Olympic Stadium facts for kids

An Olympic Stadium is the main sports venue used for the Olympic Games. It's where the opening and closing ceremonies happen, and often where important events like track and field competitions take place. Each time the Olympics are held, a special stadium is chosen or built for these big moments.

Summer Olympic Stadiums

Many famous stadiums around the world have hosted the Summer Olympics. These places become part of history, holding exciting events and welcoming athletes from everywhere.

• Panathinaiko Stadium (Athens, 1896 and 2004)
• Vélodrome de Vincennes (Paris, 1900)
• Francis Field (St. Louis, 1904)
• White City Stadium (London, 1908)
• Stockholm Olympic Stadium (Stockholm, 1912)
• Antwerp Olympisch Stadion (Antwerp, 1920)
• Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir (Paris, 1924)
• Amsterdam Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam, 1928)
• Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, 1932 and 1984)
• Olympiastadion Berlin (Berlin, 1936)
• Wembley Stadium (London, 1948)
• Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Helsinki, 1952)
• Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, 1956)
• Stadio Olimpico (Rome, 1960)
• National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo, 1964)
• Estadio Olímpico Universitario (Mexico City, 1968)
• Munich Olympiastadion (Munich, 1972)
• Stade Olympique, Montreal (Montreal, 1976)
• Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow, 1980)
• Seoul Olympic Stadium (Seoul, 1988)
• Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona, 1992)
• Centennial Olympic Stadium (Atlanta, 1996)
• Telstra Stadium (Sydney, 2000)
• Athens Olympic Stadium (Athens, 2004)

Winter Olympic Stadiums

The Winter Olympics also have a main stadium, though sometimes the opening and closing ceremonies are held in different places or at venues mainly used for specific winter sports like ski jumping or ice skating.

• 2010 in Vancouver: BC Place Stadium. This stadium is also home to the BC Lions football team.
• 2006 in Torino: Stadio Olimpico. This stadium was built just for the Olympics.
• 2002 in Salt Lake City: Rice-Eccles Stadium. This is the football stadium for the University of Utah.
• 1998 in Nagano: Minami Sports Park Stadium.
• 1994 in Lillehammer: Lysgårdsbakkene Stadion. This stadium is mainly used for ski jumping.
• 1992 in Albertville: Théâtre des Cérémonies. This was a temporary stadium built next to the speed skating oval. It was taken down after the Games.
• 1988 in Calgary: McMahon Stadium. This stadium is home to the Calgary Stampeders football team.
• 1984 in Sarajevo: Koševo Stadium. The closing ceremony was held at the Olympic Hall Zetra, which was used for figure skating.
• 1980 in Lake Placid: Lake Placid Equestrian Stadium. The closing ceremony was in the Indoor Rink of the Olympic Centre, which also hosted figure skating and ice hockey.
• 1976 in Innsbruck: Olympic Ski Jump (Bergisel Stadium). This stadium is used for ski jumping.
• 1972 in Sapporo: Makomanai Open Stadium. This venue was also used for speed skating.
• 1968 in Grenoble: Stade Lesdiguières Opening Stadium. This was a temporary setup at an existing football ground.
• 1964 in Innsbruck: Olympic Ski Jump (Bergisel Stadium). Another ski jumping stadium.
• 1960 in Squaw Valley: Blyth Arena and its surrounding area. This was used for ice hockey and figure skating.
• 1956 in Cortina: Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium. This venue was used for speed skating.
• 1952 in Oslo: Bislett stadion. This stadium was also used for speed skating.
• 1948 in St. Moritz: St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink. This was an oval for speed skating.
• 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Olympia Skistadion. This stadium is for ski jumping.
• 1932 in Lake Placid: Lake Placid Speedskating Oval. This was a speed skating venue.
• 1928 in St. Moritz: Olympic Ice Rink. This was a multi-use skating venue.
• 1924 in Chamonix: Stade Olympique de Chamonix. This was also a multi-use skating venue.