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NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, U.S. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retractable roof.
The stadium is the home of the National Football League's Houston Texans, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the Texas Bowl, many of the United States men's national soccer team's matches, Mexico national football team friendlies where El Tri serves as the host, and other events. The stadium served as the host facility for XXXVIII (2004) and LI (2017), the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship, and WrestleMania 25 (2009). The stadium will host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
NRG Stadium is part of a collection of venues (including the Astrodome), which are collectively called NRG Park. The entire complex is naming rights for NRG Energy under a 32-year, $300 million naming rights deal in 2000.
The stadium opened on August 24, 2002, with a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans which the Dolphins won 24–3. The stadium hosted its first regular season NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans on September 8, 2002, which the Texans won against their interstate rival 19–10. The first rodeo was held in the stadium in February 2003.
During a Texans preseason game on August 30, 2012, against the Minnesota Vikings, an intoxicated fan fell to his death from an escalator.
On March 19, 2014, the stadium was renamed NRG Stadium, after NRG Energy, the parent company of Reliant Energy.
During the 2015 season, a permanent artificial surface was installed at NRG Stadium. The Texans had used a natural surface since the stadium opened, using a system of trays of sod similar to one used at Giants Stadium in its experiment with using a grass surface. In recent years, the stadium installed artificial turf to be used during high school and college games while keeping the grass for Texans games. After the Texans' home opener, complaints about the field conditions finally led to the installation of the artificial surface for Texans games. The surface brand is UBU Speed, which is part of Act Global.
In 2017, NRG Stadium selected Hellas Construction to install its Matrix Turf with Helix Technology at the stadium. The three year contract calls for a new turf field each year.
After hosting Super Bowl LI, further upgrades were made to keep NRG Stadium competitive with other new NFL venues. The stadium's first major renovation in 15 years modernized the office and team facilities.
On April 19, 2023, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo renamed NRG Stadium to NRG Stadium (Taylor's Version) to celebrate Taylor Swift's much anticipated Eras Tour.
On December 25, 2024, the first ever halftime show for the NFL's Christmas Gameday was headlined by Beyoncé at NRG Stadium.
The Texans' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens was initially postponed one day from Sunday, September 14, 2008, to Monday, September 15, but when the extent of the damage from Hurricane Ike became known, the NFL rescheduled the Texans-Ravens game to week 10 (November 9, 2008), which was to have been the bye week for the Ravens and the Texans' scheduled home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. That game was rescheduled to week 8 (October 26), which was to have been the bye week for both the Texans and Bengals. The Bengals' bye week was moved from October 26. The Texans and Ravens took their unexpected bye week in week 2, the weekend Hurricane Ike hit East Texas and the Gulf Coast, despite the fact that both teams were preparing that whole week to play that game as scheduled.
The stadium reopened on October 5, 2008, when the Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts and hosted three additional home games in October.
The stadium was repaired by Houston-based rope access inspection and construction firm Reel Group Americas on February 13, 2009.
One of the most notable aspects of the design is the stadium's retractable, fabric roof. The roof mechanization consists of two large panels that split apart at the 50 yard line, lying over and above each end zone when fully retracted. 10 parallel, tri-chord ride on two parallel rails, each supported by a large, -long super-truss. Roof operation is controlled in the stadium press box via computer, containing live images of the travel path of each roof panel; plus, furnishing live feedback from all roof components throughout the operation. The roof panels can be opened or closed in as little as 7 minutes, moving at a speed of up to -per-minute.
One bleacher section behind the north end zone, called the "Bull Pen", is the designated fan section for the hometeam. The fans in the Bull Pen interact directly with the action on the field, helping to create and implement fan traditions, songs, chants, and other elements of the game-day experience for spectators all over the stadium. Fans in the Bull Pen are encouraged to stand throughout the game, sing, cheer, and otherwise support the team in an enthusiastic manner.
In 2011, Reliant updated their logo and therefore had to update their signage all over the stadium.
In December 2012, it was announced that, in order to help bring the Super Bowl back to Houston, the stadium's end zone displays would be replaced with the largest digital displays in any professional sports venue. The video screens were revealed August 16, 2013 and are the second largest of their kind, at a total of of screens. This tops the previous record of AT&T Stadium in Arlington. This has since been topped by the digital display boards located in TIAA Bank Field, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, now home to the largest digital display boards in any stadium in the world.
NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004, where the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers, 32–29 in front of 71,525 in attendance.
NRG Stadium hosted the Texans' first playoff game in franchise history on January 7, 2012, with Houston defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 31–10 in an AFC wild card game, drawing 71,725, the largest crowd ever to see a Texans game at Reliant Stadium.
NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl LI in 2017, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history; it was also the first ever overtime game in Super Bowl history.
The stadium includes a service area level to house rodeo livestock. The bulls, broncs, steers and roping calves are housed in the north end of the stadium under the lower bowl. Loading and unloading dock space to support the rodeo is located on the north end of the stadium. During rodeo performances, rolling doors will separate the dock into two receiving areas to isolate the food and concession deliveries from the rodeo equipment and livestock deliveries. A concert performance stage is located at the south end of the stadium during rodeo events and is moved into the center of the facility by a hydraulic drive system for rodeo concert performances.
On February 25, 2012, the PBR brought its premier bull riding tour, the Built Ford Tough Series, to Reliant Stadium for the first time ever. It was the first time that a PBR event was a part of RodeoHouston. In addition, it was their first event in Houston in 11 years, after having previously held an event at the Compaq Center annually between 1998 and 2001.
A Bayou Classic game between Grambling State and Southern was held here in November 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina damage at the rivalry's usual venue of the Superdome.
Each of the city's two Division I FBS schools, the University of Houston and Rice University, has played regular season home games at NRG Stadium in the past. The Houston–Rice football rivalry game, the Bayou Bucket Classic, was held there in 2004, and in 2011, the game was announced to be played at Reliant Stadium for the 2012 and 2013 seasons as well.
The stadium also hosts the "Battle of the Piney Woods" since 2010. It is one of the oldest football rivalries in Texas, featuring Division I FCS Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University. The series was originally scheduled to run until 2013, before being extended to 2017, and finally in April 2015, the stadium was made the permanent home of the series.
The two largest historically black universities in Texas, Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University, each have played selected regular season home games at NRG Stadium as well.
The SWAC Championship Game was held at the stadium from 2013 until 2017.
In 2017, NRG Stadium was announced as a future site for the College Football Playoff National Championship game; it hosted the event on January 8, 2024 (ending the 2023 college football season), which featured the Michigan Wolverines (winners of the Rose Bowl) and the Washington Huskies (winners of the Sugar Bowl).
On February 6, 2008, United States v Mexico was held at Reliant Stadium to a capacity crowd of 70,103. The previous USA v Mexico match in Reliant Stadium drew a sellout crowd of 69,582 fans on May 8, 2003 and was the largest home crowd for the United States men's national team that decade, until they played Mexico for a capacity crowd of 79,156 fans in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
Reliant Stadium hosted the 2010 MLS All-Star Game as 70,728 fans watched Manchester United defeat the MLS All-Stars 5–2.
On January 25, 2012, Venezuela played a friendly match with Mexico, with Mexico winning 3–1. On May 31, 2013, Mexico played another friendly, with Nigeria, which ended in a 2–2 draw.
In June 2016, NRG Stadium hosted two matches in the group stage and one semifinal in the Copa América Centenario. Costa Rica beat Colombia 3–2. Mexico and Venezuela drew 1–1. Argentina beat the United States 4–0; Lionel Messi scored a free kick, making him Argentina's all-time leading scorer.
| 69,582 | |||||
| July 29, 2004 | Everton F.C. | 5-2 | Pachuca | Copa de Tejas | 8,346 |
| August 1, 2004 | Club America | 3-1 | Everton F.C. | Copa de Tejas | 16,434 |
| 45,311 | |||||
| 60,050 | |||||
| 35,526 | |||||
| 68,417 | |||||
| 70,092 | |||||
| 70,103 | |||||
| 50,137 | |||||
| 47,713 | |||||
| 70,099 | |||||
| 70,728 | |||||
| 70,627 | |||||
| 40,128 | |||||
| 62,107 | |||||
| August 6, 2014 | AC Milan | 3–0 | Guadalajara | Club Friendly | 14,871 |
| 70,128 | |||||
| 45,808 | |||||
| 67,319 | |||||
| 70,858 | |||||
| 37,617 | |||||
| 67,401 | |||||
| 60,617 | |||||
| 70,788 | |||||
| 60,143 | |||||
| 70,304 | |||||
| 61,223 | |||||
| 66,255 | |||||
| 67,801 | |||||
| 53,763 | |||||
| 67,059 | |||||
| 69,456 | |||||
| 46,080 | |||||
| 54,117 | |||||
| 70,925 | |||||
| June 14, 2026 | 12:00 | – | Group E | |||
| June 17, 2026 | 12:00 | – | IC Path 1 | Group K | ||
| June 20, 2026 | 12:00 | – | UEFA Path B | Group F | ||
| June 23, 2026 | 12:00 | – | Group K | |||
| June 26, 2026 | 18:00 | – | Group H | |||
| June 29, 2026 | 12:00 | Winner Group C | – | Runner-up Group F | Round of 32 | |
| July 4, 2026 | 12:00 | Winner Match 73 | – | Winner Match 75 | Round of 16 |
On June 14, 2025, Metallica set a new attendance record at the stadium with over 75,000 fans confirmed in attendance in support of their M72 World Tour.
The stadium hosted WrestleMania 25 on April 5, 2009.
The Howdy Modi event was held on September 22, 2019, by Texas India Forum.
During the summer of 2019, the stadium hosted two international conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses, gathering thousands of delegates from around the world.
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