New 90,000-square-foot entertainment venue coming to Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A new entertainment venue is coming to Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Children’s Mercy Park is working with sports architecture firm Populous on a project that will bring live entertainment to the soccer stadium. It’s the same firm that designed the stadium.

The project will include renovating 11 acres of the stadium’s ticket entry areas and building a stage and screen for live events and entertainment, the Kansas City Business Journal previously reported. Representatives for the project also requested a special use permit to host these live events, according to plans filed with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas City Planning Commission.

According to Thomson, the following renovations will be made:

• Upgrades to 90,000-square-foot outdoor plaza
  • Electrical/lighting modifications
  • Sitework to accommodate activations, concerts, gameday and non-gameday events
• Up to 9,000 person capacity for concerts and events at the outdoor venue
• New stage and videoboard
• Added entry gates and updated structure
• Added “Champions Walk” entry sidewalk

“We are thrilled to partner with Populous for the upcoming upgrades to the outdoor plaza for concerts and events, leading to the World Cup and beyond,” Sporting Kansas City spokesman Rob Thomson said in an email. “We are still in the early stages of this project and look forward to showcasing the progress in the coming months.”

Events could include small concerts, Sporting KC game-day festivities or watch parties for major events, like the FIFA World Cup and high school graduations, according to city documents. Children’s Mercy Park already hosts amateur and professional soccer games, sporting events and concerts.

“Envision match days, pre- and post-games, community events, World Cup watch parties, etc.” Thomson told FOX4 via email.

“The fan experience is paramount for Sporting Kansas City. We take great pride in our stadium, keeping it pristine and enhancing fan-facing areas.”

Thomson also confirmed that renovations will be completed ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said they expect to break ground in mid-September and hope to open in May.