Major sporting events are proving to be powerful economic drivers, with this summer’s Olympic Games boosting France’s economy by nearly $12 billion, and Super Bowl LVIII generating an estimated $14 billion in Las Vegas alone. These impressive metrics underscore the booming potential of global sports tourism. Valued at $588 billion in 2022, it was responsible for 10 percent of global tourism in 2024 and is on track to meet projections of $2.1 trillion in revenue by 2030.

In fact, the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer competition in Qatar was the organization’s most profitable ever, with record revenue of $5.8 billion. Saudi Arabia hopes to mimic that success with its proposed stadium within the Line at NEOM as part of its bid for the 2034 World Cup. Additional stadiums are slated to be built in Riyadh (including the 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue the Arena in Diriyah, courtesy of HKS), Jeddah, Abha, and Al Khobar, where global firm Populous is designing the 47,000-seat Aramco Stadium for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup within a 8.6 million-square-foot masterplan for the city’s Sports City district.

A rendering of NEOM Stadium within the Line in Saudi Arabia, proposed as part of the country’s bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup

In the U.S., fans spend $6 billion on spectator sports each year, and a spate of new venues offers much for them to experience.

Consider the upcoming Las Vegas Athletics ballpark, being built for the Oakland Major League Baseball team’s anticipated relocation in 2028. Conceived by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), in collaboration with infrastructure design firm HNTB, the exterior is inspired by baseball pennants with overlapping shells on the roof, while passive shading and natural light add to a welcoming ambiance. When it debuts, the 33,000-capacity stadium will feature an open atrium that will serve as a multipurpose exhibition space, as well as 22 suites, a kids’ zone, and several bars.

Traveling beyond their hometown arenas to experience major events and rivalry matchups—according to SkyScanner, nearly a third of 25-to-35 year olds are planning trips around sports events next year—has spawned savvier fans, spurring stadiums to take a more hospitality-inspired approach. “It’s pure hospitality in many ways, but we have to also understand the sophistication of the crowds and the volumes of people that come and go,” says Mason Hansen, senior principal and interior design director with Populous.

The Homestretch Club at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky features The Final Furlong mural by artist Tyler Robertson

Operational efficiency is therefore a hallmark of Populous’ arena designs as is feedback from its in-house event planning team that considers circulation and optimization. Elements like expanded daylighting are also employed, ensuring that every design detail caters to the evolving expectations of discerning fans. “While we do sports, a lot of them are hospitality within sports,” Hansen says. “We might have 20 hospitality amenities that are strung through a sports stadium, but each one of those stands alone for that human experience and making memories.”

Gensler also designs its sports facilities to accommodate activations beyond the main event with versatile F&B and social areas. “We’ve come up with the term ‘hospitality halo,’” says Gensler principal, studio director, and mixed-use and retail centers leader JJ Rivers. “It’s this idea that when you’re walking around, you’re getting that entertainment quality at the same time you’re getting the energy and the atmosphere of the games or concerts.”

Gensler-designed venues like Boston’s TD Garden also demonstrate the potential for a sports facility to serve as a community generator, hosting an onsite hotel, residences, and offices that activate the site beyond game day. “Flexibility nowadays has become paramount,” Rivers points out. “Having the broader notion and vision of what a mixed-use district is—[one] that’s anchored by sports and entertainment—has been super successful for us.”

A rendering of Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia with a spiralling form that evokes waves

From corporate retreats to podcast recordings, so-called “dark spaces” are seeing action beyond game day as well. “The corporate or private sponsors that get access to the suites are using them, and we’re designing those in ways that they can be used almost as a touchdown space,” Rivers adds. “It creates this cool boutique experience for folks. They get some connection to the sports teams, while at the same time, getting this community benefit.”

Populous recently struck gold by repositioning an area by the end zone as a social club as part of a $200 million renovation of Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. “We added a bocce court, pool table, shuffleboard, a bar, and a food service component to draw the suite holders out and create a social space for them, and it sold out before the season started,” says Wesley Crosby, senior principal and interior design director at the firm. “[The client was] very pleased, and we worked with their sales group to identify what we thought might be appealing to the consumers in that market.”

Chandeliers add drama to the Homestretch Club at Churchill Downs

Moments of intimacy amidst the frenzy are also catching on. In addition to sensory rooms for folks seeking reprieve, exclusive experiential zones elevate visits for fans as well. For such tourist draws as the Kentucky Derby, a pair of new clubs conceived by Populous at Churchill Downs horse racing complex in Louisville, Kentucky, for example, tout a window into the paddock that overlooks the horses and jockeys awaiting to enter the track. Custom brass elements as well as metal ceilings lined with wood beams introduce warmth into the space, while other material choices are meant to withstand heavy usage. “The natural marbles and stones are great, but we ended up using quartzite, which has a lot more resistance to staining,” Hansen adds. “We’re trying to find beautiful materials that are unique, but also
have durability.”

Crosby also cites the Levi’s Stadium project, where sense of place is manifested in amenities dedicated to the region’s famed wine and a palette of reclaimed redwood. “It’s less about a specific finish and more about being authentic in our approach so that our solution is rooted in the client,” he says.

A rendering of the bar at the Vaults at Capital One Arena, home to 10 exclusive suites

F&B and retail vendors also help foster a sense of community among locals. A food hall with favorites from the nation’s capital will be a centerpiece of Gensler’s refresh of the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, slated to be unveiled for the 2027-2028 basketball and hockey seasons. “If you’re not local first,” Rivers points out, “then you’re not designing for the people who will ultimately be using it.”

Hansen agrees. “People are growing accustomed to having those quality experiences in their own communities,” she says. “That’s going to allow us to start breaking the spaces down a little more.”

Perhaps most importantly, clients are receptive to the refined—and evolving—demands of their fans. “The briefs we’re getting are more open-ended than in years past,” Rivers adds. “It’s exciting to see many of the clients we’re working with now are willing to experiment.”

The reimagined paddock area at Churchill Downs restored much of its original character

A rendering of the Capital One Arena refresh in Washington, DC

The Homestretch Club at Churchill Downs pairs dark wood with locally sourced materials

This article originally appeared in HD’s December 2024 issue.