Major League Soccer team Inter Miami has announced plans to increase the capacity at DRV PNK Stadium due to “unprecedented demand” as Lionel Messi prepares for his first full season in the US.
A brand-new seating section has been added in the Southwest corner, while capacity has also increased in the Northeast and Southeast corners. The capacity of DRV PNK Stadium for 2024 will be 21,550, compared to 19,000 at the start of last season.
The new seats will be available for Inter Miami’s first home match of the season against Real Salt Lake on February 21. With the new seating, an additional 1,200 single-match tickets were made available for purchase, starting from yesterday (Wednesday).
The club also released a “very limited” number of season ticket memberships in these new sections, including general seating and all-inclusive premium seating. The premium seating will include nine theatre boxes and six opera boxes, both of which will have elevated seating options ranging from living room-style chairs to ultra-padded suite seating, separated by privacy partitions.
The premium seating options will also feature premium parking and access to the Midfield Club, which includes food and drinks.
Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami last year sparked huge interest in the club’s matches, both home and away. Earlier this month, Sporting Kansas City announced that its match against Inter Miami will take place at the 76,000-capacity GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, due to the heightened demand for tickets.
Messi also contributed to the league posting a new regular-season attendance record last year. A total of 10,900,904 fans attended games in 2023, averaging out at 22,111 per match. Inter Miami’s attendances at DRV PNK Stadium rose by 38%, and ticket prices skyrocketed amid the demand to watch the Argentine star.
In August, Inter Miami announced that construction had finally commenced on Miami Freedom Park, a wide-ranging entertainment district that will be anchored by a new 25,000-seat stadium. Miami Freedom Park, which will span 131 acres, will also include a 58-acre public park and is slated to open in 2025.
