Bowl Stadium was expanded several times over the years. Originally built as a horseshoe, the stadium became a bowl when the southern stands were completed in 1928. At a modern capacity of 92,542, Rose Bowl Stadium is the 15th-largest stadium in the world, the 11th-largest stadium in the United States, and the 10th largest NCAA stadium.

Known as “The Granddaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl Game is the oldest of America's college football postseason bowl games, first played as the "Tournament East–West football game" at Tournament Park on Jan. 1, 1902 and played annually since 1916. Michigan routed Stanford 49-0 at that first game and was crowned national champion. Since then, the Rose Bowl Game has been home to 19 Heisman Trophy winners, produced 29 national champions, featured 211 consensus All-Americans and honored 117 college football legends by inducting them into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

The Rose Bowl Game is notable for many firsts: the first local radio broadcast of an East-West bowl game in 1926, the first transcontinental radio broadcast of a sporting event in 1927, the first local telecast of a college football game in 1948, the first national telecast of a college football game in 1952 and the first coast-to-coast color telecast of a collegiate football game in 1962.

Since 1982, Rose Bowl Stadium has been the home stadium of the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins had previously played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1928. With the Oakland Raiders scheduled to move into the Coliseum at the start of the 1982 NFL season, UCLA relocated its home games to Rose Bowl Stadium. The Bruins went on to win two consecutive Rose Bowl Games in their new home stadium, the 1983 and 1984 Rose Bowls. UCLA has participated in five Rose Bowl games since moving to the stadium.

On even numbered years, Rose Bowl Stadium hosts the November rivalry game between UCLA and the USC Trojans, alternating with the LA Coliseum. The winner of the UCLA-USC game takes possession of the Victory Bell, a 295-pound brass bell from a Southern Pacific railroad locomotive. UCLA currently has the trophy after beating USC 38-20 in 2023. USC leads the overall series, 50–34–7. When UCLA and USC renew their crosstown rivalry on Saturday, November 23, it will be for the first time as members of the Big Ten.

Jackie Robinson will forever be remembered for breaking the Major League Baseball color barrier on April 15, 1947. As a UCLA Bruin, Robinson played quarterback and safety in 1937 and '38. His 104-yard kickoff return in 1938 is reportedly the longest in Rose Bowl Stadium history.

A statue of Jackie Robinson was unveiled at Rose Bowl Stadium in November 2017. According to officials, it's the only statue in the world that depicts Robinson in a football uniform.

Though it’s best known for hosting American football games, Rose Bowl Stadium is also one of the most decorated soccer venues in the world. The stadium hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal Match, making it the only venue in the world to host all three of international soccer's major championship matches. Coincidentally, both World Cup finals were scoreless after extra time and decided on penalty shootouts; Brazil defeated Italy in the 1994 men's final, and the United States beat China in the 1999 women's final.

The photo of Brandi Chastain celebrating her winning penalty kick in the '99 final landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated and has since become an iconic image of women’s athletics in the U.S. Twenty years to the day, Chastain was immortalized with a bronze statue that was unveiled outside Rose Bowl Stadium on July 10, 2019.

The stadium has also hosted the 2002 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, and the 1998 MLS Cup. From 1996 through 2002, the stadium was the home field of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who still host occasional matches there.

For fans of American pro football, there is no bigger game than the Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). Currently the Super Bowl is played on the second Sunday in February, nicknamed “Super Bowl Sunday” and widely considered an unofficial American holiday. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched annual sporting events in the world - on average, more than 100 million people in the U.S. are watching the game at any given moment.

Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted the Super Bowl five times. The first time was Super Bowl XI in 1977, when the Oakland Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 32–14. The game was also played there in 1980 (Super Bowl XIV), 1983 (Super Bowl XVII), 1987 (Super Bowl XXI) and 1993 (Super Bowl XXVII).

Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted two Summer Olympics gold medal matches - soccer in 1984 and track cycling in 1932. The 1984 Olympic Gold Medal soccer match between France and Brazil attracted an attendance of 101,799, breaking the previous Olympic Games soccer attendance record and setting the record attendance for a soccer game in the U.S. that stood until 2014.

Rose Bowl Stadium is one of several iconic Los Angeles venues hosting the L.A. 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In addition to sporting events, Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted concerts by some of the biggest acts in music history. Selected highlights include Depeche Mode in 1998 (recorded and released as the documentary film and live album, 101), Metallica and Guns N’ Roses (1992), Michael Jackson (Super Bowl XXVII halftime show), The Rolling Stones - Voodoo Lounge Tour (1994) and No Filter Tour (2019); U2 (released as the 2010 concert film, U2360° at the Rose Bowl), The Monster Tour with Eminem and Rihanna; Beyoncé and Jay-Z - On the Run Tour (2014) and OTR II (2018); and BTS (2019). In September 2014, the boy band One Direction sold out three consecutive nights at Rose Bowl Stadium, the first music act to do so.

The incredible Rose Bowl Flea Market is held rain or shine at Rose Bowl Stadium on the second Sunday of every month. Boasting more than 2,500 vendor and 20,000 monthly visitors, it’s easy to see why it claims to be the largest flea market on the West Coast. No matter what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, from antiques and collectibles to vintage clothing and furniture, art, photographs, jewelry, ceramics and much more. Get there early for the best selection - VIP admission from 5-8:45am is $20 per person; General Admission starts at 9am for $12. Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.

Every July 4th, Rose Bowl Stadium hosts Americafest, a spectacular Independence Day celebration featuring “the largest fireworks show in Southern California,” live music, food vendors, crafts and much more. Families are invited to picnic or tailgate on the grassy area outside the stadium.

Rose Bowl Stadium opens its gates to the public for guided tours. Tours are not only an outdoor excursion, but a historical learning experience as well. Tour guides lead guests through behind the scenes locations at the stadium, including the classic stadium seating, original 1922 locker room, the Terry Donahue Pavilion, the Loge Lounge, the Working Press Box and more. Tickets to Public Tours are priced at $27.50 for adults and $22 for kids (5-12) and seniors (65+). VIP, Educational and Private Group Tours are available.