AT & T Stadium, Dallas colossus built on the art of excess | OneFootball

Everything is supersized in Texas, and the AT & T Stadium has been a centrepiece since opening in 2009. L'Équipe notes that FIFA protocol has forced a temporary rebrand to “Dallas Stadium” for the 2026 World Cup, even though it sits in Arlington, about 30 kilometres west of Dallas, whose officials had refused to host it.

Home to the Dallas Cowboys, it mirrors the grand vision of owner Jerry Jones, whose franchise have five Super Bowl titles. It offers up to 100,000 seats and 300 suites, a retractable roof and an HD screen of 2,300 square metres, while vast end-zone glass walls can dazzle players at touchdowns. Little surprise it ranks among the costliest stadiums ever built.

The original $650 million budget, half funded by Arlington via seven targeted taxes including 2% on hotel bills and 5% on car rentals, ultimately doubled to more than $1.3 billion. Officials have extended the partnership with the Cowboys to 2055.

It has staged world title boxing, the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game, plus concerts by U2, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. With 9 matches on the programme, including a semi-final, it is the busiest venue of the 2026 tournament.

Though the City of Arlington owns the land, locals simply call it “Jerry World”. For $55, tours can end with questions to a virtual Jerry Jones powered by AI, sold as a unique interactive experience. The scale extends from technology and showmanship to more than 3,000 food and drink outlets.

Jerry and his wife Gene have also filled the stadium with contemporary art commissions. From roughly 15 pieces at launch, the collection now stands at 99 works by 66 artists, including France’s Daniel Buren, whose contributions include an aluminium Pyramidal Haut-Relief and a 35-metre yellow wall set with 50 screen-printed panels. The aim is to bring art to new audiences, and with average crowds of 93,000 per game in 2025, it appears to be working.

Source: L'Équipe