Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati , Ohio . It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League . It opened on August 19 , 2000 . The stadium was named after Bengals ' founder Paul Brown . The stadium is located on approximately of land and has a listed capacity of 65 , 535 . Paul Brown Stadium is nicknamed " The Jungle " , an allusion not only to the namesake Bengal tiger ' s natural habitat , but the Guns N ' Roses song " Welcome to the Jungle " . History . In 1996 , Hamilton County voters passed a one - half percent sales tax increase to fund the building of two new home venues for both the Bengals and the Major League Baseball Cincinnati Reds . Previously , the Bengals and the Reds shared tenancy of Riverfront Stadium / Cinergy Field , but both teams complained that the aging multipurpose facility lacked modern amenities and other things necessary for small market teams to survive . Paul Brown Stadium was built first . After the Bengals moved into Paul Brown Stadium , Cinergy Field was partially demolished to allow construction of what became Great American Ball Park and the field was sodded with natural grass . On December 29 , 2002 , Cinergy Field was demolished . For the first four years , the field was natural Kentucky Bluegrass , but problems arose in maintaining it . At one point , the field was rated as the third - worst field in the league . Hamilton County explored other options and chose the FieldTurf system . FieldTurf looks and feels like real grass , and since the field markings are actually sewn into the fabric , repainting between games is unnecessary . The reduced maintenance saves the county approximately $ 100 , 000 annually . Additionally , it opens Paul Brown Stadium to other uses without worry of damage to the turf . The FieldTurf was installed for the 2004 season . The field is one of only two stadiums in the NFL to have " five miles of piping running under the field to keep the rubber inlays heated . Two light emitting diode ( LED ) video displays at either endzone , installed in 2000 , ensure that every spectator has a good view of the on - field action . Over 200 feet of ribbon display was also installed along the fascia of the stadium . The University of Cincinnati Bearcats and the eventual national champion Ohio State University Buckeyes played the first college football game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 21 , 2002 . On September 5 , 2009 , the Kentucky Wildcats and the Miami Redhawks played their opening games there . The University of Cincinnati also played Oklahoma in 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium . In 2011 , the Bearcats played Big East Conference opponents Louisville Cardinals and West Virginia Mountaineers . Additionally , the Macy ' s Music Festival ( formerly the Cincinnati Jazz Festival ) is held there every year . Unusual for a venue the size of Paul Brown Stadium , in the spring , it hosts the annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament . Paul Brown Stadium also houses the Bengals ' administrative offices and training and practice facilities . There are three smaller practice fields nearby . Two are sodded with natural grass while the third is equipped with AstroTurf . As a convenience for fans , for a nominal fee , several local busing companies offer round trip transportation to Paul Brown Stadium from designated locations throughout the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area . One such example is the Cincinnati Metro ' s Jungle - to - Jungle Express , which originates at Jungle Jim ' s International Market in Fairfield , a suburb of Cincinnati . Fans enjoy premium seating options in the 114 private suites and thousands of club seats . Amenities include in - seat food and beverage service and access to the club lounges for fine dining options . There are also several CPR units located throughout the stadium . On - site retail merchandise sales are available in the Bengals pro shop , located on the plaza level on the north end of the stadium . There are fifty - six concession stands and eight stores . Paul Brown Stadium is the only football stadium to make a list of " America ' s favorite 150 buildings and structures , " according to a Harris Interactive survey . Paul Brown Stadium ranked 101st on the list , whose range included all manner of major structures — skyscrapers , museums , churches , hotels , bridges , national memorials and more . No other football stadium was voted among the top 150 , and among all sports venues , only Wrigley Field ( 31 ) and Yankee Stadium ( 84 ) ranked higher than Paul Brown Stadium . NBBJ designed Paul Brown Stadium . On Monday , November 14 , 2011 , Cincinnati country radio station B - 105 ( WUBE ) hosts Chris Carr & Co . announced that Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will be hosting their " Brothers of the Sun " summer 2012 tour at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday , July 1 , 2012 . This will mark the first time a major concert has taken place at the stadium .