Super Bowl Then vs. Now
On Feb. 4, 2018, the Bold North played host to the big game for the first time since 1992, welcoming the world to our doorstep.
More than one million people came out to attend the ten-day Bold North festival ahead of the game. Visitors from 130 countries experienced a city transformed since we last hosted the Super Bowl in 1992. Learn more about our 52 weeks of celebration that lead up to the game and get a glimpse at how Minneapolis has reinvented itself since the 1992 Super Bowl:
A City Transformed
Since Minneapolis last hosted the Super Bowl in 1992, the city has undergone a wave of change that’s brought major new facilities, dramatic new parks, a boom in hotels and nationally-known restaurants, and a METRO rail transit system that ties it all together for visitors.
The Minneapolis Big Build pushed that transformation even farther, remaking the center of our city. It was all on display in time for the Super Bowl crowds in February, 2018. Major projects included:
Then and Now
The Super Bowl has changed dramatically since Minneapolis hosted Super Bowl XXVI in 1992. Today, it’s much more than the big game, featuring a ten-day festival and other activities for residents and visitors to celebrate. Check out some of the big differences between then and now:
1992 Super Bowl - XXVI
Minneapolis Population
364,459
Metro Area Population
2,500,000
Super Bowl economic impact on the region
$120 million
Hotel Rooms in Minneapolis
4,460 downtown hotel rooms
Cost of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial
$850,000
Stadium size
Metrodome: 900,000 square feet
Stadium seating capacity
Metrodome: 64,121 for football
2018 Super Bowl - LII
Minneapolis Population
410,939
Metro Area Population
3,524,583
Super Bowl economic impact on the region
More than $400 million, per the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee
Hotel Rooms in Minneapolis
8,612 downtown hotel rooms
Cost of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial
$5 million
Stadium size
U.S. Bank Stadium: 1,750,000 square feet
Stadium seating capacity
U.S. Bank Stadium: 66,200 for football (expandable 70,000)
Fun facts that show just how big the Super Bowl is today:
- More than 1 million people will attend the ten-day Bold North festival
- People from 130 countries will travel here
- $500 million in earned media for Minneapolis
- 150 broadcast outlets will attend from all over the world
- 5,000 media will be in town
- 10,000 volunteers will keep things running smoothly
