Chiefs plan to ‘celebrate’ Arrowhead Stadium before leaving for Kansas
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs will stage five-year celebration at Arrowhead before moving to Wyandotte County.
- Ownership emphasized tailgating and 200-acre site to preserve fan traditions.
- Leaders framed move as future-focused while promising ceremonies and continuity.
The Chiefs chose to focus on the future in the latest episode of their YouTube series, “The Franchise.” Who could blame them?
Mostly glossing over the Chiefs’ final three losses, much of the episode, which was released Friday night, focused on the team’s plan to move into a new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.
Since the Chiefs last month announced their intentions to hop over the state line, many fans have felt a sense of sorrow.
They love Arrowhead Stadium and can’t imagine watching a game anywhere else.
As expected, the Chiefs presented any move as a good thing for fans in “The Franchise.” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt shared his thoughts on leaving Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs won’t simply play out the string there.
“We’re going to cherish every season there,” he said. “I think it’ll be special for our family, be special for the organization and all of our fans. We all have so many special memories there, and we’re really going to celebrate Arrowhead because it deserves that.”
Chiefs president Mark Donovan said the team plans to honor its final years at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“We’re gonna throw a five-year party to celebrate everything that makes Arrowhead special,” Donovan said in the video, “and then we’re gonna open the doors to an unbelievable new facility, and then we’re going to celebrate that.”
Neither Donovan nor Hunt provided details on how the Chiefs will celebrate Arrowhead Stadium.
Focus on tailgating
For many, tailgating is a big part of the experience of attending a Chiefs game, and Hunt is aware of that.
“Our fans enjoy celebrating together,” he said in the episode. “They enjoy moving around the parking lot. They certainly enjoy their barbecue. I know that will be important to them as we move to a new facility, that they have an opportunity to continue those types of traditions.”
Donovan said the Chiefs picked their location in Wyandotte County because of tailgating.
The team wants to ensure fans can continue their tradition.
“It was interesting. When this first sort of started, a lot of people from the real estate world said, you know, here’s a great site for your stadium, and in some cases, it was 50 acres,” Donovan said in the video. “And from Day 1, that doesn’t work for us. Our stadium will be on something that has 200 acres, because we are going to celebrate tailgating. We’re not going to build a new stadium that doesn’t have tailgating. It’s a requirement.”
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 12:24 PM.
