Everything You Didn't Know About Principality Stadium

Principality Stadium (originally known as the Millennium Stadium) is a landmark sports and entertainment stadium located in Cardiff, Wales. It stands as the National Stadium of Wales and has hosted numerous events, welcoming over 1.3 million visitors per year since it first opened its doors in June 1999.

We’re diving into everything you need to know about this iconic venue.

Where is the Principality Stadium?

Principality Stadium is situated on Westgate Street in Cardiff, nestled in the heart of the city.

 

The History of Principality Stadium

The construction project ran between 1997 and 1999 on the site of the old National Stadium. It now features a fully retractable roof (the first of its kind in the UK) and is at the leading edge as a multi-purpose, multi-faceted event venue. Principality Stadium boasts a UEFA 5-Star rating and has hosted two Rugby World Cups, witnessed three Welsh Grand Slam successes in the Six Nations, staged six showpiece FA Cup Finals and even motorsports events.

The installation of a partition drape system in 2005 allowed the stadium bowl to be used for concerts and exhibitions, which has seen major artists and bands perform like Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and even Beyoncé! It became a giant concert arena for a New Year’s Eve Millennium extravaganza when the Manic Street Preachers put on a ‘Manic Millennium’ under the Stadium’s now infamous sliding roof.

 

What is Principality Stadium’s capacity?

The stadium boasts an impressive seated capacity of 73,931 for rugby and sporting spectators and 79,000 for concerts and boxing events, making it the largest stadium in Wales and fourth largest in the UK. It is the home of ground of the Welsh Rugby Union team.

The facts and milestones

2001 - The FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool was the first FA Cup Final to be played in Cardiff, confirming its status as a World Class venue where it achieved its 5-star UEFA rating
2001 - British Speedway brought Grand Prix motorsport to the Millennium Stadium’s multi-purpose capabilities in 2001
2001 - The FA Community Shield of 2001 between Manchester United and Liverpool became the first football match played under a closed roof in the UK
2001 - Wales and Australia played the world’s first indoor rugby match when the roof was closed for their Autumn clash in November 2001
2002 - The world’s first indoor cricket match is played as Britain take on a ‘Rest of the World’ team in Power Cricket
2002 - Leicester and Munster contest the first Cup Final to be played at the stadium in 2002. Munster lost to Leicester but returned victorious in two further finals against Biarritz Olympique in 2006 and Toulouse in 2008
2003 - The venue became a giant dance floor for New Year’s Eve 2003 (its first Stadium School Party Night!)
2003 - Their first competitive Football International play-off match was held between Wales and Russia for the following summer’s UEFA Euro 2004 tournament
2004 - The stadium’s football pedigree continued to grow with a continental friendly between Barcelona and Parma in August 2004; Ronaldinho (later 2004 FIFA Player of the Year), Henrik Larsson, Luis Garcia and Andrés Iniesta are amongst the Catalan talent on display
2005 - Tsunami Relief Cardiff was hosted, where a marathon Live Aid-style music extravaganza took place to raise money for the victims of the disaster
2005 - The British & Irish Lions played their first home match in 2005 where they drew with Argentina
2005 - Wales celebrates its first Grand Slam in 27 years when defeating Ireland in the final match of the 2005 Six Nations, then repeated in 2008 when Wales defeated France in the final
2006 - The 125th FA Cup Final was held. A classic 3-3 and penalties between Liverpool and West Ham made it the sixth and last FA Cup Final the stadium hosted
2007 - The seventh and last Football League Cup Final was hosted

Explore our top events and fixtures at Principality Stadium here.