As part of a self-funded, $10.5-million project, the Rockets will replace 17,000 bowl seats inside Toyota Center. With a new material being used, the seating color scheme will shift from red to black.
In a self-funded, $10.5-million project, the Houston Rockets are replacing the 17,000 bowl seats inside their home arena of Toyota Center. The new seats will “feature a black sports-weave material,” which will represent a noticeable change relative to the venue’s current color scheme of red.
The news was first reported by Chandler France of the Houston Business Journal (HBJ). The current bowl seats, other than the suite level, are “original to the building,” which first opened in 2003.
As the HBJ reports, the Rockets are slated to begin the project in October 2025 and plan to complete it by the end of July 2026. No scheduling shutdowns are anticipated during the 2025-26 NBA season, and the change will not cause the venue to lose any seating capacity.
In addition to seat replacements, the Rockets and owner Tilman Fertitta are also replacing the retractable platforms on Toyota Center’s north and south ends, according to the report.
The seating and platform upgrades are among many recommendation from a facility condition assessment by Venue Solutions Group, which recommended that Toyota Center needs a total of $635.8 million in maintenance work over the next 20 years.
In 2025, Toyota Center is in its third operational decade. With many architectural, mechanical, and technological features original to the building, replacements are becoming necessary after 20-plus years of use, according to the assessment (via HBJ). But while the arena requires modernization, the assessment found that the facilitity generally remains in good condition and has been well-maintained throughout.
Under Fertitta’s leadership, the Rockets have made a series of renovations to Toyota Center in recent years. That process remains ongoing, with seating the latest phase.
