King Power Stadium facts for kids
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| Full name | King Power Stadium |
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| Former names | Walkers Stadium (2002–2011) |
| Address | Filbert Way |
| Location | Leicester England LE2 7FL |
| Public transit |  Leicester |
| Owner | King Power |
| Capacity | 32,259 |
| Record attendance | Football: 32,241 (Leicester City vs Sunderland, 8 August 2015) Rugby: 32,500 (Leicester Tigers vs Bath, 1 April 2006) |
| Field size | 105 by 68 metres (114.8 yd × 74.4 yd) |
| Surface | Desso GrassMaster |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2000 |
| Built | 2001–2002 |
| Opened | 23 July 2002 |
| Construction cost | £35-£37 million |
| Architect | The Miller Partnership |
| Tenants | |
| Leicester City (2002–present) Leicester City Women (2021–present) |
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The King Power Stadium is a famous football stadium in Leicester, England. It is the home ground for Leicester City football club. The stadium first opened in 2002 and was known as the Walkers Stadium. It can hold 32,259 people. The club became super famous when they won the Premier League title right here in 2016!
Contents
History of King Power Stadium
Why a New Stadium Was Built
Before the King Power Stadium, Leicester City played at Filbert Street. They had been there since 1891. Over time, the old stadium needed many updates.
In the 1990s, new rules said all top football clubs needed stadiums where everyone could sit. Filbert Street was updated, but it still wasn't big enough. Many games were sold out, and some parts of the stadium were quite old.
So, the club decided it was time for a brand new home. They wanted a modern stadium that could welcome more fans.
Building the Stadium
Plans for the new stadium were announced in 2000. It would have 32,000 seats and be built near the River Soar. Construction started in the summer of 2001.
The stadium was finished on time in the summer of 2002. It cost about £35-37 million to build. The Miller Partnership designed it, and Birse Stadia built it. Everyone hoped it would be a great place for the club and the city.
The stadium was also designed to host conferences and events. It had special areas that could be used as exhibition centers on days when there were no matches.
Opening Day Fun
The stadium officially opened on 23 July 2002. Famous former Leicester striker Gary Lineker cut the ribbon. The very first football game was a friendly match against Athletic Bilbao on 4 August 2002.
The game ended in a 1–1 draw. Tiko scored the first goal for Bilbao, and Jordan Stewart scored Leicester's first goal. Six days later, Leicester won their first competitive match 2–0 against Watford. Brian Deane scored both goals.
Leicester City had a great first season in their new home. They won promotion back to the Premier League.
Who Owns the Stadium?
Building the new stadium was expensive. The club also faced financial problems at the time. Because of this, the stadium's ownership went to an American retirement fund called TIAA–CREF. The club then leased the stadium from them.
Later, on 1 March 2013, King Power bought the stadium. King Power is the company that also owns the football club.
Making the Stadium Bigger
Since 2014, the stadium has often been full for league games. In 2015, the club announced plans to make the stadium even bigger. They wanted to increase the capacity to about 42,000 seats.
In 2021, Leicester City shared detailed plans with the public. These plans included increasing the capacity to 40,000. They also planned to develop the area around the stadium. In September 2022, these plans were approved. The club received final approval to begin development works on 14 December 2023.
In August 2022, the stadium became the first in Europe to use a special "frictionless kiosk." This means fans can buy food and drinks super fast without waiting in long lines.
A Sad Day: Helicopter Crash
On 27 October 2018, a helicopter carrying the club chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and four other people crashed outside the stadium. Sadly, there were no survivors.
A year later, on 27 October 2019, the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Garden opened. A statue of Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was also unveiled on 4 April 2022, to remember him.
Stadium Naming History
When the stadium first opened in 2002, it was named the "Walkers Stadium." This was because Walkers, a snack food company, paid for the naming rights. Fans didn't like the first idea, "Walkers Bowl," because it sounded too American.
In 2011, King Power, the company that owned the club, bought the naming rights. That's when it became the King Power Stadium.
The different sections, or stands, inside the stadium have also had different names. Today, they are called the North, East, South (also known as the Spion Kop), and West Stands. Sometimes people still call the stadium "Filbert Way" or "Freeman's Wharf" after its location. For UEFA competitions and the 2015 Rugby World Cup, it was called the Leicester City Stadium.
Exciting Matches and Events
Men's Football Highlights
The first game at the stadium was a friendly against Spanish team Athletic Bilbao on 4 August 2002. It ended in a 1–1 draw.
The England national football team has played friendly games here. They beat Serbia and Montenegro 2–1 in 2003. Later that year, Brazil played Jamaica, with Brazil winning 1–0.
In 2006, the stadium hosted the Football Conference play-off final. Hereford United won and were promoted to the Football League.
On 30 July 2011, Leicester City played a friendly against the famous Real Madrid team. Star players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká played in front of 32,188 fans.
A big moment for Leicester City was on 4 April 2014. They won 2–1 against Sheffield Wednesday, which helped them get promoted back to the Premier League after 10 years! On 3 May 2014, they lifted the Championship title at home.
On 21 September 2014, Leicester made an amazing comeback. They won 5–3 against Manchester United after being 3–1 down!
The stadium saw its highest league attendance on 8 August 2015, with 32,242 fans. Leicester won 4–2 against Sunderland.
A truly historic day was 7 May 2016. Leicester City lifted the 2015–16 Premier League trophy after beating Everton. This was less than a week after they officially became champions. The famous singer Andrea Bocelli performed before the match.
The stadium hosted its first European football match on 27 September 2016. Leicester won 1–0 against Porto in the UEFA Champions League. They even reached the quarter-finals of the competition in 2017!
On 11 September 2018, the England national team played a friendly against Switzerland, winning 1–0. Leicester's own Ben Chilwell made his England debut in that game.
On 30 July 2022, the stadium hosted the FA Community Shield because Wembley was busy. Leicester City, as the holders, hosted the event.
On 4 May 2024, the club lifted the 2023–24 Championship title at home. This was their 8th time winning the second-tier league.
International Football Matches
| 3 June 2003 Friendly | England  |
2–1 |  Serbia and Montenegro |
Leicester |
| 20:00 BST | Gerrard  35'J. Cole 82' |
Jestrović 45' |
Stadium: Walkers Stadium Attendance: 30,900 Referee: Paul Allaerts |
| 12 October 2003 Friendly | Jamaica  |
0–1 |  Brazil |
Leicester |
| 15:00 BST | Roberto Carlos 15' |
Stadium: Walkers Stadium Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 29 May 2006 Friendly | Jamaica |
1–4 |  Ghana |
Leicester |
| Euell 58' |
Muntari 5' Stewart 19' (o.g.)Appiah 66'Amoah 68' |
Stadium: Walkers Stadium Attendance: 32,000 |
| 11 September 2018 Friendly | England |
1–0 |  Switzerland |
Leicester |
| 20:00 BST | Rashford 54' |
Stadium: King Power Stadium Attendance: 30,256 Referee: Clément Turpin |
Rugby Matches at the Stadium
The stadium has also hosted exciting rugby games. In 2004, the Leicester Tigers rugby team thought about sharing the stadium. Their own ground, Welford Road, was becoming too small.
The Tigers played six matches at the King Power Stadium in total. These were often for big games or when their own stadium was being renovated.
| Date | Competition | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 April 2005 | 2004–05 Heineken Cup Semi-final | Toulouse | 19 – 27 |
| 1 April 2006 | 2005–06 Heineken Cup Quarter-final | Bath | 12 – 15 |
| 21 April 2007 | 2006–07 Heineken Cup Semi-final | Llanelli Scarlets | 33 – 17 |
| 11 April 2009 | 2008–09 Heineken Cup Quarter-final | Bath | 20 – 15 |
| 25 April 2009 | 2008–09 Guinness Premiership, Round 22 | Bristol | 73 – 3 |
| 9 May 2009 | 2008–09 Guinness Premiership Semi-final | Bath | 24 – 10 |
The stadium also hosted international rugby matches. In 2006, South Africa played a World XV team. It was also a venue for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, hosting three pool matches.
| Date | Stage of Tournament | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Attendance |
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| 4 October 2015 | Pool C | Argentina  |
45 – 16 |  Tonga |
29,124 |
| 6 October 2015 | Pool D | Canada  |
15 – 17 |  Romania |
27,153 |
| 11 October 2015 | Pool C | Argentina |
64 – 19 |  Namibia |
30,198 |
Attendance Records
The highest number of people ever at the stadium was for a rugby match. Around 32,488 to 32,500 fans watched Leicester Tigers play Bath in 2006.
Leicester City Men's Team Attendance
The highest attendance for a Leicester City league game was 32,242. This was for a Premier League match against Sunderland on 8 August 2015. For a friendly football match, 32,188 fans watched Leicester play Real Madrid in 2011.
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Leicester City Women's Team Attendance
Since 2021, the King Power Stadium has also been the main home for the Leicester City Women's team.
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See also
In Spanish: King Power Stadium para niños
- List of stadiums in the United Kingdom by capacity
- Lists of stadiums
