PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Super Bowl is returning to Levi’s Stadium and Bay Area NFL fans are preparing for the hoopla. The Peninsula Press spent an NFL Sunday talking to people about the game at The Patio, a sports bar and grill in Palo Alto, Calif. that used its 21 flatscreen televisions to play every football game for the fans who flocked to watch their favorite teams battle it out.
Though it remains to be seen which teams will play in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, fans are already thinking about what it means for the Big Game to return to the Bay Area.
Ten years ago, Super Bowl 50 generated at least a $240 million boost to the Bay Area economy, according to a report from the research firm Sportsimpacts.
The Bay Area Host Committee, a nonprofit corporation that’s responsible for planning and executing Super Bowl LX and next year’s FIFA World Cup, projects an even bigger boon. Their economic impact report estimates anywhere from $370 million to $630 million will come into the Bay Area because of the Super Bowl.
“ I think the biggest thing that’s changed in the past 10 years is really just the NFL becoming this entire global entity, which is pretty awesome,” said Justin Baker, a Packers fan from Half Moon Bay.
While some fans are ready to embrace the festivities and chaos that come with hosting the Super Bowl, others are less phased by the game being close to home.
