Millennium Stadium facts for kids
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| Former names |
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| Location | Westgate Street Cardiff CF10 1NS |
| Coordinates | 51°28′41″N 3°10′57″W / 51.47806°N 3.18250°W |
| Public transit |  Cardiff Central |
| Owner | Millennium Stadium plc |
| Operator | Millennium Stadium plc |
| Executive suites | 124 |
| Capacity | 73,931 (rugby union and football) 78,000 (boxing) |
| Field size | 120 m × 79 m (394 ft × 259 ft) |
| Surface | Grass (1999–2014) GrassMaster (2014–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1997 |
| Built | 1997-1999 |
| Opened | 26 June 1999 |
| Construction cost | £121 million |
| Architect | Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture |
| Structural engineer | WS Atkins |
| Main contractors | Laing |
| Tenants | |
| Wales national rugby union team (1999–present) Wales national football team (2000–2009) Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain (2001–2024) |
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The Principality Stadium is the national stadium of Wales. It was known as the Millennium Stadium until 2016. This amazing stadium is in Cardiff and has a special roof that can open and close. It's the main home for the Wales national rugby union team. It has also hosted many games for the Wales national football team.
The stadium was first built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It replaced an older stadium called the National Stadium. Since then, it has hosted many big events. These include concerts, car races, and even football finals when Wembley Stadium was being rebuilt. It also hosted football matches during the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Millennium Stadium plc owns the stadium. This company is part of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). The stadium cost about £121 million to build. A group called the Millennium Commission helped pay for it.
The stadium opened in June 1999. The first big event was a rugby match on 26 June 1999. Wales played against South Africa and won! The stadium can hold 73,931 people. This makes it the biggest stadium in Wales. It is also one of the largest stadiums in the United Kingdom. It's even one of the biggest stadiums in the world with a roof that can open and close.
In 2015, the Welsh Rugby Union made a deal with the Principality Building Society. This deal meant the stadium's name changed to "Principality Stadium" in early 2016.
Stadium History
Why a New Stadium Was Needed
Before 1969, rugby teams in Cardiff played at Cardiff Arms Park. But things changed, and a new stadium was planned for international matches. The National Stadium opened in 1984. However, by 1994, people realized it needed to be updated.
The old National Stadium could only hold 53,000 fans. Other countries had much bigger stadiums. For example, England's Twickenham Stadium held 75,000. Also, the National Stadium was hard to see and get to. It was hidden by other buildings.
So, a committee decided to build a new, bigger stadium. It would be on the same site but face a different direction. It would also have a sliding roof. This roof would allow it to host many different types of events. At the time, only two other stadiums in Europe had sliding roofs.
To make space, some nearby buildings were bought and taken down. A new path was also built along the River Taff. By 1999, the Millennium Stadium was ready. It became the main stadium for rugby and football in Wales.
Building the Stadium
The stadium was designed by a team led by Rod Sheard. The company that built it was Laing. The engineers designed the special retractable roof. Many buildings had to be taken down to make way for the new stadium. These included the old National Stadium and a swimming pool.
The stadium was finished in 1999. It was ready just in time for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Wales was the main host for this event. Seven of the matches, including the final, were played at the new stadium.
The total cost to build the stadium was £121 million. Money came from private investors and public funds. The Millennium Commission gave £46 million.
The stadium was first used for a big event on 26 June 1999. Wales played South Africa in a rugby match. Wales won 29–19, which was their first win against South Africa.
New Name in 2016
On 8 September 2015, it was announced that the Millennium Stadium would get a new name. It became the Principality Stadium. This was part of a 10-year deal with the Principality Building Society. The new name was officially used from 22 January 2016. The new name and logo were lit up at a special ceremony.
Stadium Features
This stadium has seats for 73,931 fans. It has a roof that can open and close. This was only the second stadium in Europe to have such a roof. For some special events, like boxing matches, extra seats can be added. The record number of people at the stadium was over 78,000 for a boxing fight in 2017.
The stadium used to have a special grass pitch. It was made of pallets that could be moved for concerts. In 2014, this pitch was replaced with a stronger, sand-based grass pitch.
The stadium has four main sections of seats. These are called the North Stand, West Stand, South Stand, and BT Stand. The South Stand used to be called the Hyder Stand. Most of the stadium has three levels of seats. The North Stand has two levels.
The stadium's design was a bit limited by the nearby Cardiff Rugby Club ground. Because of this, the North Stand has a gap in its structure. This gap is sometimes called "Glanmor's Gap." It is named after Glanmor Griffiths, who was a chairman of the WRU.
The stadium is built with 56,000 tonnes of concrete and steel. It has 124 special suites and 7 lounges for guests. There are also 22 bars, 7 restaurants, and many first aid points. The stadium has 7 gates for people to enter. Gate 4 was renamed Gatland's Gate in 2019, honoring rugby coach Warren Gatland.
There are plans to eventually replace the old North Stand. This would make the stadium fully bowl-shaped. It would also increase the capacity to about 80,000.
The stadium has special "joy machines" at its bars. These can pour 12 pints of beer in less than 20 seconds! A hawk named "Dad" lives at the stadium. His job is to scare away seagulls and pigeons.
In 2005, a huge black curtain system was installed. This system can change the size of the audience area. It can make the stadium feel smaller for certain events. The curtains can be stored in the roof when not needed.
New seats were installed in the stadium between 2015 and 2018. A new hybrid grass pitch was also put in. In 2019, the stadium increased its space for disabled fans. This changed the overall capacity slightly to 73,931.
Statue of Sir Tasker Watkins
A statue of Sir Tasker Watkins stands outside Gate 3. He was the president of the Welsh Rugby Union for many years. The bronze statue is 9 feet tall. It was unveiled in 2009 by his daughter.
What Happens at the Stadium
The Principality Stadium hosts many different sports and events. These include rugby, football, boxing, speedway, and concerts.
Rugby Union Matches
The stadium is the home ground for the Wales national rugby union team. They play all their home games here. This includes matches in the Six Nations Championship and against teams from the Southern Hemisphere. The stadium has also hosted the finals of the European Rugby Champions Cup six times.
| European Rugby Champions Cup Finals | ||||||
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| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | ||
| 2001–02 | Leicester Tigers  |
15–9 |  Munster |
74,600 | ||
| 2005–06 | Munster |
23–19 |  Biarritz |
74,534 | ||
| 2007–08 | Munster |
16–13 | Toulouse |
74,500 | ||
| 2010–11 | Leinster |
33–22 | Northampton Saints |
72,456 | ||
| 2013–14 | Toulon |
23–6 | Saracens |
67,586 | ||
| 2024–25 | Bordeaux Bègles |
28–20 | Northampton Saints |
70,225 | ||
Since 2013, the stadium has hosted "Judgement Day." This is a special event where four Welsh rugby teams play two matches in one day.
Rugby World Cup Games The stadium was a key venue for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. It also hosted matches in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. For the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the stadium opened its doors for free. Fans could watch Wales' semi-final and bronze final matches on big screens.
| Year | Match | Country | Score | Country | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Pool D match | Wales  |
23–18 |  Argentina |
72,500 |
| Wales |
64–15 |  Japan |
72,500 | ||
| Wales |
31–38 |  Samoa |
70,849 | ||
| Argentina |
33–12 | Japan |
36,000 | ||
| QF 2 | Wales |
9–24 |  Australia |
74,499 | |
| Third place | South Africa  |
22–18 |  New Zealand |
60,000 | |
| Final | Australia |
35–12 | France |
72,500 | |
| 2007 | Pool B match | Wales |
20–32 | Australia |
71,022 |
Fiji  |
29–16 |  Canada |
45,000 | ||
| Wales |
72–18 | Japan |
35,245 | ||
| QF 2 | New Zealand |
18–20 | France |
71,669 | |
| 2015 | Pool A match | Wales |
54–9 |  Uruguay |
71,887 |
| Australia |
28–13 | Fiji |
67,253 | ||
| Wales |
23–13 | Fiji |
71,576 | ||
| Pool C match | New Zealand |
43–10 |  Georgia |
69,167 | |
| Pool D match | Ireland |
50–7 | Canada |
68,523 | |
| France |
9–24 | Ireland |
72,163 | ||
| QF 2 | New Zealand |
62–13 | France |
71,619 | |
| QF 3 | Ireland |
20–43 | Argentina |
72,316 |
Rugby League Matches
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The stadium has also hosted rugby league games. It was used during the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. It also hosted three Challenge Cup Finals between 2003 and 2005. These finals usually take place at Wembley.
In 2007, the stadium held the first "Millennium Magic" weekend. This was when a whole round of Super League matches were played over two days. The stadium also hosted the opening ceremony and first two games of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
| Date | Match | Country | Score | Country | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 November 2000 | 2000 Rugby League World Cup Group 2 | Cook Islands  |
22–22 |  Lebanon |
17,612 |
Wales  |
18–58 |  New Zealand |
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| 3 November 2002 | 2002 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France | Wales |
22–50 | New Zealand |
8,746 |
| 26 November 2013 | 2013 Rugby League World Cup Group A | Australia  |
28–20 |  England |
45,052 |
| 2013 Rugby League World Cup inter-group match | Wales |
16–32 |  Italy |
Football Matches
From 2000 to 2009, the stadium was the main home for the Wales national football team. They played most of their home games here. The first Welsh football game at the stadium was in 2000. It set a record for the biggest home crowd for Welsh football.
While the new Wembley Stadium was being built (2001-2006), the Millennium Stadium hosted many important English football finals. These included the FA Cup Final, League Cup Final, and Football League play-off Finals.
When London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Millennium Stadium was one of the venues for football. It even hosted the very first event of the Games!
In 2014, the stadium was chosen to host the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. This big match took place on 3 June 2017. Real Madrid played against Juventus and won 4–1.
| UEFA Champions League Finals | ||||||
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| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | ||
| 2016–17 | Real Madrid  |
4-1 |  Juventus |
65,842 | ||
Boxing Matches
The stadium has hosted five big boxing nights. Famous boxers like Joe Calzaghe and Anthony Joshua have fought here. In 2017, Anthony Joshua kept his heavyweight titles against Carlos Takam. In 2018, Joshua also beat Joseph Parker in a world heavyweight unification fight.
Motorsports Events
_at_the_Millennium_Stadium_(2010).jpg)
In 2001, the stadium held its first motorsport event. It hosted the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain every year until 2024. A temporary track was built inside the stadium for this event.
In 2005, the stadium hosted an indoor stage of the World Rally Championship. The lower seats were removed to create a special course. The stadium has also hosted Monster Jam truck shows several times.
Filming Location
The stadium has been used to film many TV shows and movies. Scenes from the BBC science fiction show Doctor Who were filmed here several times. The underground areas of the stadium were used to look like bunkers or secret bases.
The stadium was also used for scenes in the movie 28 Weeks Later. Even though the movie showed Wembley Stadium, the inside shots were actually filmed in Cardiff.
Concerts and Music Events
Many famous musicians have performed at the stadium. The Manic Street Preachers played a concert on New Year's Eve 1999. Tina Turner and Bon Jovi also performed here in the early 2000s.
In 2005, a concert was held to help victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Eric Clapton was one of the main performers. Madonna has played at the stadium twice. Other big names include Robbie Williams, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Rolling Stones.
More recently, Beyoncé performed here in 2023. Taylor Swift played a concert in 2024. Oasis and Lana Del Rey also performed in 2024.
Other Uses
The stadium has facilities for conferences and other business events. It can also host dinners, parties, and weddings.
In March 2020, the stadium was turned into a temporary hospital. This was to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was called the Dragon's Heart Hospital.
In 2022, the stadium hosted a major professional wrestling event called "Clash at the Castle." It was the biggest WWE show in the UK since 1992.
See also
In Spanish: Millennium Stadium para niños
- Sport in Cardiff
- Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
- List of stadiums by capacity
- List of covered stadiums by capacity
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
- List of European stadiums by capacity
- List of association football stadiums by capacity
- List of tallest buildings in Cardiff
- Lists of stadiums
