Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college football team.
The stadium also has hosted six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV, and LIV), the 2010 Pro Bowl, two World Series ( and ), four BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013), one CFP National Championship (2021), the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and WrestleMania XXVIII.
In addition, the stadium hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game, and the Miami Open tennis tournament. Since 2022, the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium has also hosted the Miami International Autodrome, a temporary racing circuit used for Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix. +more
The facility opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium and has been known by a number of names since: Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, and Sun Life Stadium. In August 2016, the team sold the naming rights to Hard Rock Cafe Inc. +more
History
Conception and construction
For their first 21 seasons, the Miami Dolphins played at the Orange Bowl. Team founder Joe Robbie explained what led to the decision to build a new stadium: "In 1976, the city of Miami wanted to quadruple our rent. +more
Robbie also believed it was only a matter of time before a Major League Baseball (MLB) team came to South Florida. At his request, the stadium was built in a rectangular configuration, with a field that was somewhat wider than was normally the case for an NFL stadium. +more
At the time it opened in 1987, Joe Robbie Stadium was located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, and had a Miami address. Specifically it was in the Scott Lake census-designated place. +more
Miami Dolphins
The first preseason game for the Dolphins was played on August 16, 1987, against the Chicago Bears. The first regular season game was scheduled for September 27, a week 3 game against the New York Giants; this game was canceled and not made up due to the 1987 players strike. +more
The Dolphins have played eight playoff games at the stadium, including the 1992 AFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Buffalo Bills 29-10. The Dolphins are 5-3 in playoff games held here, losing the most recent one in January 2009 against the Baltimore Ravens. +more
Miami Hurricanes football
Since 2008, the stadium has served as the home field for the Miami Hurricanes college football team, a premier college football program that has won five national championships since 1983. The university signed a 25-year contract to play at Hard Rock Stadium through 2033.
Prior to their move to Hard Rock Stadium, from 1937 until 2008, the Miami Hurricanes played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl.
Florida Marlins
From 1993 until 2011, the stadium served as the home field to the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball.
While Joe Robbie Stadium was built primarily for football, it was also designed to easily accommodate baseball and soccer. Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible. +more
Despite such preparation and pockets of success, the stadium was less than adequate as a baseball venue. Although designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, it was not a true multi-purpose stadium. +more
Additionally, the stadium was built for games held during the fall/winter football season, not for games in the tropical summers of South Florida, which feature oppressive heat, humidity, frequent rain, and occasional tropical storms. For most of the stadium's run as a baseball venue, it was the hottest stadium in the majors, with temperatures for day games frequently reaching well above 95 F. +more
Baseball renovations and configurations
After Huizenga bought part of the stadium, it was extensively renovated to accommodate a baseball team at the cost of several million dollars, as part of his successful bid to bring baseball to South Florida. Purists initially feared the result would be similar to Exhibition Stadium in Toronto; when the Toronto Blue Jays played there from 1977 to 1989, they were burdened with seats that were so far from the field (over 800 feet in some cases) that they were not even sold during the regular season. +more
Aside from baseball renovations, the stadium underwent some permanent renovations. In April 2006, the stadium unveiled two Daktronics large video boards, the largest in professional sports at the time. +more
In addition, the upgrades included vastly widened 40,000 sqft concourses on the stadium's north and south sides. Bars, lounges and other amenities were also added. +more
2015 renovation
The Marlins left for their own stadium, Marlins Park (now LoanDepot Park), which was completed for the 2012 MLB season.
A privately funded $350 million stadium renovation project began in January 2015, after the 2014 Orange Bowl. The project plan allowed the stadium to be used for football games during the 2015 NFL season, and was completed for the 2016 season. +more
Tennis
In November 2017, the Miami Open tennis tournament announced that it would move from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019. Its organizers had pursued a $50 million refurbishment of the aging facility, including the addition of three permanent stadium courts. +more
To host the tournament, 29 permanent courts (including 11 tournament courts, with one being a 4,993-seat grandstand court) were built on Hard Rock Stadium's south parking lots. The stadium proper serves as center court, using a modified, 13,800-seat configuration with temporary grandstands constructed on the playing surface, placing the court roughly between the two 30-yard lines. +more
In January 2020, the stadium opened the SkyView gondola, which runs at the south side of the stadium complex and provides views of the grounds and the Miami skyline.
Seating capacity
Years | Capacity |
1987-1988 | 74,993 |
1989-1992 | 73,000 |
1993-1997 | 74,916 |
1998-2000 | 75,192 |
2001-2014 | 75,540 |
2015-present | 64,767 |
Years | Capacity |
1993 | 43,909 |
1994 | 47,662 |
1995 | 46,238 |
1996-1997 | 41,855 |
1998 | 42,531 |
1999 | 35,521 |
2000-2007 | 36,331 |
2008-2011 | 38,560 |
Permanent seating
The 65,326 permanent seats for football and soccer configurations break down as follows: for the general 19 in seats with chair back and armrests, there are 27,397 in the lower deck and 34,736 in the upper deck. There are 10,209 of the bigger club 21 in seats with chair back and armrests. +more
The stadium contains 10,209 club seats and 216 suites. When the Marlins played at the stadium, 2,400 of the club seats and 216 suites were available.
Parking
The parking around the stadium takes up 140 acre, featuring parking for 24,137 cars, 171 buses, 90 RVs, 85 limousines, and one helipad on site.
Notable events
NFL
The stadium has played host to six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV, and LIV), and also hosted the 2010 Pro Bowl.
Super Bowl XLI in 2007 at Dolphin Stadium, when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17, was marred by heavy rains. An estimated 30% of the lower-level seating was empty during the second half.
In 2010, the NFL threatened to take the stadium out of further consideration for a Super Bowl or Pro Bowl unless significant renovations were made. One of the upgrades desired was a roof to protect fans from the elements. +more
In 2016, an open-air canopy was constructed that protects the seating bowl from the elements. The canopy, however, does have a football-field-sized hole in the middle, and thus does not protect the playing field itself from rain. +more
Previously, since the field runs east-west (rather than north-south, as is the case in most other stadiums), the north stands were exposed to the full force of South Florida's oppressive heat early in the season. The issue became so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owned the Dolphins and the stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL to have all September home games start at or after 4 pm. +more
In 2021, the team opened the Baptist Health Training Complex at the west side of the Stadium complex. The Dolphins permanently moved to the state-of-the art facility that hosts the team headquarters, and is also a World Cup practice facility site.
text-align:center;;|Super Bowl | text-align:center;;|Points | text-align:center;;|Points | "text-align:center;;|Spectators |
---|---|---|---|
January 22, 1989 | XXIII | Cincinnati Bengals | 16 |
January 29, 1995 | XXIX | San Diego Chargers | 26 |
January 31, 1999 | XXXIII | Denver Broncos | 34 |
February 4, 2007 | XLI | Indianapolis Colts | 29 |
February 7, 2010 | XLIV | New Orleans Saints | 31 |
February 2, 2020 | LIV | San Francisco 49ers | 20 |
College football
Since 2008, the stadium has served as the home field for the Miami Hurricanes, one of college football's most storied football programs. It also served briefly as the home field for the Florida Atlantic Owls from 2001 to 2002.
The stadium has hosted both the 2009 BCS National Championship Game and the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. The 2013 game between Alabama and Notre Dame set a new attendance record for the facility, with 80,120 on hand to witness Alabama's third BCS Championship in four seasons.
Between 1990 and 2000, the stadium hosted a bowl game variously known as the Blockbuster Bowl, CarQuest Bowl and MicronPC Bowl. After 2000, that bowl was moved to Orlando, where it eventually became known as the Russell Athletic Bowl.
The stadium has been the site of the Orange Bowl game since 1996, except for the January 1999 contest between Florida and Syracuse, which had to be moved due to a conflict with a Dolphins playoff game.
Until 2008, the stadium was host (in even numbered years) to the annual Shula Bowl, a game played between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Panthers, when the game was hosted by FAU as the home team (FIU hosts the game at its own stadium, Riccardo Silva Stadium, every other year). In 2010, the game was moved to Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium, and in 2011 the Owls opened FAU Stadium on its Boca Raton campus, and started hosting the Shula Bowl there biennially in 2012.
The stadium hosted the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship game and (as the Orange Bowl) the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship semi-final game. The stadium will host the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 5, 2026.
WrestleMania XXVIII
On April 1, 2012, the stadium hosted WrestleMania XXVIII, WWE's flagship professional wrestling event. This was the second edition of WrestleMania to be held in Florida, and the third to be held entirely outdoors. +more
Baseball
Two National League Division Series have been played at the stadium:
* 1997 against the San Francisco Giants: Marlins win 3 games to 0 * 2003 against the San Francisco Giants: Marlins win 3 games to 1
Two National League Championship Series have been played at Hard Rock Stadium: * 1997 against the Atlanta Braves: Marlins win 4 games to 2 * 2003 against the Chicago Cubs: Marlins win 4 games to 3
Two World Series have been played at Hard Rock Stadium: * 1997 against the Cleveland Indians: Marlins win 4 games to 3 * 2003 against the New York Yankees: Marlins win 4 games to 2
All those series have been played when the stadium went by the name Pro Player Stadium.
When the Marlins began play in 1993, the stadium's baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,662, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp. In addition to Huizenga's desire to create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field to be of any use during the regular season. +more
Although it was designed from the ground up to accommodate baseball, it was never a true multipurpose stadium. Rather, it was built as a football stadium that could convert into a baseball stadium. +more
The stadium was notorious for its poor playing conditions. The lights were not located in optimal positions for baseball visibility. +more
For most of the Marlins' tenure at the stadium, it was the hottest stadium in the major leagues. The Marlins played nearly all of their home games from late May through mid-September at night due to South Florida's often oppressive heat and humidity. +more
The stadium was the venue where Mark McGwire hit his NL-record 57th home run to best Hack Wilson's 68-year-old record of 56 in 1998. +more
Concerts
Soccer
A number of soccer matches have been held at the stadium, including a number of international friendlies featuring Central or South American sides. This is due to South Florida being home to one of the largest populations of Central and South Americans in the United States.
The stadium hosted a match between FC Barcelona and +more
Colombia beat Mexico 2-0 in a friendly international in front of 51,615 spectators at the stadium on February 29, 2012. A year later, they beat Guatemala 4-1.
A.C. Milan and Chelsea faced each other at the stadium on July 28, 2012. A.C. Milan won the match 1-0 in front of 57,748 fans.
Brazil beat Honduras 5-0 in a friendly match in front of 71,124 spectators on November 16, 2013. The attendance was the highest for a soccer match at the stadium.
England played Ecuador and Honduras at the New Miami Stadium on June 4 and 7, 2014, respectively.
South Korea played against Ghana on June 9, 2014.
On September 5, 2014, two months after a heavy defeat to Germany in the World Cup, Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 in front of an announced attendance of 73,429 fans, a new attendance record for a soccer match at the stadium.
The 2014 International Champions Cup preseason final was held at New Miami Stadium on August 4, 2014, with +more
Two 2017 International Champions Cup preseason matches were played at the stadium, one of them being the El Clásico between Barcelona and +more
On March 23, 2018, the international friendly Peru-Croatia was played at the stadium, which Peru won 2-0.
text-align:center;;|Team (Visitor) | text-align:center;;|Team (Home) | text-align:center;;|Spectators |
---|---|---|
February 18, 1994 | 0 | |
February 18, 1994 | 1 | |
February 20, 1994 | 0 | |
February 20, 1994 | 3 | |
August 3, 2011 | FC Barcelona | 1 |
October 8, 2011 | 0 | |
February 29, 2012 | 2 | |
July 28, 2012 | +more | 1 |
February 6, 2013 | 1 | |
June 8, 2013 | 1 | |
July 12, 2013 | 2 | |
July 12, 2013 | 0 | |
August 6, 2013 | Juventus | 1 |
August 6, 2013 | Everton | 0 |
August 7, 2013 | Milan | 2 |
August 7, 2013 | Chelsea | 1 |
November 16, 2013 | 5 | |
June 4, 2014 | 2 | |
June 7, 2014 | 0 | |
June 9, 2014 | 4 | |
August 4, 2014 | Manchester United | 3 |
September 5, 2014 | 1 | |
July 26, 2017 | Paris Saint-Germain | 2 |
July 29, 2017 | FC Barcelona | 3 |
March 23, 2018 | 0 | |
July 28, 2018 | Bayern Munich | 2 |
July 31, 2018 | Manchester United | 2 |
September 7, 2018 | 2 | |
October 12, 2018 | 0 | |
August 7, 2019 | FC Barcelona | 2 |
September 6, 2019 | 2 | |
November 15, 2019 | 0 | |
September 23, 2022 | 3 |
2026 FIFA World Cup
The stadium will host several matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Monster Jam
The monster truck touring series Monster Jam used to take place at the stadium every year. The last show performed there was in 2015, and the shows moved to Marlins Park (now LoanDepot Park) in 2018.
text-align:center;;|Date | text-align:center;;|Freestyle Winner |
---|---|
2002 | January 26 |
2003 | January 25 |
2004 | January 24 |
2005 | February 5 |
2006 | February 4 |
2007 | February 17 |
2008 | February 2 |
2009 | January 31 |
2010 | February 20 |
2011 | February 12 |
2012 | February 11 |
2013 | February 9 |
2014 | February 8 |
2015 | January 3 |
2016 | No Show (Stadium Renovations) |
2017 | No Show (Unknown Reasoning) |
2018 | No Show (Moved to Marlins Park) |
Boxing
On February 27, 2021, four-division boxing world champion Canelo Álvarez beat Avni Yildirim at Hard Rock Stadium to defend his WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super-middleweight titles.
On June 6, 2021, the stadium hosted the boxing event +more
On June 12, 2021, the stadium hosted the Social Gloves boxing event YouTubers vs. +more
Other events
Other events held at the stadium have included international soccer games, Hoop-It-Up Basketball, RV and boat shows, the UniverSoul Circus, numerous trade shows, and religious gatherings. The stadium has also hosted Australian rules football exhibition matches (including two Victorian Football League (VFL) post-season exhibitions). +more
In 2006, it hosted the High School State Football Championships, sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium began temporarily hosting an outdoor movie theater at the tennis campus and a drive-in theater in the stadium itself. Additionally, the East Lot of the venue has been used as a COVID-19 testing site, drawing hundreds of cars every day at the peak of the pandemic.
On April 18, 2021, Formula 1 announced a 10-year deal to host races in the area around the stadium.
Since 2018, the stadium has hosted the large hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud. The festival will be held for its fourth consecutive year at the stadium from July 22 to July 24, 2022, and will feature headliners including Ye, Future, and Kendrick Lamar.
In film
Films have also been shot at the stadium, most notably Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which starred Jim Carrey and featured Dolphins great Dan Marino as himself; Marley and Me, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston; and the Oliver Stone-directed Any Given Sunday, starring Al Pacino.
Naming rights
The stadium has gone through many name changes, bringing up a question of the value of corporate naming rights.
During the planning and building phase of the stadium, the stadium was referred to as Dolphin Stadium. Joe Robbie, the original and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins and the new stadium, did not want the stadium named after himself. +more
In the early 1990s, Wayne Huizenga gained control of the stadium. Huizenga first sold the naming rights to Pro Player, the sports apparel division of Fruit of the Loom, and the stadium became Pro Player Park on August 26, 1996. +more
Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years. In January 2005, the stadium was renamed Dolphins Stadium, coinciding with a renovation of the stadium. +more
From February 2008 to January 2009, Stephen M. +more
On January 20, 2010, Canadian financial services company Sun Life Financial announced that it had acquired the naming rights. Sun Life Financial announced in 2012, that it will be exiting the U. +more
On August 17, 2016, the Dolphins announced that the naming rights had been sold to Hard Rock Cafe International, and that the stadium would be renamed Hard Rock Stadium. The new name was notably ridiculed by fans of the Florida State Seminoles, as the Seminole Tribe of Florida are the owners of the Hard Rock Cafe chain, but the stadium is the host of their rivals, the University of Miami Hurricanes.
text-align:center;;|Duration |
---|
Joe Robbie Stadium |
Pro Player Park |
Pro Player Stadium |
Dolphins Stadium |
Dolphin Stadium |
Land Shark Stadium |
Dolphin Stadium |
Sun Life Stadium |
New Miami Stadium |
Hard Rock Stadium |
1987 establishments in Florida
American football venues in Florida
Baseball venues in Florida
CONCACAF Gold Cup stadiums
2026 FIFA World Cup Stadiums
Defunct baseball venues in the United States
Defunct Major League Baseball venues
Defunct college baseball venues in the United States
Miami Dolphins stadiums
Miami Hurricanes football venues
Miami Marlins stadiums
Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States
National Football League venues
NCAA bowl game venues
Soccer venues in Florida
Sports venues completed in 1987
Sports venues in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Tourist attractions in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Populous (company) buildings
World Baseball Classic venues
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