40+ YEARS OF ALOHA STADIUM
Forty-nine years ago, when the existing stadium was completed, the state-of-the-art facility was the first of its kind to offer four movable sections. The 50,000 seat stadium could be configured to offer multiple seating arrangements and field formations that accommodated football, soccer, baseball, and special concert events. It hasn’t been just the stadium though, the site has been extensively used and its home to many iconic events and uses, including the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet & Marketplace and the 50th State Fair. Here are just some of our event highlights over the last forty years.
- 1970
- 1980
- 1990
- 2000
The 70’s
- September 1975 – Crowd of 32,247 come to support UH against Texas A&I for the stadium’s first season opener.
- April 1976 – The Hawaiians play Jacksonville in the very first professional football game.Soccer star Pele and New York Cosmos lure 21, 705 for victory over Team Japan.
- August 21, 1976 – The first NFL Exhibition Game featuring San Fran 49ers defeat San Diego Chargers 17-16 before a crowd of 36,364 fans.
- 1976 – The Honolulu Jaycees bring the 50th State Fair to the stadium.
- December 1976 – Kalapana and C & K end the year with a great concert.
- 1977 – Team Hawaii joins the North American Soccer League and makes Aloha Stadium it’s home.
- December 1978 – First sellout crowd of 48,767 watches eventual national champion University of Southern Cal beat UH 21-5.
- May 1979 – 18,348 fans come out to support UH’s Derek Tatsuno as he strikes out 12 in 11-1 UH victory over Nevada Las Vegas.
- Summer 1979 – The Aloha Flea Market opens and becomes the largest operation of its kind in the state. Highlighting Concerts: Chicago, Santana, Boston, C& K, The Beach Boys, Heart, Eagles
The 80’s
- January 1980 – First of 34 Pro Bowl games announced crowd of 49,800 (10th annual ProBowl)
- November 1980 – The Oahu Prep Bowl game between Iolani and Waianae draws 31,484 the largest crowd to watch high school football game in Hawaii.
- March 1981 – Andy Ganigan scores third round TKO over Manuel Abedoy in co-main event of CBS nationally televised boxing card
- November 1982 – Stevie Wonder concert
- December 1982 – Aloha Bowl debuts with Washington in a 21-20 victory over Maryland
- February 1984 – The Police hold their farewell concert with over 31,000 fans making this one of the largest concert crowds ever at Aloha Stadium.
- December 1984 – A truck and tractor pull event, the Hawaii Super Pull makes it’s debut becoming an instant hit.
- March 1985 – Olympian Duncan Macdonald wins first Great Aloha Run
- 1985 – Superbog Mudracing comes to the stadium
- July 1986 – Frank Sinatra concert draws more than 25,000
- August 1987 – Hawaii Islanders play final season in stadium before moving to Colorado Springs, Colo
- June 1989 – Robbie Knievel crashes in motorcycle event
- August 1989 – Superbowl of Wheels featuring motocycles, cars, bikes and skateboarding holds its inaugural event.
- December 1989 – UH makes first NCAS bowl appearance in 33-13 Aloha Bowl loss to Michigan State
The 90’s
- January 1997 – Michael Jackson plays in back to back sellout concerts
- May 1997 – Whitney Houston Concert
- April 1997 – Sand Diego Padres host regular season series with St. Louis Cardinals that draw 77,432 over two days
- January 1998 – Rolling Stones concert draws more than 55,000
- February 1998 – Mariah Carey ended her Butterfly World Tour
- December 1998 – Air Force defeats Washington 45-25 in inaugural Oahu Bowl game. Game is played two more years before it moves to Seattle
- December 1999 – Saint Louis School defeats Kahuku in first state football championship game
The 2000’s
- 2002 – Janet Jackson’s 2nd concert to the islands, All for You Tour was broadcasted on HBO
- December 2002 – Tulane Defeats UH 36-28 before 35,513 in inaugural Hawaii Bowl
- December 2006 – U2’s final stop on their Vertigo Tour
- November 2007 – Largest UH crowd (49,651) sees Warriors beat Boise State 39-27 for the school’s first out-right conference championship.
- December 2007 – Crowd of 49,566 see UH complete unbeaten (12-0) regular season and clinch the Sugar Bowl berth with comeback victory over Washington 35-28
- January 12, 2008 – Hula Bowl plays its 25th and last game
- February 2008 – Inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship Soccer Tournament
- 2012 – Ziggy Marley Concert
- 2013 – Rugby Team USA vs Samoa
- 2014 – US vs Samoa Rugby League Lava Lava Festival
- 2017 – The Chainsmokers Concert
*all photos courtesy of Alan Straub