BMO Stadium rose on the site of the demolished Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Exposition Park, becoming the first open-air stadium built within the city of Los Angeles since Dodger Stadium opened in 1962. The soccer-specific venue opened on April 18, 2018, as the home of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC, and later became a co-tenant home for the NWSL’s Angel City FC.
Designed by Gensler with Thornton Tomasetti as structural engineer, the $350 million stadium was built to put fans unusually close to the action, with the nearest seats just 12 feet from the pitch. Originally opened as Banc of California Stadium, the venue took on its current name in January 2023 after the Bank of Montreal signed a 10-year naming rights deal following LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup championship season.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Los Angeles FC (MLS), Angel City FC (NWSL)
- Location: Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California
- Opened: April 18, 2018
- Capacity: About 22,000
- Construction cost: About $350 million
- Architect: Gensler
- Notable fact: Seating pitched at 34 degrees, among the steepest in MLS
The Steepest Seats in MLS
BMO Stadium’s bowl was engineered for intensity rather than sheer size. Its seating rises at a 34-degree pitch, one of the steepest angles in MLS, and the closest seats sit only about 12 feet from the touchline. Combined with the open-air design and a partial ETFE roof covering roughly 190,000 square feet, the layout is meant to trap crowd noise and keep every seat feeling close to the game.
From Banc of California to BMO
The stadium opened under a naming rights deal with Banc of California, but that bank exited the agreement in 2020. Bank of Montreal stepped in with a new 10-year partnership announced in January 2023, renaming the venue BMO Stadium shortly after LAFC claimed its first MLS Cup title. The ground also earned LEED Silver certification for its sustainable design.
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For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
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BMO Stadium FAQs
What teams play at BMO Stadium?
BMO Stadium is the home of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC.
What was BMO Stadium called before?
It opened in 2018 as Banc of California Stadium and was renamed BMO Stadium in January 2023 after Bank of Montreal became the naming rights partner.
How many people does BMO Stadium hold?
BMO Stadium has a seating capacity of about 22,000.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.