HONOLULU (Eagle News) – Effective immediately, Aloha Stadium will scale back its normal operations but will still entertain certain events with additional expenses incurred on their organizers.
According to stadium officials, changes are being adopted in response to COVID-19 safety restrictions that have severely limited revenue generation opportunities. At the same time, they assured that events already reserved prior to the announcement will be honored while activities in the parking lot will continue, including the thrice-weekly Swap Meet & Marketplace.
“It is with a heavy heart that we make this difficult decision,” said Ross Yamasaki, chair of the Aloha Stadium Authority. “Aloha Stadium has been expending its reserves to maintain operations since COVID-19 restrictions began. Unfortunately, we have reached a stage where we can no longer afford to continue these expenditures. It is our hope that we can find a long-term solution but for now, must make these changes to reduce expenses and generate revenue through activities in the parking lot and events that have already been booked.”
Stadium manager Scott Chan stated, “Our primary focus is on the health and welfare of the public, our vendors and staff. We thank everyone for their understanding and patience as we navigate through this challenging and very serious situation. The Stadium Authority and management will continue to monitor reports and review informational updates from the CDC, DOH, Hawaii State Legislature, and the Governor’s Administration to proactively address this evolving situation.”
Meanwhile, University of Hawaii at Mānoa Athletics Director David Matlin publicly expressed his concerns on the future of the stadium and the impact on collegiate sports.
“We are beyond disappointed of the news at today’s announcement from the Aloha Stadium Authority that there will be no further events in the current stadium with fans,” Matlin said. “Aloha Stadium has such a storied history and carries so many memories for our football program and generations of Hawaii families. We must now take responsibility ourselves to find a suitable venue for our Rainbow Warriors, Hawaii’s football team, to play in front of our loyal fans beginning in 2021.”
Since its opening in 1975, Aloha Stadium has been home to the UH Warriors football team. The 50,000-seater facility has also hosted a multitude of events attracting visitors from around the state including high school graduations, concerts, fairs, car shows, professional sporting events, high school and local sports league events, and non-profit benefit functions.
Between 1980 and 2016, Aloha Stadium hosted the National Football League (NFL) Pro Bowl for 34 seasons before relocating to Orlando, Florida; resulting in a loss of tens of millions of dollars that would have poured into Hawaii’s economy.
(With reports from EBC Hawaii Bureau, Eagle News Service)