Hard Rock Stadium – Major Events

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, has been hosting various events from all different sports since it opened in 1987. While it was built as a football stadium, the creators made it versatile enough to host baseball games, soccer matches, concerts, and more.

Below are some of the most notable events that have taken place in Hard Rock Stadium.

 

Football

Hard Rock Stadium has hosted an impressive six Super Bowls in its lifetime. They took place in 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, and 2010. The sixth Super Bowl in Hard Rock Stadium will take place in 2020. The number of Super Bowls that Miami has hosted is actually 10 going on 11. This is because other stadiums in Miami have hosted the big game in the past. Super Bowl LIV in 2020 will break Miami’s tie with New Orleans for city to host the most Super Bowl games.

The University of Miami’s division 1 football team, the Miami Hurricanes, have called Hard Rock Stadium home since 2008. It’s an incredible honor for a college football team to be able to play in a top-tier, professional football stadium. Miami Hurricane fans benefit from thousands of high-definition screens to watch all the action on the field, and luxury box seating.

Hard Rock Stadium has also hosted the Capital One Orange Bowl every year since 1996. The Orange Bowl is an annual college bowl game that also holds many events leading up to the competition. Events include the Capital One Orange Bowl Fan Fest, Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon, Capital One Beach Bash, and Burger Battle.

In 2010, Hard Rock Stadium held the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl. This event is considered the all-star game of the league, and features the best players from the American Football Conference and National Football Conference. These players are voted into the game by coaches, other NFL players, and fans. During the game, the players wear the helmet of their own team, but a Pro Bowl-sanctioned jersey.

 

Baseball

Hard Rock Stadium hasn’t just hosted the biggest game in football, but also the biggest MLB event in the entire season. Hard Rock Stadium has hosted the World Series twice; once in 1997 and again in 2003.

The best part is that the city’s baseball team, the Marlins, won both of the World Series’ hosted at their home stadium. In 1997, the underdog Marlins defeated the Cleveland Indians to win their first World Series. The final game went past midnight into extra innings.

The 2003 World Series was between the Marlins and the New York Yankees, who were expected to win. Instead, the Marlins pulled ahead to win their second World Series ever.

Hard Rock Stadium has hosted the National League Division Series twice, once in 1997 and once in 2003. Interestingly enough, both of these series featured the San Francisco Giants against the Marlins, with the Marlins victorious both times. The Marlins then went on from those games to the National League Championship Series, also winning both of those games.

 

Concerts

Its huge capacity, efficient layout, and convenient location make Hard Rock Stadium the perfect place for concerts. The venue has attracted the biggest names in music year after year.

In 1995, Billy Joel and Elton John performed for a record-breaking crowd of 103,694 at Hard Rock Stadium. This was the most attended concert in the stadium’s history, and generated more than $4.3 million in revenue.

The next most-attended concert was Paul McCartney’s, who performed in 1990 as part of his world tour. The concert brought an incredible 95,410 attendees to the stadium, and generated over $2.8 million for Hard Rock Stadium.

Other notable performers that have visited Hard Rock Stadium include The Who, Madonna, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones.

 

Soccer

Hard Rock Stadium is in the running to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is an amazing opportunity, considering that the World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. The cumulative viewership of the series exceeds one billion year after year.

Being chosen to host the World Cup is no small accomplishment. FIFA’s Congress makes the decision approximately seven years in advance through an intense ballot system.

Meanwhile, Hard Rock Stadium has held soccer matches between some of the best and most famous teams. Some of the most highly attended games have been FC Barcelona vs. Guadalajara in 2011, Brazil vs. Honduras in 2013, Brazil vs. Columbia in 2014, FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in 2017, and Manchester United vs. Real Madrid in 2018. Each of these games attracted more than 64,000 attendees.

 

Movies

Multiple movies have filmed scenes inside Hard Rock Stadium. Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective shot a few scenes in the stadium, and featured famous Dolphins player Dan Marino. Tearjerker Marley and Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston was also filmed here. Lastly, sports drama Any Given Sunday, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino, used Hard Rock Stadium as a set.

 

Other Events

Hard Rock Stadium hosted WWE’s flagship event, WrestleMania, in 2012. This competition raked in a total of 78,363 attendees and generated a massive $100 million for the stadium and local community.

WrestleMania is the most successful professional wrestling event in the world, and can be viewed through pay-per-view or the WWE Network. This competition features more than just talented WWE wrestlers. Aretha Franklin, Burt Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne, and Shaquille O’Neal are just a few celebrities that have made appearances at WrestleMania.

Monster Jam, the energetic and intense motorsport event, used to visit Hard Rock Stadium every year, but has since moved to Marlins Park in Miami. Monster Jam features trucks over 10 feet tall showing their expertise in racing, a two-wheel skills challenge, donuts, and freestyle stunts. One of the most unique parts of Monster Jam is the fact that the massive audience takes part in judging the competition from the stands.

 

As you can tell from the diverse types of events hosted at Hard Rock Stadium, the venue is an incredibly versatile and popular locale. With some of the most famous sporting events taking place at Hard Rock Stadium in the near future, its popularity as a venue is clearly far from over.