Where is the 2023 Super Bowl being played? Everything you need to know about the State Farm Stadium

The countdown has begun for Super Bowl LVII. In little under two weeks’ time, either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs will be crowned NFL champions - the Birds seeking their fifth title and the Chiefs, their third.

Around 73,000 spectators are expected to attend the game at State Farm Stadium - the third time the venue has hosted a Super Bowl and the fourth time that the game has been played in Arizona.

New home

State Farm Stadium was designed by Eisenman Architects and HOK Sport as a permanent base for the Arizona Cardinals, who were looking to move on from the Sun Devil Stadium, which they shared with the Arizona State Sun Devils. The stadium, located on Cardinals Drive  in Glendale, opened in August 2006, initially as University of Phoenix stadium. The three-year construction project began in July 2003, cost $455 million and was completed a year behind schedule in 2006. The inaugural game, a preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 12 August 2006, ended in a 21–13 win for the locals. The first official NFL game took place a few weeks later on 10 September when an almost capacity crowd of 63,407 watched Dennis Green’s side beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-27.

Full screen

The state-of-the-art venue boasts a retractable roof which can be completely closed over within 12 minutes - this means that the enclosed stadium can host events in the torrid months of June through to August, when temperatures exceed 100F, thanks to its air conditioning and cooling technology system.

And it’s not just the roof that can be opened or closed when needed - the 234 x 403 natural-grass playing field is also retractable which allows the Cardinals to use their home for other events such as concerts, trade shows, conferences, weddings and other sports (supercross and Monster Jam). With a flick of the switch, the pitch can be rolled out in little over an hour.

Valley gigs

The Rolling Stones had the honour of being the first rock band to play the stadium in November 2006. Some of the artists who have concerts lined up for later this year include the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

The stadium was renamed in 2018 after the Cardinals signed an 18-year naming rights deal with State Farm Insurance. It has a capacity of 63,400 which can be expanded to 72,800 for major events such as the Super Bowl. It has hosted the Championship game twice already -  the XLII edition in 2008 when the New York Giants overcame the New England Patriots 17-14, snuffing out the Pats’ flawless 19-0 record.

Glendale also hosted Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, this time, bringing the Patriots luck - they beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to make amends for their 2008 defeat and clinch the title for the fourth time.

Super Bowl games played in Glendale, Arizona