The Caesars Superdome is getting some improvements, $500 million worth of improvements to be exact, that are expected to be completed by the time the stadium hosts Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025. According to city officials, the New Orleans stadium's renovations are scheduled to be completed by July of 2024.
The upgrades, including new escalators, bathrooms and walkways, not only line up with Super Bowl LIX, but also with the stadium's 50th birthday. Renovations have been in progress for some time, with the eastern side of the stadium completed in the summer of 2023.
With some of these new features already done, fans got to experience the new-and-improved Superdome during the 2023 season. Saints president Dennis Lauscha says the fans are the main motivation when it comes to upgrading the stadium.
"The focus really was on that fan experience, and I think for our fans this year that got to see half the building done, I think they'll come out and say it was really a step up in that experience," Lauscha said. "I think once our fans see the second half done it really is raising the bar."
The changes were approved in 2019 and at the time were predicted to cost $450 million. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, another $50 million was added to the cost.
Saints owner Gayle Benson included these upgrades as one selling point for New Orleans getting a Super Bowl bid.
Louisiana was initially granted the 2024 Super Bowl, concluding the 2023 season, but conflicts with Mardi Gras celebrations caused a change of plans. When the league moved from a 17-week regular season to an 18-week regular season, the Super Bowl was pushed back a week, creating the overlapping of events in the Big Easy. Las Vegas was instead given the Super Bowl for February 2024 and New Orleans was pushed back to 2025.
This will mark the city's 11th Super Bowl, tied with Miami for the most of all time. Caesars Superdome will extend its own record for most Super Bowls hosted in a stadium, with their eighth, coming in less than a year.
