ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is once again in the national spotlight as bowl season continues in Central Florida.
Thousands of fans are downtown this weekend for the Pop-Tarts Bowl, but beyond the excitement on the field, a major renovation at Camping World Stadium is also on the horizon. The project is expected to make Orlando even more attractive for major sporting events in the future.
What You Need To Know
Orlando is about to begin construction on the $400 million renovation of Camping World Stadium
The project aims to modernize the venue and keep the city competitive for national sporting events
Business owners say the upgrades could bring stronger, year-round economic impact
Construction is expected to wrap up by summer 2027, with hopes of attracting new high-profile games
Camping World Stadium has long been a destination for major sports and entertainment events, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world.
“We like being in Orlando. This is where I went to college and grew up,” said Sinbad Elhaddad, who runs Sinbad Sports, a sports memorabilia shop based in Fort Lauderdale. He and his team set up pop-up shops outside Camping World Stadium on game days.
Elhaddad says the renovation could bring a bigger and more consistent economic impact, not just on game days, but year-round.
“We’ve been in this spot for over 35 years. All the buses come over here for the park and rides, so we get a lot of traffic through here,” Elhaddad said.
City and county officials say the $400 million reimagining project is focused on keeping Orlando competitive on a national stage. This weekend, the stadium hosted the Pop-Tarts Bowl matchup between BYU and Georgia Tech. On New Year’s Eve, Camping World Stadium will host the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl featuring the Michigan Wolverines and the Texas Longhorns.
“When we bid for these different activities, there are different features that they look for because they have different security levels or they have different enhancements — they have certain seat requirements. So you got to meet those requirements, so that’s what this renovation does,” said Shan Rose, Orlando City Commissioner for District 5.
Rose says the project, funded entirely by Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax, will modernize nearly every part of the stadium.
“Excited to get the construction underway so we can get it over with. So we can continue to host these massive games. We can continue to start bringing in different games that we haven’t had before,” Rose said.
Planned upgrades include increased seating, an improved fan experience from arrival to exit, and a new multi-purpose event center — all aimed at attracting more high-profile events to Orlando.
“We’re excited to be a part of anything here at Camping World Stadium,” Elhaddad said.
Construction is expected to begin in the next few weeks, with the renovation project scheduled for completion by summer 2027. City leaders hope the upgraded stadium could temporarily host the Jacksonville Jaguars while their home stadium undergoes renovations, with a decision expected early next year.