LA Galaxy, LAFC to Return to Rose Bowl on July 4

The Rose Bowl Stadium announced that cross-town rivals, The LA Galaxy and LAFC, will return to the iconic Rose Bowl for another soccer match on July 4, the stadium announced. 

Last year, the LA Galaxy defeated LAFC 2-1 in the 20th edition of El Tráfico before a new MLS single-match standalone attendance record of 82,110 fans at Rose Bowl Stadium.

According to the stadium, the match will also feature a fireworks display that will include tributes to veterans and pre-match tailgating. 

“The Rose Bowl stadium served as the home venue for the LA Galaxy from 1996-2002 and will once again provide the biggest stage for Los Angeles’ marquee soccer rivalry,” the stadium said in a statement. “The Fourth of July match will mark the 28th MLS regular-season match held on July 4th for the LA Galaxy.” 

Before and during the match there will be activations honoring local Veterans, and following the conclusion of the match, the club and the Rose Bowl Stadium will continue its 98-year tradition of providing the largest and longest-running fireworks display on the West Coast for fans in attendance and the local community, alike. 

Up until last year, the stadium has solely held AmericaFest, the annual fireworks extravaganza hosted in the Bowl every Fourth of July for almost a century. 

Stadium officials told Pasadena Now last year that the event lost more than half a million dollars in 2022 and would need to be reworked.