The stadium is named after Sukarno, the then-president of Indonesia, who sparked the idea of building the sports complex.

113/1959 dated 11 May 1959 about the establishment of the Asian Games Council of Indonesia (DAGI) led by Minister of Sports Maladi.

As an architect and civil engineering graduate, Sukarno proposed a location near M. H. Thamrin Boulevard and Menteng (Karet, Pejompongan, or Dukuh Atas) for the future sports complex.

then Sukarno accompanied Friedrich Silaban, a renowned architect to review the location of the proposed sports complex by helicopter.

Silaban disagreed with the selection of Dukuh Atas because he argued the construction of a sports complex in the center the future downtown area will potentially create a massive traffic congestion.

It was known as Senajan (EYD: Senayan) Main Stadium from its opening through the 1962 Asiad until the complex's name was changed to Gelora Bung Karno by a Presidential Decree issued on 24 September 1962, twenty days after the games ended.

[7] After the fall of the dictatorship, the complex name was reverted by President Abdurrahman Wahid in a decree effective since 17 January 2001.

[15] It underwent renovations in preparation for the events; to comply with FIFA standards, all of the stadium's existing seating was replaced, including its remaining bleachers, making it an all-seater with a capacity of 77,193.