The Principality Stadium, formerly known as the Millennium Stadium, is the national stadium of Wales, located in Cardiff. Opened in 1999, it was built to replace the National Stadium and to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It has a seating capacity of 73,931 for rugby and football matches and 78,000 for boxing events. The stadium features a fully retractable roof, making it a multi-purpose venue. It was the first in the UK to have this feature and the second in Europe.
The stadium is owned and operated by Millennium Stadium plc, a subsidiary of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). It was designed by Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture and constructed by Laing, with a total cost of £121 million, partially funded by the Millennium Commission. It is primarily the home ground of the Wales national rugby union team and has also hosted the Wales national football team games.
Major events include the 1999 Rugby World Cup, the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, and the 2012 London Olympics football matches. It has hosted diverse events such as rugby league, motorsports, boxing, concerts, and conferences. It served as a temporary hospital, the Dragon's Heart Hospital, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stadium's record attendance is over 78,000 during an Anthony Joshua boxing match. It is also used for popular concerts and cultural events, featuring artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and U2.
Notable features include 124 hospitality suites, a modular grass pitch, and efficient bar facilities capable of serving large crowds. Its location on the former Cardiff Arms Park site necessitated creative design to fit within the limited space. Renamed in 2016 under a sponsorship deal with Principality Building Society, the stadium remains a key venue for sports and entertainment in the UK.
The Principality Stadium, originally known as the Millennium Stadium, was constructed to replace the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park. The need for a new stadium arose in the early 1990s due to increasing demands for a modern, high-capacity venue. The National Stadium, built in 1969, could hold only 53,000 spectators, significantly less than other major rugby stadiums like Twickenham in England and Murrayfield in Scotland. The Taylor Report’s safety recommendations further reduced its capacity to 47,500, making redevelopment essential.
In 1995, Wales was selected to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, necessitating the construction of a new stadium. The decision was made to build the new stadium on the same site, reconfiguring its alignment and increasing its capacity. Designed by Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture and constructed by Laing, the project cost £121 million. Funding came from private investment, the sale of debentures, loans, and £46 million from the Millennium Commission. Construction began in 1997, involving extensive demolition of surrounding buildings to create the required space.
The stadium officially opened on 26 June 1999, hosting its first major event—a rugby match between Wales and South Africa. Wales won 29–19, marking the first victory over South Africa in Welsh rugby history. During the 1999 Rugby World Cup, the stadium hosted key matches, including the final.
In the years following its opening, the Millennium Stadium became a versatile venue for sports and entertainment. It hosted major events like the FA Cup Finals (2001–2006) during Wembley Stadium’s redevelopment and the 2012 London Olympics football matches. Other notable events included boxing matches, the Speedway Grand Prix, and the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final.
In 2015, a sponsorship agreement with Principality Building Society led to the stadium's renaming as the Principality Stadium in 2016. Today, the stadium remains the home ground for the Wales national rugby union team and continues to host a variety of sports, concerts, and cultural events. Its retractable roof and central location in Cardiff ensure its status as a key venue in Wales and the United Kingdom.
An appropriate location, offering good accessibility and potential for future expansion, was pinpointed at the east end of the Porto district. Due to its location on the intersection of the Porto and Maia districts, the new stadium was initially referred to as 'Estádio de Maia'.
The club always aimed to possess both the stadium and the surrounding land, though initially a lease was taken out on the municipal land, with a final purchase only taking place in 1969. The blueprints for the sports complex were drawn up as early as the late 1940s by João Simões, a former player for the club.
Under the leadership of the club's president, Joaquim Ferreira Bogalho, the members managed an increased fee to support the construction costs of the new stadium, made generous donations, and some even contributed their own labor on the construction site during holidays or weekends. There was even a 'cement campaign', whereby large quantities of cement bags were donated to the club.
The construction officially commenced on 14 June 1953. Less than two years later, and at a cost of 12,037,683 escudos, on 1 December 1954 (a national holiday), a crowd of 40,000 filled the stadium for the inaugural match against rivals FC Porto at what is now known as Millennium Stadium.
Renamed in 2016 under a sponsorship deal with the Principality Building Society, the stadium remains a key venue for sports and entertainment in the UK.
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