The raw, electrifying energy that comes with watching an NFL game is unmatched. Passionate fans’ screams and thundering music create an exhilarating atmosphere that can be, quite literally, deafening.
Experiencing a game live offers a thrill that no surround sound system can replace, and the rush provided by a stadium full of fans cheering for their favorite team (or booing the opponent) magnifies the experience. Here, we take a look at the 10 loudest NFL stadiums based on their recorded decibel level.
10. AT&T Stadium — Arlington Texas
Completed in 2009, the AT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys. It has a capacity of 80,000 but can be reconfigured to accommodate more than 100,000, making it one of the largest stadiums in the world based on capacity. Its record attendance was 105,121 in 2009, and its record decibel level is 87, comparable to loud alarm clocks or vacuums.
9. Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This stadium, formerly called Heinz Field, is the home of the Pittsburgh, Steelers. It opened its doors in 2001 and has a capacity of 68,400. Surprisingly, its record attendance wasn’t for a football game, but for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert held on June 17, 2023, which had 73,117 people in attendance. The stadium’s record decibel level is 90, as loud as power tools or a blender.
8. M&T Bank Stadium — Baltimore, Maryland
The M&T Bank Stadium opened in 1998 and is home to the Baltimore Ravens. It’s the first outdoor professional sports facility in the country and has a seating capacity of just over 71,000, with a record crowd of 71,547 set in 2012. The stadium’s sound level is 105 decibels, which can be compared to a helicopter near you.
7. Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts
The New England Patriots’ home base is Gillette Stadium, which was completed in 2002. It boasts a seating capacity of 64,628, with a record attendance of a crowd of 71,723 in July 2023 for an Ed Sheeran concert. The stadium has an average decibel level of 106.4, which is comparable to a power mower.
6. U.S. Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, Minnesota
Completed in 2016, the Minnesota Vikings’ home stadium boasts a seating capacity of 66,860 that can be expanded up to 73,000. The enclosed stadium has hosted several events throughout the years, but its record attendance was 72,111 in 2019 for the NCAA Men’s Final Four tournament. The enclosed stadium keeps sounds in, and it has a record noise level of 120.1 decibels, considered uncomfortably loud, akin to a chainsaw.
5. Lambeau Field — Green Bay, Wisconsin
Lambeau Field opened in 1957 (then called City Stadium) and is the oldest operating NFL stadium. It’s home to the Green Bay Packers and boasts a seating capacity of 81,441, with a record attendance of 79,704 in 2015. The average noise level in the field is 123 decibels, which is as loud as a rock concert or a thunderclap.
4. State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, was completed in 2006, and since then, it has hosted several football, soccer, and basketball games. It has a seating capacity of 63,400, expandable to 72,200, with a record attendance of 77,612 people in 2017. With the thunderous cheers of fans, State Farm Stadium has a record noise level of 130 decibels, considered the threshold of pain and comparable to the noise of a jackhammer.
3. Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, Louisiana
Formerly called the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Caesars Superdome is the home field of the New Orleans Saints. The stadium opened its doors in 1975 and has a capacity of 73, 208 that can be expanded to 76,468. The largest number of attendees on record is 78,133 in 2018 for WrestleMania 34, and its loudest recorded sound level is 130, like a gunshot at close range.
2. Lumen Field — Seattle, Washington
The Seattle Seahawks home field boasts a capacity of 68,740, expandable to 72,000, and has recorded dangerously loud levels for some of the events held there. Its record attendance was for an Ed Sheeran concert in 2023 that had 77,286 attendees. The noise in the venue can get so loud, in fact, that the stadium set the Guinness World Record twice for the loudest outdoor venue in 2013 and 2014 with decibel levels of 136.6 and 137.6, respectively, which is comparable to the noise a jet makes when taking off.
1. Arrowhead Stadium — Kansas City, Missouri
Home to the Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium takes the top spot for the loudest NFL stadium. It has a capacity of 76,416, with a record attendance of 82,094 people in a 1972 match between the Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. In 2014, cheering fans set the record for the loudest crowd roar with a whopping 142.2 decibels, a sound as loud as firecrackers going off a meter away.