Jump to content

What are the largest stadiums to have hosted a DCI competition?


Recommended Posts

Or a DCA competition? Or any drum corps competition?

In light of some Superbowl-inspired confusion online tonight about which state Kansas City is located in, I thought I'd check to see if Arrowhead Stadium, where DCI held its championships in 1988 and 1989, is in Missouri or just across the border in Kansas (it's the former--but DCI has held events in Overland Park, which a Kansas suburb of Kansas CIty, MO). Upon reading the Wikipedia entry for the venue, I learned that it's the 27th largest stadium (by capacity) in the United States. And that got me to wondering: which are the largest stadiums in which drum corps have competed? Meaning any show, not just championships.

Here's a list for reference:

List of U.S. Stadiums by Capacity

I see the Rose Bowl is listed as 11th, with a capacity of 90,888, and I know that stadium has hosted a number of DCI events. Which others in the top 10 or 25 or 50 have also done so?

According to a different Wikipedia page, there's only one other stadium in the world that holds more people the the largest U.S. stadium: Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang. Maybe DCI should encourage further deescalation of tensions with North Korea by presenting an event there? 

Edited by N.E. Brigand
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a show at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA that I marched at back in 2001. As of today, it's 102,000 per Wikipedia. Not sure what the capacity was back then though.

Also, Cotton Bowl hosted the '91 finals and clocks in at 92,000. Nebraska's stadium hosted a mid-season event once or twice in the mid-2000's, the new Meadowlands routinely hosts late-season shows, and Camp Randall in Madison has hosted finals numerous times.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was once a massive (over 100,000) stadium in Philadelphia that I believe hosted VFW Nationals (1969?). Can’t quickly remember the name, but I can tell you, I was once given a tour there by local Convention and Visitors Bureau officials when searching for a DCA Championship site back in the 1970s.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looked it up . . . .  that was John F. Kennedy Stadium, commonly know as JFK Stadium.  Capacity listed as 103,000, and VFW Nationals was in Philadelphia for 1969.

(this old mind needs a little time)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Galen said:

There was a show at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA that I marched at back in 2001. As of today, it's 102,000 per Wikipedia. Not sure what the capacity was back then though.

Also, Cotton Bowl hosted the '91 finals and clocks in at 92,000. Nebraska's stadium hosted a mid-season event once or twice in the mid-2000's, the new Meadowlands routinely hosts late-season shows, and Camp Randall in Madison has hosted finals numerous times.

In 2008, Cotton Bowl capacity was expanded from 68,252 to 92,100

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Bowl_(stadium)

Of all the venues that have hosted DCI finals, I'd say Camp Randall had the greatest capacity concert side.

 

 

Edited by ykw
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd have to look up capacity at the time of show, but Olympic Stadium in Montreal was pretty big (otherwise they wouldn't have had >41,000 on concert side in 1981). There has been at least 1 show in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville (current capacity >102,600). Capacity in the past was over 107,000. The Rose Bowl was over 100,000 in the past, but is now smaller due to replacing bleachers with chairback seats in some sections and other renovations. The new MetLife stadium at the Meadowlands is one of the biggest in the NFL, along with Jerry's World in Arlington, TX. The biggest stadiums though are in the college ranks, with Michigan Stadium (aka The Big House) topping the list. The stadiums for Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, and Univ. of Texas are all in the Top 10 I believe. In terms of seating capacity for drum corps (concert side), Camp Randall is still one of the biggest.

Shawn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, On the 50 said:

I'd have to look up capacity at the time of show, but Olympic Stadium in Montreal was pretty big (otherwise they wouldn't have had >41,000 on concert side in 1981).

Wikipedia says it was 78,000 at the time (and has been reduced since). I enjoyed this factoid:

"It is nicknamed 'The Big O', a reference to both its name and to the doughnut-shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof. It is also called 'The Big Owe' to reference the astronomical cost of the stadium and the 1976 Olympics as a whole."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Totally off the top of my head... but for a regular-season DCA show, I gotta go with NJ's Giants Stadium... host to numerous DCA competitions, including the first-ever drum corps show held at that venue, in 1978.

Franklin Field in Philly is probably the largest overall-capacity venue for the DCA title show (held there in 1981). Current capacity is listed as over 52,000.

Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis (DCA championship host in 2012 and 2013) is high on the list.... current capacity is 34,000.

 

 

Edited by Fran Haring
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...