When Austin FC play their anticipated first home game June 19 against the San Jose Earthquakes, they’ll christen Q2 Stadium with a full-capacity crowd, the club announced Monday.
Austin FC and Austin Public Health announced attendance guidelines, which will allow up to 100 percent capacity for the 20,500-seat stadium.
The same guidelines are in place for the US women’s national team international friendly against Nigeria on June 16.
“Austin has been looking forward to the opening of Q2 Stadium since Austin FC launched in 2019. Today’s announcement is representative of a remarkable community-wide commitment to public health, which will now allow supporters the opportunity to safely participate in a series of historic Q2 Stadium events across the month of June and beyond,” Austin FC president Andy Loughnane said in s statement. “This is a milestone announcement for our community, our staff, and our players, all of whom will work tirelessly to create a world class experience at Q2 Stadium.”
“The efforts by our community over the past 15 months have led us to a stage where we can once again safely host large events in Austin,” Austin-Travis County interim health authority Dr. Mark Escott said. “We still have a final push to reach the imminent goal of herd immunity and ask everyone to get vaccinated before school lets out in June. We want to thank Q2 Stadium for their efforts in promoting the importance of getting fully vaccinated.”
Austin FC will play two more road games — at Seattle and Kansas City — for a total of eight away matches to begin their inaugural season before finally opening the $260-million, privately-funded state-of-the-art Q2 Stadium.
“I’m so excited that Austin FC will play in front of a full capacity crowd for its historic first-ever MLS match,” Austin mayor Steve Adler said. “We will soon celebrate major league sports, a new stadium, and how well our community is doing with vaccinations all at the same time. If you are unvaccinated, take your shot and get vaccinated at one of the many available opportunities to lower your risk of contracting COVID.”
