 Great Strahov Stadium as seen fromPetřín lookout tower | |
 Interactive map of Great Strahov Stadium | |
| Location | Strahov, Prague, Czech Republic |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°4′49.21″N14°23′16.30″E / 50.0803361°N 14.3878611°E /50.0803361; 14.3878611 |
| Owner | City of Prague |
| Capacity | 250,000 (56,000 seated)[1] |
| Field size | 9 football pitches (total 310.5 × 202.5 m) |
| Surface | grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | July 4, 1926; 99 years ago (1926-07-04) |
| Tenants | |
| AC Sparta Prague (training only) | |
TheGreat Strahov Stadium (Czech:Velký strahovský stadion) is astadium in theStrahov district ofPrague,Czech Republic. It was built for displays ofsynchronized gymnastics on a massive scale, with a field three times as long and three times as wide as the standardassociation football pitch. Its capacity of 250,000 spectators (56,000 seated) made it larger than anycurrent orformer sports stadium, and thesecond largest sports venue ever.[1][2]
As of 2019[update] the stadium is no longer in use for competitive sports events. It is a training centre forSparta Prague and hosts pop and rock concerts. The stadium is located onPetřín Hill, overlooking the old city. It can be accessed by taking thePetřín funicular up the hill through the gardens, or by taking tram lines 22, 23, or 25 to Malovanka station.
Construction began based on plans by the architectAlois Dryák, on a wooden stadium in 1926, which was replaced by concrete grandstands in 1932. Further construction occurred in 1948 and 1975. The playing field, surrounded by seating on all sides, is 63,500 square metres.
The stadium currently servesSparta Prague as a training centre with 8 football pitches (6 pitches of standard sizes and 2futsal pitches).
The original stadium dates from theFirst Republic between theWorld Wars and served as a venue for popularSokol displays of massivesynchronized gymnastics. Construction of the first stadium began in 1926 on the current ground plan for the 8thVšesokolský slet [cs]. On 14 May 1933 the stadium hostedmotorcycle speedway for the first time.[3]
The stadium was modernized in 1932 for the 9th Všesokolský slet. Both of these displays were attended by Czechoslovak PresidentT. G. Masaryk, who had been a member of Sokol since he was thirteen, on his horse Hektor.[4] The largest attendance was recorded in 1938 on the occasion of the jubilee "World anti-war" 10th Všesokolský slet.
During theNazi occupation the stadium was used for a military parade in honor ofHitler's 50th birthday. Later it became an assembly spot forJews, before they were sent toconcentration camps. AfterWorld War II, it was used as a temporary detention center for German-speaking Czechs awaiting expulsion.[5]
A few months after theend of World War II in Europe, two units of theUnited States Army played an exhibition game ofAmerican football. On September 28, 1945, a crowd of 40,000 watched soldier-athletes of the94th Infantry Division defeat a team from theXXII Corps, by a score of 6–0. The first motor sport event after the end of the World War II was held at the stadium on 2 September 1945.[3]
11th Všesokolský slet in 1948 was used as a protest against risingcommunism. Soon after, the Sokol was dissolved and followed Spartakiades. The Sokol displays were renamedSpartakiads during thecommunist era. The Spartakiads also took place in theSoviet Union,East Germany andAlbania.
The first World Championship speedway event held inCzechoslovakia was at the stadium when it hosted a continental qualifying round during the1963 Individual Speedway World Championship on 9 May 1963.[6][7] The last speedway meeting was held on 2 September 1973.[3]
Performances with several thousand gymnasts making various complex formations, with some performers performing in synchronization while traditional folk music played overhead, attracted the attention of many visitors. Some of the most popular shows were those of young well-trained recruits who wore onlyboxer shorts while on the display or women dancing inminiskirts. The groups of volunteer gymnasts (unlike the soldiers, who were ordered to practice and participate) were put together from top level local athletic association members who regularly trained for the show throughout the year prior to the event. The event was held semi-decadally until 1985.
The last Spartakiad was held here in 1985. Renewed 12th Všesokolský slet took place here with the presence of Czech PresidentVáclav Havel in 1994. However, the next Sokol venues took place on the smaller stadiums (Stadion Evžena Rošického andEden Arena). In 1990, Great Strahov Stadium hosted British classic rock group, TheRolling Stones. The concert had 100,000 spectators, most notably, former President Václav Havel.[8] In 1995Pope John Paul II used the stadium for a massive public mass.[5] Since the 90's, the spacious building hosted few events. Weeds and other vegetation grew on the playing surfaces, due to a lack of care. The area was also used for exhibitions and trade fairs, and was also used for exhibition polo games.
At the beginning of the 21st century, there were talks about demolishing the venue. However, those talks have since diminished. In 2003, part of the stadium, with the financial support of the City ofPrague, was reconstructed byAC Sparta Prague. Eight football fields were built, and it is now used as a training centre for Sparta. In 2014, the complex management of the stadium was resolved and it is now owned by the city of Prague.
The 2019 AppleiPhone XR "Color Flood" commercial, which featured large numbers of people running in different colored jumpsuits, was filmed at the stadium.[9]
Since 1990, the stadium has been used for rock concerts.
In the last decade several studies have looked atadaptive reuse and preservation of this unique structure. There are plans to convert the extremely large Great Strahov stadium complex into a commercial zone complete with hotels, restaurants and shops. Another proposition was to convert the area into a "leisure mecca for the 21st century". There were plans to rebuild the area as anOlympic village if Prague won a futureOlympic bid. However, thebid for 2016 was unsuccessful.[2]
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