Where Will The Community Shield Be Played?

This year, there’s a change to the schedule as the Community Shield finds a new home.

Wembley Stadium is traditionally where the Community Shield is played. However, nine other stadiums have also taken on the responsibility when a change was needed. This year, it’s no different. The Community Shield match will be played on the 16th of August at 15.00. 

It’ll be contested between Arsenal and Manchester City, the winners of the Premier League and FA Cup respectively. While Crystal Palace are the reigning champions, a new club will soon be raising the crown. However, with Wembley Stadium hosting The Weeknd for his ‘After Hours til Dawn’ tour, a new venue was needed. 

Principality Stadium Will Play Host 

It was announced that Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, will host the Community Shield match in 2026. Previously known as Millennium Stadium, it is home to Wales’ national rugby team and also supports the country’s national football squad. Built between 1977 and 1999, the stadium opened just in time for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. 

It was John Laing Construction that built the stadium, with Lobb Sport Architecture, which later became Populous, designing the structure. Costing over £120 million, it was an ambitious project but one that has come to define the city. 

Constructing The Stadium 

Attempting to build the 74,500-capacity arena in such a built-up area, where space was not a luxury, made this project especially difficult. The fact that it had to meet an inflexible deadline also didn’t help matters. Nonetheless, with well over 600 tradespeople coming together to complete the stadium, it remains a focal point of Welsh sporting life. 

40,000 tonnes of concrete, 12,000 tonnes of structural steel and 1,350 concrete foundation piles all went into forming the basis of this arena, while the stadium’s self-supporting, closing roof acted as the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. 

Principality Stadium was a complete trailblazer and when you’re watching the match on Sunday, spare a thought for all those who pushed through the complexity of the build and managed to create something spectacular.