THE NEXT
100
YEARS
OF
BREESE STEVENS FIELD
In 2026, Breese Stevens Field is celebrating 100 Years of Sports, Entertainment, and Community in Downtown Madison, Wisconsin.
In 2027, we look to the NEXT 100 Years!
Permanent Stage and Back-of-House Buildings Proposed For Breese Stevens Field
Soccer. Music. Community. The next 100 years of Madison’s iconic ground.
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Big Top Events, the operator of historic Breese Stevens Field, is proposing a privately funded renovation to transform the concert experience at the venue as part of a new, 21-year use agreement. The proposed plan includes a permanent stage and back-of-house buildings focused on maintaining Breese Stevens Field’s position as one of the most unique concert venues in the Midwest. Since 2015, Breese Stevens Field has hosted more than 50 national acts, including Brandi Carlile, Hozier, Willie Nelson, Weezer and Megan Moroney.
As Breese Stevens Field celebrates its 100th anniversary, these proposed investments set a clear path for the venue’s next 100 years, with a focus on professional soccer, national concerts and community events. The City of Madison approval process will begin with the introduction of the plan to the Board of Park Commissioners on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Big Top Events plans to conduct public forums to engage the neighborhood and the greater community. The approval process is expected to run throughout 2026, with anticipated construction starting in 2027.
“We are excited to enter the next 100 years of Breese Stevens Field with a major facility improvement,” said Big Top Events Chief Operating Officer and Partner, Conor Caloia. “These improvements will allow us to bring more national acts to Madison while enhancing the soccer match day atmosphere as part of a long-term commitment to the City of Madison.”
The proposed improvements include an overhaul of the Brearly Street end of the stadium, including a paved surface, a new concessions area, a locker room building and artist green rooms. On show days, trucks and buses supporting the artist will be able to move off the surrounding streets and into the facility, limiting the neighborhood disruption. For soccer matches, fans will be invited up onto the stage to form an intimidating wall of sound hovering directly over the top of the goal.
In addition to national acts, Big Top Events hopes to program the stage with a variety of other community events that could potentially include theater, ballet and symphonic music.
“We are really looking forward to the exciting new Breese Stevens Field update,” said Big Top Events Founder and Partner, Steve Schmitt. “It’s going to be a great step forward and an even better experience for our loyal fans.”
The Rise of
BREESE STEVENS FIELD
By David Michael Miller
In celebration of 100 years as Madison, Wisconsin’s field of dreams, the stadium’s charmed history is revealed at last in The Rise of Breese Stevens Field by David Michael Miller. More than just a book about a ballpark, it tells the story of the capital city’s struggle to build the athletic grounds that every other city had. Succeeding in 1926, Breese not only fulfilled its promise as a playfield for local schools and amateur teams, but brought the thrills of professional wrestling, boxing, soccer, softball, speed skating and midget auto racing to Madison. Sports legends like Satchel Paige, Red Grange, Elroy Hirsch and Jesse Owens competed there. The Rise of Breese Stevens Field brings the lore.
The Rise of Breese Stevens Field profiles the colorful personalities that shined with the stadium. Wry sportswriter Roundy Coughlin not only had an uncanny knack for picking winners, but he promoted the causes of field and team like no one else. There was also peppery Blues manager Eddie Lenahan who led his team through the streaks and the slumps for 17 seasons. And no local athlete was as colorful as Greek wrestler Jimmy Demetral, who made Madison his home and went on to win two world titles at Breese. He booked a steady flow of wild mat men there, along with Sailor Art Thomas, a black bodybuilder from Madison who became world heavyweight champion.
Ultimately, the book reveals how Breese rose to become the cherished center of the Madison community. The field saw the city through the Depression by using New Deal dollars to erect its limestone walls. It also became a gathering place during the Second World War. The arena has featured circuses, water follies, daredevil drivers, a rodeo, and even Shakespeare in the ballpark. Breese Stevens Field thrives today as the home of the Madison Forward FC and the Ultimate Frisbee Association’s Madison Radicals. It also features rock concerts, tasting events, bodegas, and live comedy in their Forward Club. With the field more popular than ever before, The Rise of Breese Stevens Field is happy to tell its origin story.
Stop by The Forward Club and Pick-Up Your Copy of “The Rise of Breese Stevens Field” Today!
BREESE STEVENS FIELD
The Historical Report
Located 8 blocks away from the Wisconsin Capitol, Breese Stevens Field is home to the oldest extant masonry grandstand in the state of Wisconsin.
The complex was designated as a Madison Landmark in 1995.
It was accepted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (1995) and the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places (2014).
