MarketList of events at Soldier Field
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List of events at Soldier Field

Soldier Field is a stadium that opened in 1924. It has primarily served as the home field of the Chicago Bears professional football club for over four decades, but it also hosted numerous other events in its more than 100 years of existence.

Annual events
CurrentSpecial Olympics Chicago (1968–2001 and 2003–present) • German Day (1925–1937) • Spring Awakening Music Festival (2012–2015) • Tuskegree and Wilberforce University football rivalry game (played at Soldier Field 1929–1930, 1933–1936, and 1938–1941) • War shows • Motorsports competitions == 1920s ==
1920s
1924 • September 5: The first event at the stadium, a 16-pound hammer throw for the Police Athletic Games" is held a day before the official opening "to avoid any possibility of an accident." Traffic officer John Walsh wins the lone competition with a throw of 132 feet, 10 inches. • September 6: opening day on Saturday for the first dedicatory event at the "Grant Park Stadium" an athletics meet with policemen as participants. This event was a fundraiser for the Chicago Police Benevolent Association, which provided support for police widows and officers disabled in the line of action. The meet's official opening ceremony on the second day featured 1,200 police officers parading through the stadium, fireworks, and music by two police bands, among other entertainment. The contests in the event included a chariot race and a game of motorcycle polo. The opening ceremony was attended by 45,000 spectators. Events raising funds for Chicago's Policemen and Firemen Benevolent funds were a mainstay at Soldier Field until 1971. • On September 27: Chicago Daily News-sponsored women's track meet with more than 500 Chicago-area participants. In addition to traditional track and field events, the competition also included such events as a basketball distance throw. the first football game in the stadium's history. • November 11: 1924 Midwest Catholic League championship, a College football game between Viator College and Columbia College of Dubuque. The game raised funds for an American Legion fund for disabled veterans. The game ended 0–0. Due to poor weather conditions, its attendance was only 2,000. This was the first college football in the stadium's history. • December: state amateur horseshoe pitching tournament sponsored by the Ogden Park Horseshoe Pitching Club and Chicago Playground Council. • May 9: Soldier Field hosted the South Parks Marble Championship. The tournament included both adult and juvenile competitions. • May: Soldier Field held and event dubbed the "first annual Chicago Olympics", an athletics event sponsored by the Finnish-American Athletic Association. Notable male competitors include Finnish five-time Olympic gold medalist (and three-time silver medalist) Ville Ritola, Finnish two-time Olympic gold medalist Jonni Myyrä, American two-time Olympic gold medalist Harold Osborne. Notable female competitors included US Women's Athletics legends Helen Filkey, Norma Zilk, and Nellie Todd (who, along with Zilk, was a protégé of University of Chicago track coach Tom Eck). Norma Filkey set a record in hurdles at the event, Jonni Myyrä set a javelin record at the event, Harold Osborne won as the best overall athlete of the competition, and Ville Ritola won the 2-mile race. Due largely to 90-degree heat only 2,500 spectators attended this event. • June 13–14 Soldier Field hosted the 1925 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships. Notable competitors included DeHart Hubbard, Morgan Taylor, Glenn Hartranft, Tom Poor, Phil Northrup, Frank Potts, Clifford Ellsworth "Biff" Hoffman, and Hugo Leistner. • July 4 and 5: Soldier Field held its first Independence Day celebration. Lowden had been heavily involved in the effort to rename Soldier Field. Much like Rodgers, Lowden was also a prominent national political figure at the time. The event at Soldier Field began with decorated war veterans escorting Gold Star Mothers to their seats, and a salute fired by field artillery. The Flag of the United States was then raised, followed with a large banner baring the words 'Soldier Field' that had been carried into the stadium by the Gold Star Mothers. This was followed with a parade led by an Army general. The parade featured sailors from the nearby Great Lakes Naval Station, Reserve Officers' Training Corps units, and various veterans groups (including the Grand Army of the Republic). Following the procession of the parade, Rodgers spoke about his attempted non-stop flight. Other speakers included South Park Board-member, and future-mayor, Edward J. Kelley. The ceremony was attended by over 20,000 spectators. 1926 • After success of the 1925 Chicago Roundup, Soldier Field hosted another Chicago Roundup in 1926. The 1926 Chicago Roundup was also a great success, even managing to draw 35,000 spectators on a rainy day. Notable competitors included Bud Houser, Bob King, John Kuck, Herman Brix (later known by his stage-name Bruce Bennet), William Droegemueller, Fred Alderman, Tom Sharkey, Harry Hawkins, Leighton Dye, Ray Conger, Anton Burg, Phil Northrup, George Hester, and George Guthrie. • June 21–23: 28th International Eucharistic Congress held three days of outdoor day and evening events at Soldier Field. • November 26: the stadium was officially rededicated as "Soldier Field" at a free public event held at the stadium. Among those participating in the ceremony was Vice President of the United States Charles G. Dawes.) The game was also broadcast nationally on radio, a notable early use of the rising broadcast medium. Walter Eckersdall of the Chicago Tribune dubbed it to be "one of the greatest football games ever played", and proclaimed that it had been seen by "the largest crowd that ever saw a football game in this country". More than a decade later, the readers of Esquire magazine voted this the best football game of all time. Even today many revere this as the greatest Army-Navy game ever. • November 28: 12,000 spectators saw the Kansas City Cowboys defeat the Chicago Cardinals 7-2 at Soldier Field. This marked the first Time in which a football game benefiting causes related to the Chicago Sisters of Mercy (amongst them the order's Catholic high schools and Mercy Hospital) was held. It would be held annually thereafter until 1951. Most often it featured a matchup of two Catholic League schools (commonly Saint Rita and Leo). Some years the game included professional or college teams. The game usually attracted between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators. It was started by Sister Mary Ricardo, who decided a football game would be a good annual fundraiser after a meeting with Chris O'Brien. O'Brien suggested that a game against the Kansas City Cowboys could be moved from Comiskey Park to Soldier Field. • 30,000 attended a game between Prague's AC Sparta and a Chicago all-star team. Proceeds of the game benefited the P.J. Carr Christmas Fund. The game had the potential of determining the champion of the 1926 NFL season if the Frankford Yellow Jackets (from Philadelphia) lost their final game of the season, but the Yellow Jackets won their last game and were named the season's champions. • In June Soldier Field hosted the 1927 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships. This was the third consecutive edition held at Soldier Field. Among the notable competitors were Fred Alderman, Ed Hamm, Doral Pilling, James Corson, Frank Cuhel, Lee Bartlett, Tiny Gooch, and Pete Rasmus. • In 1927 Chicago Sparta played an exhibition match against the Uruguay national football team, winners of gold at the 1924 Olympic Games. • October 30 15,000 spectators saw the NFL's New York Yankees defeat the Chicago Cardinals 7-6 in a game held at Soldier Field. vs. Dayton Flyers football game (November 5, 1927) • November 5: Loyola Ramblers are defeated 0–12 in a football against Dayton • November 26 the all-time collegiate attendance record of 123,000 plus was established as Notre Dame beat USC 7–6. Amongst those in attendance was Los Angeles mayor George E. Cryer. In preparation for this game a thousand seats were added by the South Park Board to the venue, and a proclamation was issued by Chicago mayor Big Bill Thomson encouraging residents to decorate their houses with the Flag of the United States and the colors of the two opposing teams. • December 3 the first Prep Bowl was held. 50,000 spectators attended the game, which saw Mount Carmel defeat Schurz 6–0. 1928 • Soldier Field was one of the venues of the 1928 National Challenge Cup association football tournament. Notable players included the Nationals' Geordie Henderson and Siegfried Wortmann, as well as the Bricklayers' Clem Cuthbert. • June: Soldier Field hosted the 1928 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships. This was the fourth consecutive edition held at Soldier Field. Among the notable competitors were Emerson Spencer, Ed Hamm, Victor Pickard, Bob King George Simpson, Frank Cuhel, William Droegemueller, Harlow Rothert, Herman Brix (later known by his stage-name Bruce Bennet), Eric Krenz, Lee Bartlett, Ward Edmonds, George Hester, Claude Bracey, and Wilford Ketz. • June: a Women's track meet sponsored by the Chicago Evening American was held at Soldier Field, The meet featured many notable participants, but it is best remembered as the debut of future Olympic legend Betty Robinson. In the 100-meter race, Robinson set a world-record with a time of 12 seconds (the previous record was 12.6) in a semi-final qualifying heat (despite a strong north wind), and finished with the same time in the final, defeating Helen Filkey by 1 yard. Robinson was only 16 years of age at the time. • In 1928 Tex Austin staged his final Soldier Field rodeo event. The event featured celebrities such as Hoot Gibson and Tom Mix. During the event Gibson shot scenes for his movie King of the Rodeo. held the all-time collegiate attendance record, as some sources (such as the Chicago Tribune) reported the November 25, 1927 match at Soldier Field to have had a then all-time high attendance of 117,000, while the NCAA recorded the attendance as 120,000, which it deems to be the 'largest pre-1948 regular season college football attendance'. A figure of 123,000 was reported by the official Park District attendance count. • November 17: Loyola Ramblers are defeated 6–13 in a football game against the Quantico Marines • December 1: Loyola Ramblers defeat the DePaul Blue Demons football team 7–0 1929 • In 1929 Soldier Field hosted its first national Sokol slet, a sports gathering. In the USA the national slets are held every four years. The 1929 slet drew 25,000. Slets included gymnastics competitions and track and field events amongst other sports. At the 1929 slet athletes from 1,200 US Sokol organizations participated in Olympic-style individual gymnastic events. Also, in the 1929 slet 2,000 Chicago youth partook in a mass gymnastic drill timed to orchestral music. • In 1929 Soldier Field again hosted the South Parks Marble Championship. • October 19 90,000 spectators saw Notre Dame defeat Wisconsin in a 19–0. • In 1929 Soldier Field held its second-ever firefighting demonstration. • November 3: Loyola Ramblers football team defeats the DePaul Blue Demons 13-0 before a crowd of 51,000 • November 9: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team defeated Drake 19–7. • November 16: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team defeated USC 19–12. == 1930s ==
1930s
{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 250 | header = Postcards depicting how Soldier Field looked in the 1930s and 40s 1930 • August 23: 150,000 people (with thousands more being denied admission) attended the first annual Chicagoland Music Festival. The Chicagoland Music Festival was an event both organized sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, and ran for 26 years. The inaugural edition was jam-packed with performances, including a performance of the Anvil Chorus from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore, a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from George Frideric Handel's Messiah sung by the entire audience, numerous John Philip Sousa marches, and spirituals like Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Thousands of performers were involved in the event, amongst them was Douglas, Michigan's 92-year-old W. T. Kimsey, an American Civil War veteran who had been a drummer in the army of Ulysses S. Grant at the Battle of Shiloh. Kimsey performed using the same drum that he played at the Battle of Shiloh. • In 1930 a multiple-day track meet at held at Soldier Field attracted over 40,000 spectators to its last night of events. The event was a multinational competition between athletes from the British Empire a team of US competitors. Similar events had been hosted in England, but the one at Soldier Field being the first hosted in the United States. Notable participants included Ralph Metcalfe. • In 1930 the Chicago Daily News sponsored an event benefitting the Chicago firefighter's benevolent association. This would become an annual event. • October 3: Soldier Field hosted its first night football game when the Oregon Ducks defeated the Drake Bulldogs 14–7 before a crowd of 12,000. This was followed by a second college football game at Soldier Field between the Loyola Ramblers and the Georgetown Hoyas. These two games were the first-ever intersectional night games to be played in Chicago. • October 9: William Randolph Hearst spoke at Soldier Field. • November 3: Loyola Ramblers are defeated 0–6 in a football game against the DePaul Blue Demons • November 29: Notre Dame defeat Army 7–6 in football 1931 • January 1931: the Woman's Benefit Association held its annual Pageant at Soldier Field. • The second Chicagoland Music Festival, held in 1931, featured John Philip Sousa. • July 27: Soldier Field held the second-ever Chicago Golden Gloves tournament. More than 45,000 spectators attended (organizers of the event lauded it as the largest crowd in the world to have ever seen an amateur boxing tournament). This tournament featured Olympic-caliber participants from Germany. American participants won 4 of the matches, and German participants won four as well. Three of the German participants (bantamweight Hans Ziglarski, featherweight Josef Schleinkofer, and welterweight Erich Campe) would go on to win silver in the boxing competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles several weeks later. 1933 World's Exposition in 1933 • May 27: Soldier Field opening ceremonies of the Century of Progress Worlds Fair. James Farley (the postmaster general) officially presided over the opening ceremony. • In 1933, attendance for the stadium's annual war show was especially high. • In conjunction with Texas Day at the World's Fair, an all-Texan cast performed a production of Aida. • July 3: 150,000 spectators attended A Romance of a People, an immensely elaborate Jewish pageant telling the history of the Jewish people, staged at Soldier Field. The event was coordinated by Meyer Weisgal. Chaim Weizmann (head of the World Zionist Organization and would later become the first President of Israel) gave a speech to open the show. The show required over 6,000 performers. The event was so successful that it was given a repeat performance a few days later at Soldier Field 75,000 spectators attended the repeat performance. • August 12: Soldier Field hosted a national African American athletic meet in conjunction with the 'Negro Day' event held at the Century of Progress World's Fair. The event featured such notable athletes as Olympic gold medalists Edward Gordon and DeHart Hubbard (the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal). • August 12, coinciding with the Fair's Negro Day, an African American pageant entitled Epic of a Race was performed at Soldier Field. Chandler Owen, who headed the organization of Negro Day events, employed author and WJJD radio staffer Andrew Dobson as the author and theatrical producer and dance instructor Sammy Dyer as the director of the production. Carl Sandburg was consulted by Dobson on the historical accuracy of his script. Renowned actor Richard B. Harrison was the master of ceremonies for the event, which featured 1,500 performers, about 3,000 singers, music by the 8th Infantry Regiment Band, and portrayed 11 different historic episodes. • 85,000 spectators attended the fourth annual Chicagoland Music Festival in 1933. • October 1: 8,000 spectators saw the Chicago Bears defeat the Boston Redskins 7-0. • October 7: Northwestern faced Iowa at Soldier Field. Northwestern lost 7–0. • The Canadian professional soccer champion Toronto Scots played St. Louis' Stix, Baer and Fuller team, the U.S. champions, for the North American soccer title in 1933. The Scots won 2–1. This event was one of many Soldier Field sporting events that was tied-into the ongoing Worlds Fair. • August 31: a crowd of 79,432 saw the College All-Stars play the Chicago Bears to a scoreless tie in the inaugural Chicago College All-Star Game, which was the brainchild of Arch Ward (who was also the man behind the MLB All-Star Game). Like many events that were staged at Soldier Field, the College All-Star Games were sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. The game raised over $4 million for charity over the course of its 42-game run. All but two of those games were held at Soldier Field, with the other two held at Dyche Stadium in 1943 and 1944. The game is considered to have been a major contributor to the growth of professional gridiron football in the United States. Noble Kizer of Purdue had been selected by a fan vote to be the coach of the College All-Star team. Players selected by vote for the team included, quarterbacks Bernie Masterson Nebraska, Homer Griffith of USC, Joe Laws of Iowa; tackle Moose Krause; halfbacks Nick Lukats, George Sauer of Nebraska, Beattie Feathers of Tennessee; guards Tom Hupke of Alabama, Bobby Jones of Indiana, and Aaron Rosenberg of USC; ends Joe Skladany of Pittsburgh, Bill Smith of Washington and Sid Gillman of Ohio State. Other players included end Edgar Manske of Northwestern and halfback Herman Everhardus of Michigan. Both Sauer and Krause were the co-captains of the college all-star team. In addition to Kizer the all-stars' coaching staff included Mai Edwards of Purdue and Jim Crowley of Fordham (who would go on to coach the Chicago Rockets at Soldier Field). The entire game was covered in radio play-by-play, and over 120 newspapers from 22 states requested press credentials for the event. • 50,000 people saw Lindblom defeat Leo 6–0 in the 1934 Prep Bowl. 1935 • Easter of 1935: 23,000 people attended the nondenominational Protestant Easter sunrise service held at Soldier Field. The Catholic Youth Organization would hold numerous intercity and international boxing tournaments at Soldier Field over the next several years. • In 1936, national softball championships for both men and women were held at Soldier Field. The stadium's arena was big enough to hold five softball diamonds with their home plates along the west stands (on the running track). All five were used simultaneously during the day, but only three were used at the same time for night games. Teams from 40 states and Canada participated, but rain delayed the tournament so it started two days late. A game that stood out was one attended by 15,000 spectators that featured the teams from Rochester and Cleveland facing off (Rochester, led by amateur softball legend Harold "Shifty" Gears, defeated Cleveland 2–0 in that game). • In 1936 a game was held at Soldier Field between rival high schools Tilden and Austin was held at Soldier Field. During the game Tilden player Lou Rymkus blocked a kick and scored a touchdown. Rymkus would later refer to this as the most memorable game of his high school career. • In late 1936 an ice rink was erected in Soldier Field. • In 1937 Soldier Field held many events in honor of Chicago's Charter Jubilee, which was a celebration of the centennial of Chicago's 1837 incorporation as a city. The events were held between March 4 (the date of Chicago's incorporation) and October 9 (the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire) Amongst the events Soldier Field held in celebration of the Jubilee were boxing matches. • In 1937 the Norge Ski Club held a ski meet at Soldier Field. A 13-story 50m ski jump was erected at Soldier Field for the event. The Norge Ski Club, which is based out of Fox River, Illinois, is the oldest continuously operating ski club in the United States. • September 1: 84,560 saw the College All-Stars defeat the Green Bay Packers 6-0 in the College All-Star Game. The game's only points were scored when Texas Christian University's Sammy Baugh passed forty-seven yards to Louisiana State University's Gaynell Tinsley. Members of the All-Star team included Tippy Dye. 1938 • April 17: 50,000 attended the 1938 Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field. The service had Charles E. Fuller as its chief minister. • July 4: as part of the American Legion Fourth of July show held at Soldier Field, a 124th Artillery team played a Cuban army team to a 3–3 tie in a polo match. Also featured in the event were color guards as well as drum and bugle corps. • August 17: a jitterbug concert held at Soldier Field resulted in the so-called 'Jitterbug Riot' after crowds of about 200,000 overwhelmed the event's organizers. Performers at the event included Jimmy Dorsey, Earl Hines, Shep Fields. It featured a battle of the bands with 50 amateur bands and a number of the city's leading dance orchestras. The 1938 College All-Stars and the Redskins later would meet one another for a second game on September 5 in Dallas. • September 11: 20,000 spectators saw the Chicago Bears defeat the Chicago Cardinals 16-13. • 1938 was the final year that the U.S. Central Ski Association held its annual ski meet at Soldier Field. • Fats Waller headlined the 1939 Chicagoland Music Festival. • August 30: 81,456 saw the New York Giants defeat the College All-Stars 9–0 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was Holy Cross running back Bill Osmanski. • September 7: Soldier Field one last time held national softball championships for both men and women, organized by the Amateur Softball Association. • September 15: 13,254 spectators saw the Chicago Bears defeat the Cleveland Rams 30-21. • October 1: 11,000 spectators saw the Detroit Lions defeat the Chicago Cardinals 17-3. • 75,000 people saw Fenger tie Mount Carmel 13–13 in the 1939 Prep Bowl. == 1940s ==
1940s
1940 • March 24 the 1940 Easter sunrise service was held during one of the coldest Easters on record in Chicago. The temperature hardly reached the double-digits by the beginning of the service. • July 4 the American Legion Fourth of July show at Soldier Field again featured a Polo match. This time it was an East-West match. • August 5 Soldier Field hosted an isolationist "peace rally" organized by IOC member, USOC president (and future IOC vice president and IOC president) Avery Brundage. Brundage also introduced the event's featured speaker, Charles Lindberg. • August 29 84,567 saw the Green Bay Packers defeat the College All-Stars 45–28 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was USC Trojans running back Ambrose Schindler. • In 1940 the Catholic Holy Name Society held their inaugural annual "Holy Hour" service at Soldier Field. The event would continue be held into the 1950s 1941 • April 13 over 50,000 saw the 1941 Easter sunrise service at Soldier Field. • May 18, an I Am an American Day event was held at Soldier Field featuring Helen Hayes, Don Ameche, Pat O'Brien, Dennis Morgan, George Jessel, Ethel Waters, John Boles, and Paul Whiteman (with his orchestra). • A rodeo was held at Soldier Field in 1941. • 95,000 saw Leo defeat Tilden 46–13 in the 1941 Prep Bowl. Leo was named the High School Football National Champions that year. 1942 • A rodeo was held at Soldier Field in 1942 featuring movie stars Gene Autry and Tex Cooper. • In 1942 the Chicago Opera Company performed both a concert and a performance of Carmen for servicemen. The shows attracted 32,000 spectators. • 75,000 saw Leo defeat Tilden 27–14 in the 1942 Prep Bowl. • December 5 Notre Dame played Great Lakes in a 13–13 tie. 1944 • In June 50,000 spectators attended a national Sokol slet held at Soldier Field. • June 16 Orson Welles hosted a radio show at Soldier Field to benefit the Fifth War Loan Drive. • In September 1944 the Ringling Brothers Circus performed a 14-day engagement. These were amongst the Circus' first shows after the Hartford Circus Fire in July 1944 (which had resulted in over 165 deaths and 700 injuries). Due to the fire, the performances at Soldier Field were performed in the open-air, rather than under a big top. The final Sunday attracted 14,000 spectators for the matinee performance and 8,000 for the night performance. On Labor Day 9,000 attended the afternoon performance. The Circus' final performance (which occurred on a Monday night) was attended by 4,500. Excluding additional numbers that attended a 'Bond Night', the Circus attracted 145,000 despite unfavorable weather that occurred most of the opening week. • October 28 President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt made an appearance at Soldier Field, which was the only Midwestern speaking appearance he made in his last reelection campaign. This appearance was attended by over 150,000 (with at least as many people attempting to attend that were unable to gain admission). • Tilden defeated Weber 13–7 in the 1944 Prep Bowl. 1945 • May 20 Soldier Field hosted a war bond show in connection with the fifth annual I am an American Day. The event included the presentation by General Alexander Vandegrift of the Medal of Honor to Nora Witek, whose son Frank Witek had been killed-in-action in Guam, as well as a reenactment of the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima during the battle of the same name. The flag-raising reenactment at Soldier Field was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film Flags of Our Fathers. Performers at the show included Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. • May 30 (Memorial Day): the Youth for Christ-movement held a well-attended rally at Soldier Field. Participants included Billy Graham, Charles Templeton, and Torrey Johnson. • September 22: more than 100,000 spectators attended a Catholic Holy Hour service celebrating the newly declared sainthood of Chicago's-own Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini. The event was led by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. • In 1947 the Chicago Bears' annual Armed Forces Game was held at Soldier Field for the first time. The Bears' opponent was the Washington Redskins. Chicago won the game 28–0. The Armed Forces Game raised proceeds for the relief funds of the four branches of the US Armed Services, and was held annually from 1943 through 1970 (and was held at the Bears' home stadium, Wrigley Field, for a number of those years). 1948 • August 22 101,220 saw the Chicago Cardinals defeat the College All-Stars 28–0 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was Kentucky running back Jay Rodemeyer. • In 1948 2x Olympic gold medalist swimmer Vicki Draves turned professional when she made her debut in Larry Crosby's "Rhapsody in Swimtime" aquatic show at Soldier Field. • Lindblom defeated Fenwick 13–7 in the 1948 Prep Bowl. • Al Jolson again headlined the Chicagoland Music Festival in 1949, having previously headlined in 1934. • October 28: 11,249 spectators saw the Chicago Hornets, who were formerly known as the Chicago Rockets, lose 14–24 to the Los Angeles Dons in what would ultimately be the Hornets' final last-ever home game • Schurz defeated Fenwick 20–7 in the 1949 Prep Bowl. == 1950s ==
1950s
1950 • August 11: 88,885 saw the College All-Stars defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 17–7 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. • 70,000 spectators attended the 1950 Chicagoland Music Festival. Among the performers was Alec Templeton. • Mount Carmel, coached by Terry Brennan, defeated Lane Tech 45–20 in the 1950 Prep Bowl. 1951 • April 26: • September 8 what many regard to have been Soldier Field's largest crowd ever, 260,000 spectators, attended the Marian Year tribute of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. 180,000 were inside of the stadium, while another 80,000 gathered outside of the stadium and listened via loudspeakers. The event was led by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. • August 12 75,000 saw the College All-Stars defeat the Cleveland Browns 30–27 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. • July 21: Glenn "Fireball" Roberts won the only NASCAR Grand National Series (today's NASCAR Cup Series) race held at the stadium's short track which ran across the old configuration. Roberts beat Jim Pascal but only a car's-length. Roberts passed Pascal only in the 194th lap out of 200 laps total. The order that drivers came in following Roberts then Pascal was Ralph Moody, Speedy Thompson, Frank Mundy, Buck Baker, Bill Champion, Paul Goldsmith, Joy Fair, Lee Petty, Bob Esposito, Frank Edwards, Bill Massey, Chuck Mesler, Al Watkins, Sal Tovella, Billy Myers, Herb Thomas, Darvin Randahl, Fred Lorenzen, Bob Chaunce, Tom Pistone, Bill Vesler, Kenny Paulsen, Ray Crowley. • Two NASCAR Convertible Division races were held at Soldier Field in 1956. • In 1956, 38,000 saw Tom Pistone win the NASCAR Soldier Field 100. Pistone ultimately won a record 38 motor race events at Soldier Field. • Lane Tech defeated Fenwick 19–0 in the 1959 Prep Bowl. == 1960s ==
1960s
led two Chicago Freedom Movement rallies at Soldier Field. 1960 • August 12 70,000 saw the Baltimore Colts defeat the College All-Stars 32–7 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was Cincinnati Bearcats end Jim Leo. • Soldier Field hosted the 1960 Western Golden Gloves. Muhammad Ali fought in this event, and received the Outstanding Fighter trophy for his weight class. • 93,000 spectators attended two performances of the Police show, headlined by Jack Paar. Other performers included Wimpy the Clown, an acrobat named Bettina, and Trans-World Airdevils auto stunts. Stanley R. Sarbaneck, president of the benevolent association, spoke at the event. This was the final game in which the All-Stars beat their NFL competitors. • November 2 Soldier Field hosted the ArmyAir Force game. It was the first game between two military colleges at Soldier Field since the 1927 Army–Navy Game. President of the United States John F. Kennedy was scheduled to make an appearance at halftime as part of his reelection campaign. Kennedy had worked with Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley in attracting the game to Chicago. • 81,270 saw St. Rita defeat Chicago Vocational 42–7 in the 1963 Prep Bowl. The St. Rita squad was named the High School Football National Champions that year. Mendel halfback John Byrne scored five touchdowns and six extra points. • August 7 65,000 saw the Chicago Bears defeat the College All-Stars 28–17 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was Arizona State guard Chuck Taylor. • August 15 Johnny Cash and June Carter headlined the Chicagoland Music Festival. • November 6: ArmyAir Force game. • July 23 Mike McGreevy won the last USAC midget feature race held at Soldier Field. • Loyola Academy defeated Chicago Vocational 20–14 in the 1966 Prep Bowl. • June 7 Sal Tovella won what was the last stock car race held at Soldier Field, thus marking the end of an era. • August 2 69,917 saw the Green Bay Packers defeat the College All-Stars 34–17 in the Chicago College All-Star Game. The MVP was Syracuse running back Larry Csonka. Other collegiate participants included Forrest Blue. • August 27 a Democratic Party rally was scheduled to be held at Soldier Field. The Democratic Party had rented out Soldier Field for the entire week of the 1968 Democratic National Convention held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. Despite deciding against seeking reelection, incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had planned on attended the rally, which would have doubled as a birthday party for him. Instead, due to riots surrounding the convention, all regular Democratic Party rallies were cancelled, and the President did not leave the White House to attend the convention. • Mendel defeated Chicago Vocational 41–19 in the 1968 Prep Bowl. • Loyola Academy defeated Lane Tech 26–0 in the 1969 Prep Bowl. == 1970s ==
1970s
1970 • In June Soldier Field hosted an association football match between Poland and Portugal. All fans had to sit in the west stands, due to repairs taking place on the eastern stands. • The final fire show at Soldier Field occurred as a part of a lakefront festival that also included the Chicago Air and Water Show. 38,000 spectators were in attendance, including Mayor Richard J. Daley and Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn. • St. Rita defeated Morgan Park 18–12 in the 1971 Prep Bowl. Members of the St. Rita team included Billy Marek and Dennis Lick. The team was coached by Pat Cronin. • St. Laurence defeated Taft 24–7 in the 1972 Prep Bowl. • September 13 Soldier Field, for the fifth year, held its annual collegiate football game between historically black colleges. The game was played between Tennessee State and Central State. Proceeds benefited charities relating to sickle cell anemia. Chicago Tribune Charities had every intention of staging a 1977 game. However, with coaches increasingly unwilling to let their high draft picks play and insurance costs on the rise due to higher player salaries, the Tribune announced on December 21, 1976, that the game would be discontinued. Serving as the coach of the All-Stars was also the final coaching experience of Ara Parseghian. • July 25 ZZ Top concert Foghat, the J. Geils Band and the Climax Blues Band. • June 19: 95,000 spectators attended a Pink Floyd 'Animals' tour concert. • July 9: 77,197 spectators attended a Lynyrd Skynyrd and Point Blank concert. • July 10 :Super Bowl of Rock Game 3 concert featuring Ted Nugent, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Journey and .38 Special. • August 13: Peter Frampton • August 26 a concert event called Funk Fest was held at Soldier Field, with performances by Parliament-Funkadelic, A Taste of Honey, The Bar-Kays, and Con Funk Shun. • St. Laurence defeated Sullivan 34–8 in the 1978 Prep Bowl. 1979 • July 4: 15,000 attended the 1979 American Legion show. • Julian defeated Joliet Catholic 30–22 in the 1979 Prep Bowl. == 1980s ==
1980s
1980 • July 19: Budweiser Summerfest concert featuring James Brown, Smokey Robinson, The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Two Tons O' Fun (The Weather Girls), and GQBrother Rice defeated Julian in the 1980 Prep Bowl. • October 13 David D. Meilahn made the first-ever commercial cell phone call from his 1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL at Soldier Field on a Motorola DynaTAC. This is considered a major turning point in communications. The call was to Bob Barnett, the former president of Ameritech Mobile Communications, who then placed a call on a DynaTAC from inside of a Chrysler convertible to the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell who was in Germany. • Mount Carmel defeated Simeon 28–6 in the 1983 Prep Bowl. • Mount Carmel defeated Lane Tech 19–14 in the 1985 Prep Bowl. • 1986 NFC Divisional Playoff: Washington Redskins 27, Bears 13. • Gordon Tech High School defeated Julian 29–14 in the 1987 Prep Bowl. • Julian defeated Fenwick 48-14 in the 1989 Prep Bowl. == 1990s ==
1990s
1990 • July 29: Paul McCartney World Tour concert. • Robeson defeated Gordon Tech High School 48–14 in the 1990 Prep Bowl. • September 5, 1992 64,877 spectators saw Notre Dame defeat Northwestern 42–7. It was Notre Dame's first game at Soldier Field in a half-century. • Mather defeated Brother Rice 15–6 in the 1992 Prep Bowl. • Mount Carmel defeated Bogan 34–14 in the 1993 Prep Bowl. opening ceremony • July 17, 1994, preceding the opening match (also held at Soldier Field), the stadium hosted the opening ceremonies of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The temperature was hot, at 97 °F, at the beginning of the ceremonies, but dropped down to a cooler 83 °F by the start of the opening match. Portions of the performance included music and folk dancers from the 24 nations that were competing in the World Cup. • October 8 the Alabama State Hornets and the Jackson State Tigers competed in the Chicago Football Classic. The halftime entertainment featured a "battle of the bands" between both schools' marching bands. Portions of the pre-game ceremonies honored both Jackson State alumni Lewis Tillman and Alabama State alumni Jesse White. One of the star athletes competing in this game was Alabama State's Reggie Barlow. The game was won by Jackson State. • Brother Rice defeated Lane Tech 28–22 in the 1994 Prep Bowl. • July 11 Pearl Jam Vitalogy Tour concert, with Bad Religion and Otis Rush. • In 1995 Soldier Field was the venue of two international soccer games. • September 14, 1996 Little Feat concert, with Taj Mahal. • In 1996 the Promise Keepers drew 69,000 to an event at Soldier Field. • July 18 Vans Warped Tour concert. The 1997 Vans Warped Tour featured Bad Religion, Blink-182, Descendants, Hed PE, Jimmy 2 Times, Lagwagon, Latex Generation, Less Than Jake, Limp Bizkit, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Millencolin, Murder City Devils, Orange 9mm, Pennywise, Reel Big Fish, Sick of It All, Snot (now known as Tons), Social Distortion, Strung Out, Sugar Ray, Trading Bryson, Vision of Disorder, and White Kaps. The list of artists that have participated in the Warped Tour over the years is an extensive one. • August 23 Northwestern defeated Oklahoma 24–0 in the 1997 Pigskin Classic. • September 23 and 25 The Rolling Stones kicked off their Bridges to Babylon Tour performing two sold-out shows at Soldier Field with Blues Traveler. The two dates had a combined attendance of 107,186 and grossed $6,260,000. • Dunbar defeated Marian Catholic 28–21 in the 1997 Prep Bowl. • 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final: • Hubbard defeated Joliet Catholic 28–16 in the 1998 Prep Bowl. • September 4 the Alcorn State Braves faced the Grambling State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. • 35,000 spectators saw Hubbard defeat De La Salle 20–13 in the 1999 Prep Bowl. == 2000s ==
2000s
2000 • May 13: Wilco concert. • 2000 U.S. Cup: • June 29 and 30: Dave Matthews Band concerts, with Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals and Ozomatli • July 20–22: Bassmaster Classic weigh-ins were held at Soldier Field. The boats used in the competition were docked nearby at Burnham Harbor. The competition took place within the Chicago-area in Lake Michigan and its connected waterways. The Bassmaster Classic is a major fishing competition, sometimes dubbed to be the "Superbowl of Fishing". Live coverage of the event was streamed online. This was the 30th edition of the competition. 45 competitors participated in the competition At the end of the competition, a closing ceremony was held at Soldier Field with performances (including Grammy-winning singer Trisha Yearwood) and fireworks. Competitor, and 1999 champion, Davy Hite, failed to defend his title in the 2000 edition. The winner of the competition was Woo Daves, who, at 54, became the oldest person to win a Bassmaster Classic title. It was Daves' 15th time competing in the Classic. Daves received a $100,000 prize. In descending order, the top six finishers were Woo Daves (Spring Grove, Virginia), Mark Rizk (Antelope, California), Shaw Grigsby Jr. (Gainesville, Florida), Rick Clunn (Ava, Missouri), Kotaro Kiriyama (Tokyo, Japan), and Norio Tanabe (Tokyo, Japan). This was the 27th consecutive (and overall) Classic that third-place finisher Rick Clunn had competed in. It was Kevin VanDam's 10th consecutive Classic, with VanDam then having managed to make the Classic every season of his ten-years in B.A.S.S. competition. This was also the Larry Nixon's 22nd, Gary Klein's 19th, Georg Cohcharn's 18th, and Ron Sheffield's 12th total Classic. The 2000 edition was considered to be one of the most challenging editions of the Bassmaster Classic. Chicago was the third northern location to host the event, with Alexandria Bay, New York City (Saint Lawrence River) and Cincinnati (Ohio River) having previously hosted the 1980 and 1983 editions, respectively. • September 2: the Howard Bisons faced the Jackson State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. • 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final: • Marian Catholic defeated Simeon 23–14 in the 2000 Prep Bowl. • April 7 XFL Chicago Enforcers final home game. Was played against Orlando Rage. The game was attended by 50,000 spectators. • September 9 Soldier Field hosted 2001 Women's U.S. Cup. These matches were preceded by an opening match at Schwaben Field in the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove two days prior. The second game played at Soldier Field was the third and the final game played in the tournament, as the tournament's additional matches were cancelled following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which occurred while the tournament was still in its round-robin phase. • Mount Carmel defeated Morgan Park 50–0 in the 2001 Prep Bowl. • July 11 USA vs. Poland international-friendly soccer match. The game finished 1–1. • October 9 the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils faced the Grambling State Tigers in the Chicago Football Classic. • Brother Rice defeated Lane Tech in the 2004 Prep Bowl. • September 10 The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang concert, with Los Lonely Boys • July 21 60,000 spectators attended Bon Jovi concert, with Nickelback, on the Have a Nice Day Tour. The concert lasted three hours, the longest a concert had ever at Soldier Field. • October 11: The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang concert, with Elvis Costello & The Imposters. Clinton was, at the time, a Senator, a former First Lady, and would later become Secretary of State and serve as the Democratic nominee for President in the 2016. Obama was, at the time, a senator, and would ultimately become president. Biden was, at the time, a senator, and would ultimately become vice president. Richardson was, at the time, Governor of New Mexico and was also a former Secretary of Energy, UN Ambassador, and Representative. Edwards was a former senator and had previously been the Democratic nominee for vice president in the 2004 election. Dodd was, at the time, a senator and a former representative. Kucinich was, at the time, a representative and the former mayor of Cleveland. • The 2007 edition of the annual Special Olympics Chicago featured an opening ceremony with a performance by the Jesse White Tumbling Team and a speech from Special Olympics Illinois CEO Doug Snyder. The Keith Magnuson Spirit Award was presented by Keith's son Kevin Magnuson to the D.S. Wentworth School, largely due to the efforts of their lead coach Ophelia Doyle who accepted the award for the school's team. • September 1 the NIU faced the University of Iowa in the first Division I College Football game at Soldier Field since its renovations. Iowa defeated NIU 16–3. A capacity crowd of 61,500 attended the game, setting a Mid-American Conference record for a home game in football (the match was considered a home game for NIU). • Saint Rita defeated Morgan Park 50–0 in the 2007 Prep Bowl. • June 21 Kenny Chesney concert, with Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes and Gary Allan. • June 13: Kenny Chesney concert, with Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup • September 15: Soldier Field hosted the 2009 Medal of Honor Convention. • Saint Rita defeated Simeon 34–20 in the 2009 Prep Bowl. == 2010s ==
2010s
Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawk Patrick Kane (left) joins Sky Blue (of LMFAO) on-stage during Bamboozle Road Show 2010. 2010 • June 12: The Bamboozle Roadshow concert event in Soldier Field's parking lot. This event featured All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Cady Groves, Forever the Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, Hellogoodbye, LMFAO, Third Eye Blind, the Prices, the Ready Set, Stereo Skyline, and Vita Chambers. • June 19: 29,233 spectators attended an Eagles Long Road Out of Eden Tour concert, with the Dixie Chicks and JD & the Straight Shot. • July 2: deadmau5 concert, with Rye Rye and Brazilian Girls. • July 23–24: Soldier Field's 'South Festival Lot' hosted the 2010 Dew Tour's Nike 6.0 BMX Open. Chicago was also supposed to host the 38th G8 summit just prior to the NATO summit, but on May 5, 2010, the White House announced a last-minute venue change for the G8 Summit. The G8 Summit was instead held at Camp David. • June 16 and 17 the first annual Spring Awakening Music Festival was held at Soldier Field. It has been held at Soldier Field every year since. The lineup featured Moby, Skrillex, Afrojack, Diplo, Flux Pavilion, Laidback Luke, Wolfgang Gartner, A-Trak, Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, Hardwell, Arty, Claude Vonstroke, Derrick Carter, Dillon Francis, Destructo, Downlink, Felix Cartal, Gabriel & Dresden, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Joachim Garraud, Kill the Noise, Lance Herbstrong, Midnight Conspiracy, Morgan Page, Nathan Scott, Nervo, and Nobody Beats the Drum. • July 7 a sold-out crowd of 51,100 attended a Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw Brothers of the Sun Tour concert with Jake Owen and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. • August 2 Soldier Field hosted the Terrapin 5K & Music Festival. • September 1 NIU hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in a season opener that was called "Soldier Field Showdown III". • October 6 Notre Dame hosted a game at Soldier Field against the University of Miami as part of their Shamrock Series. • Simeon defeated Brother Rice 14–12 in the 2012 Prep Bowl. • A Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-squad game was held in affiliation with the Hockey City Classic in 2013. • July 2013: Big Ten 10k. • July 12: a sold-out crowd of 45,178 attended a Bon Jovi Because We Can concert, with the J. Geils Band. at the 2013 edition of Spring Awakening • June 14–16: Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening Music Festival. The lineup featured Moby, Calvin Harris, Zeds, Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, 12th Planet, an21 & Max Vangeli, ATB, Bingo Players, Boys Noize, Break Science, Carnage, The Crystal Method, Chuckie, Clockwork, Dirty South, DotExe, Excision, Felix Da Housecat, Figure, Flosstradamus, DJ Godfather, Gramatik, DJ Green Lantern, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Joachim Garruad, John Dahlbäck, Knuckle Children, Krewella, Lucky Date, Milk N Cookies, DJ Minnesota, Mord Fustang, Nathan Scott, Nero, Nervo, Nicky Romero, PANTyRAID, Paul Oakenfold, Porn and Chicken, Porter Robinson, R3hab, Robbie Rivera, Savoy, Showtek, Stafford Brothers, Stratus, Team Bayside High, Tommy Trash, Topher Jones, Walden, Wolfgang Gartner, 2EBO, and Zomboy. • September 14: 47,312 attended an Illinois vs Washington football game. • June 13–15: Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening Music Festival. The lineup featured Tiesto, Diplo, Kaskade, Knife & Party, Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, Benny Benassi, Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz, Flux Pavilion, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, Kill The Noise, Claude Vonstroke, Curtis Jones (as 'Green Velvet'), Borgore, Chuckie, 3lau, Alex Metric, Alvin Risk, Andy C, Arty, Blasterjaxx, Caked Up, Candyland, Carnage, Datsik, Derrick Carter, Destroid, DVBBS, Dyro, Feed Me, Ferry Corsten, Gladiator, Gregori Klosman, Kap Slap, Kill Paris, Laidback Luke, Manic Focus, Markus Schulz, Midnight Consipracy, Nick Catchdubs, Nervo, Oliver Ookay, Paper Diamond, Pete Tong, Sander van Doorn, Sandro Silva, DJ Snake, Thomas Gold, and Tommy Trash. • July 1: 28,000 attended a viewing party of the broadcast 2014 World Cup Round of 16 game between the United States and Belgium. In attendance at this viewing party was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. • July 24: a sold-out crowd of 50,035 attended a Beyoncé and Jay Z On the Run Tour concert. The performance earned $5,783,396 in ticket revenue. • July 27: 2014 International Champions Cup match: • August 29 and 30: two sold-out crowds totalling 104,617 attended One Direction Where We Are Tour concerts with 5 Seconds of Summer. • August 31: a sold-out crowd of 50,529 attended a Luke Bryan That's My Kind of Night Tour concert with Dierks Bentley, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, and DJ Rock. The show grossed $3,754,362. This concert broke the record the highest-attended country music concert at Soldier Field. • September 20: Soldier Field hosted the Annual Chicago Football Classic, which was played between Morehouse College and Central State University. Morehouse won 43–9. The halftime show featured Tone Kapone and Shag from Power 92, WGCI-FM personality Leon Rogers, and Spenzo who performed his song Wife Er along with a new song. Spenzo was joined by Diggy Simmons, son of Run DMC member Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons. The halftime show ended with a battle of the bands between the Morehouse and Central State marching bands. • November 1, 2014: Soldier Field hosted its first international rugby union test match between the United States and New Zealand as part of the 2014 end-of-year rugby union tests. More than half of the 61,500 tickets were sold within two days. The attendance was a capacity crowd of 61,500. This set the record for the most attended international rugby test held in the United States, surpassing the previous record by over 40,000. The All Blacks beat the USA Eagles 76–6. • Loyola defeated Curie 14-7 in the 2014 Prep Bowl. • February 7 Soldier Field hosted the 2015 Hockey City Classic, the second edition of the game to be held at Soldier Field. The games of the 2015 Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic had to be delayed due to unusually warm weather (42 °F) and complications with the quality of the ice. The 2015 edition of the Hockey City Classic featured a match between Miami of Ohio and Western Michigan, followed by a match between the Big Ten's Michigan and Michigan State. Due largely to the delay and other factors, attendance was a disappointing 22,751. • February 15, 2015 Soldier Field hosted a Chicago Gay Hockey Association intra-league match in association with the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. • May 9 American Beer Classic beer festival (Chicago's largest) inside Soldier Field. • May 9 Cinco de Miler 5 mile race on the Chicago lakefront starting and finishing in Soldier Field's South Tailgate Lot. • June 6 Kenny Chesney The Big Revival Tour concert with Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Chase Rice, and Old Dominion. 43,630 spectators attended the show, which generated $3,776,207 in ticket-revenue. at the 2015 edition of Spring Awakening victory rally • June 12–14 Soldier Field hosted the Spring Awakening Music Festival. The first day (the 12th) featured Zedd, Eric Prydz, Martin Garrix, Duke Dumont, Paul van Dyk, Andrew Rayel, Borgore, Cosmic Gate, DJ Slink, Ilan Bluestone, Mija, Myon & Shane 54, Seven Lions, Shiba San, Slander the Floozies, Thomas Jack, Tommy Trash, A Guy Called Amir, Dani Deahl, Freak Island, Jake Terra, Kite!, Louis the Child, Mario Florek, M.O.B., Peter Kontor, PT & PT, Skyler Shores, Sleepy Pilch, and The Trap House. The second day (the 13th) featured Hardwell, Flosstradamus, Dada Life, Zomboy, Diplo (performing both solo and alongside Skrillex as they made their midwest debut as Jack Ü), Adventure Club, Brillz, Bro Safari, Dusky, Eats Everything, Figure, Grandtheft, Headhunterz, Lane 8, Morgan Page, Nicole Moudaber, Oliver Heldens, Pegboard Nerds, Sander van Doorn, Savoy, Skream, Ummet Ozcan, Alfonz Delamota, Attak, Bucky Fargo, DJ White Owl, Fatboy, Inphinity, Kalendr, Jack Trash, Porn and Chicken, RJ Pickens, Ryan B, Stratus, Teknicolor, Xonic, and Zander. The final day (the 14th) featured Tiësto, Afrojack, Zeds Dead, Excision, Jamie Jones, Aero Chord, Audien, Boombox, Branchez, Curtis Jones (as 'Cajmere'), Derrick Carter, DVBBS, Eva Shaw, Hucci, Justin Martin, Keys N Krates, MK, Party Favor, TJR, W&W, Yellow Claw, Antics, Delusive, DJ Nurotic, Funky Mack, Goodsex, Howie Doin, Juno Moss, Light.Em.Up, Mikho, Nathan Scott, Soultech (performing alongside Gene Ferris and Dustin Sheridan), The Pool House, Xposur, and Zerogravity. • June 18 65,000 attended the Chicago Blackhawks 2015 Stanley Cup victory rally at Soldier Field. • June 27 Kam Franklin and her band The Suffers performed and Eugene Mirman served as the host on the main stage of Woofstock: Road to the Puppy Bowl, a charity event held a Soldier Field. Other performers included JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. • June 29, as part of the 2015 International Champions Cup, Manchester United played Paris Saint-Germain at Soldier Field. • July 3–5, 2015 the Grateful Dead performed a series of three reunion concerts at Soldier Field celebrating the band's 50th anniversary. This was a portion of a concert series entitled "Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead", which were their first concerts since their July 1995 concert at Soldier Field. The three concerts at Soldier Field were originally to be their only concerts, but due to overwhelming ticket demand the series was expanded to include two dates at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California (in the San Francisco Bay Area) performed the weekend prior to the Soldier Field concerts. The band at the concerts consisted of the surviving Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, who had no performed together since the Dead's 2009 tour, who were joined by Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby and Jeff Chimenti. The concerts at Soldier Field were also broadcast with a live simulcast seen by hundreds of thousands on pay-per-view cable television, (for free) on YouTube, on large screens at multiple concert venues in the United States, in movie theaters, as well as in various pay-per-view services. Sirius Satellite Radio played the concerts, with a slight delay, on their Grateful Dead channel. The pay-per-view set a new record for a music event with more than 400,000 subscriptions, surpassing a 1999 simulcast by the Backstreet Boys which drew 160,000 subscriptions. The concerts at Soldier Field were documented by director Martin Scorsese for a film. Recordings from the concert will be released as a live album on November 20, 2015. There will be three different versions of the recording. Each concert was attended by over 70,000 (more than 210,000 overall). The first date drew 70,764, setting a new record for attendance at Soldier Field post-renovation, a record that was surpassed the next night when 70,844 attended the second concert. Among those in attendance were Bill Murray, George R. R. Martin, Katy Perry and John Mayer, Al Franken, Perry Farrell, Bill Walton, Jenny Lewis, John Popper, Chloë Sevigny, Liz Phair, David Axelrod, and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo. • 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches: • July 18 and 19 Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour concerts with Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, and HAIM. These shows were sold out, with 55,431 and 54,445 being purchased for the first and the second shows respectively. This is believed to have set Soldier Field's record for a concert independently headlined by a female artist. During the first concert, Swift invited Andy Grammer and Serayah to join her onstage. She invited Sam Hunt, Andreja Pejić and Lily Donaldson onstage during her second show. The sold-out shows were opened by Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, and Haim, and generated $11,469,887 in revenue. • July 25 2015 BTN Big 10k. • August 23 a sold-out crowd of 41,527 attended a One Direction On the Road Again Tour concert with Icona Pop. The show generated $3,382,655 in ticket revenue. • August 28 Chicago's St. Rita of Cascia High School played Pennsylvania's Malvern Preparatory School at Soldier Field as part of the High School Kick Off Classic. Other games that were a part of this included one between Mount Carmel High School and Marist High School, which Mount Carmel won 21–14. • September 5 23,000 spectators watched the Australian Wallabies defeat the US Eagles 49-10 in Soldier Field's second-ever international rugby match. • September 10 2015 Super Bears Shuffle 5K race. • September 13 Jim Cornelison, the Chicago Blackhawks' National Anthem singer, sang the US National Anthem before a game between the Chicago Bears and their longtimerival Green Bay Packers. • September 28 the Morgan State Bears faced Howard Bisons in the Chicago Football Classic. • November 11 Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel oversaw the annual Veterans Day ceremony at Soldier Field. Captain William Albracht, a Purple Heart recipient who was the youngest captain of combat troops in the Vietnam War, served as the event's keynote speaker. Also taking part in the ceremony were Representative Tammy Duckworth (a Purple Heart recipient herself), Senator Mark Kirk (a decorated veteran himself), Senator Dick Durbin, and Governor Bruce Rauner. • November 28 Soldier Field hosted the annual Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between Northwestern and Illinois. This was the first time in the 123-year rivalry between the two school's that they have ever met at Soldier Field, and the third time that they played one another in Chicago (the previous two times being at Wrigley Field in 1923 and in 2010). Northwestern won the game 24–14. 2016 • May 27 and 28 Beyoncé Formation World Tour concerts. • In June, Soldier Field hosted matches of the Copa América Centenario. This was the 100th anniversary edition of the Copa América, and the first time it had been held outside of South America. The Copa América is the oldest continental football competition and is one of the most prestigious and most widely viewed sporting events in the world. Group C Venezuela-Jamaica match • July 1 and 3 Guns N' Roses Alice in Chains Not in This Lifetime... Tour concerts • July 23 and 24 Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams Tour concerts with Alessia Cara and Foxes • November 5 the New Zealand All Blacks faced Ireland in Soldier Field's third-ever international rugby match. This was the first time the two teams have faced one another in the United States. Ireland won the match 40-29, marking the first time they have ever defeated the All Blacks in International Test rugby. This game was part of "The Rugby Weekend", which also featured a game between the US Eagles and the Maori All Blacks at Toyota Park one day earlier. • 2017 Warrior Games opening ceremony on July 1, 2017 (field competitions held in the adhacent parkland) • 2017 Major League Soccer All-Star Game on August 2, 2017 • Coldplay returned to Soldier Field on August 17, 2017, for their A Head Full of Dreams Tour. • In 2017 Soldier Field hosted the annual Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between Northwestern and Illinois. 2018 • January 6: 2018 NFC Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles 16, Chicago Bears 15 • August 10 & 11: Beyoncé & Jay-Z On The Run II Concert. 2019 • In 2019 Soldier Field will host the annual Land of Lincoln Trophy rivalry game between Northwestern and Illinois. • 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final on 7 July. ==2020s==
2020s
2021 • In 2021 Kanye West Performed his third concert of the Donda Listening Party series • In 2021 Soldier Field hosted Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin. 2023 • June 2, 3 and 4: Taylor Swift performed 3 sold out concerts during The Eras Tour • July 22 and 23: Beyoncé performed to 2 sold out crowds during Renaissance World Tour 2024 • June 21: Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks performed a concert together branded as "two legends, one night" 2025 • May 15, 17, and 18: Beyoncé brings the Cowboy Carter Tour to Soldier Field • July 18: Blackpink performs the Deadline Tour to Soldier Field 2026 • March 31: Mexico vs Belgium. first football (soccer in US) match in Mexico's MexTour 2026. == See also ==
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