Chiefs plan $800M renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after 2026 World Cup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs are planning an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium, the third-oldest stadium in the NFL, that would begin after the team plays host to games for the 2026 World Cup and take about four years to complete.

The project is contingent on the extension of a tax of three-eighth of a cent by voters in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 2. That money has been used for upkeep at Truman Sports Complex of Arrowhead and neighboring Kauffman Stadium, which the Royals intend to leave for a new downtown ballpark before the current lease expires after the 2030 season.

"We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium," acknowledged Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose family would contribute $300 million toward the overall project. "So the financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we've outlined."

The scope of the renovation project, which was revealed Wednesday during a news conference at Arrowhead, would touch every aspect of the 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.

There would be a new parking deck built to help provide players, VIPs and other special guests with a better access point. New pedestrian bridges would help fans get from parking lots to the stadium. There would be new ribbon boards, the video boards at each end would triple and quadruple in size and the existing suites around the stadium would be renovated.

The two biggest changes to the stadium itself would come above it and below it.

For the first time since the stadium was built in 1972, the Chiefs are planning to build a 360-degree upper