Commonwealth Stadium ( Edmonton ) Commonwealth Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in the McCauley neighbourhood of Edmonton , Alberta . It is primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League . Opened in 1978 the stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton and was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games . With a permanent seating capacity of over 60 , 000 , Commonwealth Stadium is the second - largest stadium in the CFL behind Olympic Stadium in Montreal , 66 , 308 . Commonwealth Stadium has been the host venue for the Grey Cup championship game four times : 1984 , 1997 , 2002 and 2010 . The average attendance for all four games was 61 , 565 . History . Commonwealth Stadium was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games , held in Edmonton . In the early 1970s , a group of Edmonton sports enthusiasts organized a bid to host the 1978 Commonwealth Games . Initially , when Edmonton was chosen to host the games , thought was given to rebuild the existing Clarke Stadium to make it large enough to host the main track and field , and other sports events for the games . However , by late 1974 , there was substantial agreement that a new larger stadium was the best option . In January 1975 , the Edmonton City Council decided to build a new over 40 , 000 - seat stadium adjacent to Clarke Stadium . Despite considerable opposition from residents and community groups in the new stadium area , construction began on the new facility in March 1975 . Construction of the new Commonwealth Stadium was a massive undertaking . 500 , 000 cubic yards of dirt was removed for the stadium infield , and this excavation work required 40 trucks , eight earth movers , backhoes , excavators , and other heavy equipment . Construction was completed in 1978 , prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games on August 3 , 1978 . The stadium cost $ 20 . 9 - million to build , and the original capacity was approximately 42 , 500 . Commonwealth Stadium boasts one of the largest outdoor screens in the world . The Sony Jumbotron has a 16 : 9 aspect ratio and features full animation , split - screen , and slow - motion replay . Renovations . The stadium was expanded by about 18 , 000 seats to a total capacity of over 60 , 000 for the Summer Universiade Games held in 1983 . The stadium also underwent major renovations in 2001 , costing $ 22 . 17 million . Field Turf . On March 10 , 2010 , the city council approved the replacement of the grass with artificial turf . It cost $ 2 . 6 million to change the turf and was completed in May 2010 before the start of the 2010 Edmonton Eskimos season . This was the last CFL stadium to switch to artificial turf . The new surface installed at Commonwealth was FieldTurf Duraspine Pro , and it was the newest version of the product at the time and it is the same surface that was installed at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro Massachusetts , home of the New England Patriots . 21 of 32 NFL teams play or practise on FieldTurf . The new turf installed at Commonwealth Stadium has a field area of . A total of 35 rolls were installed , each roll was wide by ; The seams are stitched together , not glued . There is a " shock pad " underneath the playing surface that provides additional cushioning . 12 , 400 cubic metres ( 1900 truckloads ) of existing soil and turf was removed . Hauled back was 14 , 600 cubic metres ( 440 loads ) of bottom ash . The infill material comprised a mix of 165 tons of rubber and 340 tons of sand . A mix of sand and cryogenic ( recycled ) rubber pellets keep the grass fibres upright and help give a natural grass look and feel to the surface and ensures excellent playability in all weather conditions . The turf has a positive environmental impact . It eliminates the need for water and fertilizers and has a life expectancy of 15 years . Renovations . In 2010 $ 112 - million was set aside for a field house , a state - of - the - art locker room ( patterned after the Green Bay Packers locker room ) and two floors of new office space at Commonwealth Stadium , which include an Eskimos football operations office floor , media rooms and a game - day hosting area . The stadium improvements also include new lights with much higher brightness which are HDTV compatible . The locker renovation includes individual fans , internet ports , and cellphone recharge hook - ups . New Green seats . The long - planned transition to the new , wider green and gold seats from the original orange and red seats will reduce the seating in most rows by one seat . Expected to cost $ 12 million over two years of installation , the final transformation is expected to begin in 2012 . " When the stadium is completed with the new green seats , the entire cost , including construction back in 1978 , will be about $ 200 million , " said Rick LeLacheur . LeLacheur also said , " The replacement value of Commonwealth Stadium would be significantly beyond a half a billion dollars . " Current Eskimo President and CEO Len Rhodes said during the Eskimo ' s annual general meeting on January 21 , 2012 that half the new stadium seats will be installed during the 2012 CFL season and the other half before the start of the 2013 CFL season . The installation of all seats will reduce the seating capacity at the stadium to 56 , 302 . The 21 - inch wide theatre - style seats will feature cup holders and replace the 19 - inch wide seats in the main stands . Half - back seats will replace the bench seating in the endzones . Seating . The stadium has permanent seating for over 60 , 000 , but can hold more with temporary seating . On September 26 , 2009 , the record for largest crowd to attend a regular - season Eskimos home game was set at 62 , 517 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders . The second largest crowd in stadium history was the Grey Cup game on November 28 , 2010 , with 63 , 317 in attendance . The largest crowd was an estimated 65 , 000 for the U2 360° Tour concert on June 1 , 2011 . Commonwealth Stadium is divided into 2 levels : Lower and Upper deck . The Lower deck has rows numberd 1 – 45 ( A and B ) ; the Upper deck has rows numbered 46 – 84 . Covered areas are : Westside row 36 – 45B and Eastside rows 38 – 45B . There is no smoking in the stadium . Section C in the lower deck is non - alcohol ( for Edmonton Eskimos games only ) . Double - letter sections in the lower deck are bench seating . The home bench is on west side ( for Edmonton Eskimos games only ) . The scoreboard can be seen on both ends . Replays are broadcast on the north end . The stadium is the second largest in permanent capacity in Canada , after Montreal ' s Olympic Stadium . Pricewaterhouse Green & Gold Room . The Green and Gold Club at Commonwealth Stadium offers the most exclusive way to enjoy the Edmonton Eskimo football club , it can be used for entertaining clients , rewarding employees and it can be use to take in a game with friends and family at your own table in the Club . The club sports two large television screens , a delicious buffet which is served 90 minutes prior to kick - off , a wide choice of beverages and superior service by the Sawmill staff makes the table the best seat in the house . Tables of six are available and receive one parking pass on the west side of the stadium . The Club remains open 30 minutes after the final whistle . Executive Suites . The Executive suites ( 10 seat and 16 seat ) at Commonwealth stadium are heated suites and they are furnished to complement the green and gold interior color scheme . The 10 seat suite has a carpeted living room with a leather sofa or loveseat and coffee tables ; a 20 " wall - mounted television ( with game broadcast and basic cable channels available ) ; Counters with a bar sink and upper and lower cabinets ; it also has an under counter mini - fridge for beverages ; Custom - made EE bar stools with drink rail overlooking the window ; a Sliding glass door outside to the exterior viewing seats ; Private restroom and coat closets and private telephone . The suite contains a complimentary copy of the Esks Game Day program for the current game ; 3 parking passes ; Special game promotions and handouts . Western Food Services provides the Catering and Beverage service to all suite holders . Menu are available upon request . The 16 seat suite is available for one game rentals if needed . The suite is located on the main concourse on the west side by section A . The 398 square feet suite is furnished to complement the green and gold interior color scheme . It has a carpeted living room with leather sofa or loveseat and a coffee table . The suite has a 20 " wall - mounted television ( game broadcast and basic cable channels available ) , a counter with bar sink and upper and lower cabinets ; an under counter mini - fridge for beverages ; custom - made EE bar stools with drink rail overlooking the window ; a sliding glass door outside to the exterior viewing seats ; private restroom and coat closet ; a private telephone for your use . The 16 seat suite also has complimentary copies of the Eskimo Game Day program each game , with special game promotions and handouts placed in the suite prior to the game . The catering / Beverages service is also provided by Western Food Services and a menu is available upon request . Two ( 2 ) parking passes are also provided . Field . The stadium was , until 2010 , one of the few major facilities in Canada to have a natural grass playing surface . As such , Commonwealth Stadium often played host to international soccer matches and tournaments . Due the completion of the soccer - specific BMO Field in Toronto , Commonwealth Stadium is now rarely used as a soccer venue . Commonwealth stadium was last resodded in April 2007 in preparation for the 2007 FIFA U - 20 World Cup . In 2010 , Edmonton City Council approved the replacement of the turf with artificial turf , which was completed in May 2010 . The City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Eskimos teamed up to do the 50 / 50 cost - shared project which rung in at $ 2 . 6 million . Transportation . Commonwealth stadium is served by Stadium Station along the LRT ( 201 ) line and the Stadium Transit Centre ( served by Routes 2 , 120 and 127 ) adjacent to the LRT station . Through their Green & Go program with the city of Edmonton , which began in June 2008 , the Eskimos provide free transportation to Commonwealth stadium . There is no other professional sports team which provides this service outside of the Eskimos .