Other Events
The stadium became a yearly site for Supercross races in 2005. Seattle had been left out of the circuit since the Kingdome hosted 1999. It takes more than 650 truckloads of dirt to build the course for the event that around 50,000 spectators attend.
The Rolling Stones, U2, Metallica, and other large acts have performed at CenturyLink Field. The stadium hosts both trade and consumer shows. The CenturyLink Field Events Center connects to the stadium's west field plaza and consists of two exhibition halls, a conference room, and a concourse. The events center hosts pre-game events for the Seahawks and Mariners. According to the Public Stadium Authority's website, the events center contributes more than half a billion dollars to the region's economy.
The Event Center had previously been called "the worst venue in town" for concerts but in 2006, AEG Live and First & Goal formed a partnership to create a new theater. Washington Mutual obtained the naming rights and it was called the "WaMu Theater." New theater space can be assembled on an as needed basis within the building and equipment, including the 104-foot (32 m) wide stage, can be dismantled and stored in the stadium. The theater's acoustics were improved by installing panels on the ceiling and a large curtain. Depending on the seating configuration, the capacity can be 3,300, 4,000, or 7,000. Seal performed the inaugural concert on November 6, 2006. The events center was renamed the CenturyLink Field Event Center in June 2011.
The facilities have been used for public speaking engagements. The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, delivered a 28-minute speech to 50,817 people on April 12, 2008. The event was part of the five-day Seeds of Compassion conference held in Seattle. Michelle Obama spoke to a crowd of about 1,600 at the events center during a fundraising event for governor Christine Gregoire's 2008 reelection campaign.
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Famous quotes containing the word events:
“Custom, then, is the great guide of human life. It is that principle alone, which renders our experience useful to us, and makes us expect, for the future, a similar train of events with those which have appeared in the past.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“As I look at the human story I see two stories. They run parallel and never meet. One is of people who live, as they can or must, the events that arrive; the other is of people who live, as they intend, the events they create.”
—Margaret Anderson (1886–1973)