 | |
 | |
 | |
| Former names |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Westgate Street Cardiff CF10 1NS |
| Coordinates | 51°28′41″N3°10′57″W / 51.47806°N 3.18250°W /51.47806; -3.18250 |
| Public transit |  Cardiff Central |
| Owner | Millennium Stadium plc |
| Operator | Millennium Stadium plc |
| Executive suites | 124 |
| Capacity | 73,931 (rugby union and football)[5] 78,000 (boxing)[6] |
| Field size | 120 m × 79 m (394 ft × 259 ft)[7] |
| Roof | Retractable |
| Surface | Grass (1999–2014) GrassMaster (2014–present)[2] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1997 |
| Built | 1997–1999 |
| Opened | 26 June 1999; 26 years ago (1999-06-26)[1] |
| Construction cost | £121 million[3] |
| Architect | Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture[4] |
| Structural engineer | WS Atkins |
| Main contractors | Laing |
| Tenants | |
| Wales national rugby union team (1999–present) Wales national football team (2000–2009)[a] Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain (2001–2024) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheMillennium Stadium (Welsh:Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as thePrincipality Stadium (Welsh:Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is thenational stadium ofWales. Located inCardiff, it has aretractable roof and is the home of theWales national rugby union team; it has also heldWales national football team games. Initially built to host the1999 Rugby World Cup and replacing theNational Stadium, it has gone on to host many other large-scale events, such as theTsunami Relief Cardiff concert, theSuper Special Stage ofWales Rally Great Britain, theSpeedway Grand Prix of Great Britain andvarious concerts. It also hostedFA Cup,League Cup andFootball League play-off finals whileWembley Stadium was being redeveloped between 2001 and 2006, as well as football matches during the2012 Summer Olympics.
The stadium is owned by Millennium Stadium plc, asubsidiary company of theWelsh Rugby Union (WRU).[9] The architects wereBligh Lobb Sports Architecture. The structural engineers wereWS Atkins and the building contractor wasLaing. The total construction cost of the stadium was£121 million,[3] of which theMillennium Commission funded £46 million.[10]
The Millennium Stadium opened in June 1999[1] and its first major event was an internationalrugby union match on 26 June 1999, whenWales beatSouth Africa in atest match by 29–19 before a crowd of 29,000.[11] With a totalseating capacity of 73,931, it is the largest stadium in Wales and the fourth largest (and second largest outsideLondon) in the United Kingdom by total capacity. In addition, it is the third-largest stadium in theSix Nations Championship behind theStade de France andTwickenham. It is also the second-largest stadium in the world with a fullyretractable roof and was the second stadium in Europe to have this feature.[12][13] Listed as acategory four stadium byUEFA, the stadium was chosen as the venue for the2017 UEFA Champions League Final, which took place on 3 June 2017.[14][15] In 2015, the Welsh Rugby Union announced a 10-year sponsorship deal with thePrincipality Building Society that saw the stadium renamed as the "Principality Stadium" from early 2016.[16][17][18]
Until 1969,Cardiff RFC andWales both played their home matches on the same pitch atCardiff Arms Park, but all this changed in the 1969–70 season.[19] As a result of an agreement betweenCardiff Athletic Club and the WRU, theNational Stadium project established that a new stadium for international matches and events was required, with Cardiff RFC moving to a new, purpose-built stadium on the original cricket ground at the site of the former Cardiff Arms Park stadium.[19] By 7 April 1984 the National Stadium was officially opened. However, in 1994, a committee was set up to consider redeveloping the National Stadium, and by 1995 the WRU had been chosen to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup.[20]
In 1995, the National Stadium, which was designed in 1962,[19] only had a capacity of 53,000; other nations' stadia, such asTwickenham (England) with a capacity of 75,000, andMurrayfield Stadium (Scotland) with a capacity of 67,000, had overtaken it. France was also about to build theStade de France, which would have a capacity of more than 80,000 for the1998 FIFA World Cup.[20] The original capacity of the National Stadium was 65,000, but this had been reduced to 53,000, due to theTaylor Report. 11,000 of 53,000 capacity was on the EastTerrace and the conversion to anall-seater stadium would have reduced the stadium capacity still further to just 47,500.[20]
In addition to the problems of capacity, the National Stadium was also very well hidden by the neighbouring buildings to the south in Park Street, Wood Street and to the east in Westgate Street, and also by Cardiff Rugby Ground in the north. It was only fully visible from across theRiver Taff in the west. Access to the ground was also very restricted with the main entrance being a narrow opening in Westgate Street to the east which was shared by both vehicles and spectators alike.[20]
The options for the new stadium included adding a third tier to the existing National Stadium, or moving to a new site. This last option was discounted because it would have required a vast car parking facility, and that would have put severe short-term pressures on the local transport infrastructure, creating traffic jams and pollution.[20] The committee eventually chose a new stadium on the same site but with considerable increase in its capacity. It would also involve moving the alignment of the stadium from west–east to north–south. This was the option supported by theMillennium Commission. It would become the fourth redevelopment of the Cardiff Arms Park site.[13] It was also decided that the new stadium should have a sliding roof to accommodate a multi-use venue, with a grass pitch for rugby and football.[20] The only other sliding roofs in Europe at the time were at two Dutch stadia – theAmsterdam Arena, completed in 1996 with a capacity of 50,000;[13] andGelredome inArnhem, a 30,000-capacity ground built from 1996 to 1998.[21]
To remain on the Arms Park site, additional space had to be found to allow safe access and to provide room for the increased capacity and improved facilities. This was achieved by the purchase of adjacent buildings to the south and east and by the construction of a new £6 million River Walk by theRiver Taff on the western side of the stadium.[3]
By 1999, the Millennium Stadium had replaced the National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park, as the national stadium of Wales for rugby union and association football international matches. Cardiff RFC continued as before to play at Cardiff Arms Park rugby ground, which had replaced the cricket ground in 1969.[19][22]
The stadium was designed by a team led by Rod Sheard at Lobb Sport Architecture,[23] who later merged withHOK Sport to becomePopulous. The building contractor wasLaing and the structural engineers were WS Atkins. Mike Otlet of WS Atkins designed the stadium's retractable roof,[24] which was constructed by Kelsey Roofing Industries.[25] Cimolai S.p.A. from Italy fabricated and erected the 72 steel plane frames for the stands and all the 4,500 components of the roof.[26]
Construction involved the demolition of a number of buildings, primarily the existing National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park),Wales Empire Pool (swimming pool) in Wood Street, Cardiff Empire Telephone Exchange building (owned byBT) in Park Street, the newly builtTerritorial Auxiliary & Volunteer Reserve building in Park Street, and theSocial Security offices in Westgate Street.[13][27]
The stadium was built by Laing in 1999 on the site of the National Stadium, with the head of construction being Steve Ager.[28] It was built for the1999 Rugby World Cup, for which Wales was the main host,[13] with seven of the 41 matches, including the final, being played at the stadium.
The total construction cost of the stadium was £121 million,[3] which was funded by private investment and £46 million of public funds from the Millennium Commission,[10] the sale ofdebentures to supporters (which offered guaranteed tickets in exchange for an interest-free loan) and loans. The development left the WRU heavily in debt.
The Millennium Stadium was named as such in recognition of the Millennium Commission's contribution to the building.[29]
The stadium was first used for a major event on 26 June 1999, when Wales played South Africa in a rugby union test match before a crowd of 29,000. Wales won 29–19: the first time they had ever beaten the Springboks.[11]
On 8 September 2015 it was announced that the Millennium Stadium would be renamed Principality Stadium as the result of a 10-year naming rights deal with thePrincipality Building Society.[29] Some fans expressed opposition on social media.[30]
On 22 January 2016, the Millennium Stadium was officially renamed as the Principality Stadium.[31] The new name, written bilingually ("Stadiwm Principality Stadium") and covering 114 square metres (1,230 sq ft) of the upper stadium, was lit up at a special evening ceremony, to be followed by a festival to encourage grassroots rugby.[32] The change of name also meant a change of logo for the Millennium Stadium. There were three designs shortlisted, and a panel, which included the former Wales international captainRyan Jones and staff and members of the WRU and Principality Building Society, chose the final design.[33] A spokesperson for the WRU said: "The new stadium logo takes its inspiration from the venue's iconic architecture; four spires, curved frontage and fully retractable roof."[33]
The all-seater stadium has the capacity for 74,500 supporters and features a retractable roof, only the second stadium of its type in Europe, and the largest football stadium in the world with this feature, by capacity.[7][12] Additional seating is sometimes added for special events such as a rugby Test against the New ZealandAll Blacks, or for theFA Cup Final. The current record attendance is set at just over 78,000, recorded at theAnthony Joshua vCarlos Takam fight, on 28 October 2017, in which Joshua successfully retained his WBA, IBF and IBO titles.
The natural grass turf was made up of a modular system installed byGreenTech ITM.[34] It features built in irrigation and drainage. The pitch itself was laid on top of some 7,412 pallets that could be moved so the stadium could be used for concerts, exhibitions and other events.[7][35]
In May 2014, after much trouble with disease and stability, the surface was removed and replaced with a more resilient interwoven sand basedDesso pitch.[36]
The four ends of the ground are called the North Stand, the West Stand, the South Stand and the BT Stand (east).[37] The South Stand was previously known as the Hyder Stand,[38] untilHyder was sold. The stadium has three tiers of seating with the exception of the North Stand, which has two tiers. The lower tier holds 23,154 spectators, the middle tier holding 15,626 and the upper tier holding 35,151 spectators.[7]
The stadium was slightly restricted in size due to its proximity to Cardiff Rugby Club's home in the adjacent smaller stadium within Cardiff Arms Park. The WRU were unable to secure enough funding to include the North Stand in the new stadium and theMillennium Commission would not allow any of its funds to be used in any way for the construction of a new stadium for Cardiff RFC.[39] The WRU held talks withCardiff RFC to see if it would be possible for the club to either move or secure funding for theCardiff Arms Park to be re-developed, but these were unsuccessful. The stadium thus had to be completed with a break in its bowl structure in the North Stand, known colloquially as Glanmor's Gap, afterGlanmor Griffiths, then chairman of the WRU and now a former president.[40]
Thesuperstructure of the stadium is based around four 90.3-metre (296 ft) masts. The stadium was built from 56,000 tonnes of concrete and steel, and has 124 hospitality suites and 7 hospitality lounges,[7] 22 bars, 7 restaurants, 17 first aid points, 12 escalators and 7 lifts.[41] The stadium has 7 gates for access to the site; Gate 1 is from the River Walk via Castle Street (to the north), Gates 2 and 3 are via Westgate Street (to the east), Gate 4 which was renamed Gatland's Gate (Welsh:Gât Gatland) in honour ofWarren Gatland in November 2019, is for team-coaches, celebrity limousines and other uses via Westgate Street,[42] Gate 5 is via Park Street (to the south) and Gates 6 and 7 are via the Millennium Plaza (also to the south).[43]
Any future renovation to the stadium will involve replacing the old North Stand of the former National Stadium with a new one similar to the three existing stands of the new Millennium Stadium. This will make the stadium bowl-shaped and will increase its capacity to around 80,000. It will resolve the existing problems of deteriorating concrete quality on the old structure in the north stand.[44] However the WRU has been more resistant to the proposal in recent years, stating that the concrete has not been deteriorating in recent years meaning the cost of replacing Glanmor's Gap would not justify the limited increase in capacity it would provide.[45]
In each of the stadium's bars, so-called "joy machines" can pour 12 pints in less than 20 seconds. During a Wales versus France match, 63,000 fans drank 77,184 pints of beer, almost double the 44,000 pints drunk by a similar number of fans at a game atTwickenham.[46] The stadium has a residenthawk named "Dad", who is employed to drive seagulls and pigeons out of the stadium.[47]
In 2005 the stadium installed an "Arena Partition Drape System" – a 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) black curtain made up of 12 drapes measuring 9 m × 35 m (30 ft × 115 ft) – to vary the audience from a capacity of over 73,000 down to between 12,000 and 46,000, depending on the four different positions that it can be hung. The curtains can be stored in the roof of the stadium when not in use. The £1 million cost of the curtain was funded by the stadium, theMillennium Commission, its caterers Letherby and Christopher (Compass Group) and by the thenWales Tourist Board.[48] The curtain was supplied by Blackout.[49]
In May 2015, the chairman of the WRU,Gareth Davies, announced that the stadium would be fitted with new seats, replacing the original seats from 1999 at a cost of £4 million to £5 million, which would be completed by 2018. In addition a new £3.1 million Desso hybrid pitch will be[needs update] installed.[50]
In February 2019, the stadium increased its disabled capacity from 168 to 214 at a cost of around £100,000. As a result, the overall capacity of the stadium was reduced from 74,500 to 73,931.[5]
A statue of SirTasker Watkins, the former WRU president between 1993 and 2004, was commissioned to stand outside Gate 3 of the stadium. The bronze statue, 9 feet (2.7 m) tall, was sculpted byLlantwit Major based sculptor Roger Andrews. TheWelsh Government contributed £50,000, as didCardiff Council.[51] It was officially unveiled on 15 November 2009 by his daughter, Lady Mair Griffith-Williams.[52]
As well as international rugby union and association football, the Millennium Stadium has hosted a variety of sports, including,rugby league (including theChallenge Cup Final on three occasions between 2003 and 2005, the opening ceremony of the2013 Rugby League World Cup andWelsh Rugby League internationals),speedway,boxing, theWales Rally Great Britain stage of theWorld Rally Championship,Monster Jam andindoor cricket. The indoor cricket match between The Brits and a Rest of the World team for the Pertemps Power Cricket Cup, which took place on 4 and 5 October 2002.[53][54][55]
The stadium is the home of theWelsh rugby union team, who play all of their home fixtures at the venue. These games include those during theSix Nations, as well as theAutumn Internationals against nations from theSouthern Hemisphere. Apart from the national team, the stadium has also hosted theEuropean Rugby Champions Cup finals on six occasions. In total, the site, including theNational Stadium, has hosted the final of the European Rugby Champions Cup on eight occasions.[56]
| European Rugby Champions Cup finals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | ||
| 2001–02[57] | Leicester Tigers | 15–9 |  Munster | 74,600 | ||
| 2005–06[58] | Munster | 23–19 |  Biarritz | 74,534 | ||
| 2007–08[59] | Munster | 16–13 | Toulouse | 74,500 | ||
| 2010–11[60] | Leinster | 33–22 | Northampton Saints | 72,456 | ||
| 2013–14[61] | Toulon | 23–6 | Saracens | 67,586 | ||
| 2024–25 | Bordeaux Bègles | 28–20 | Northampton Saints | 70,225 | ||
The stadium has also been used forCeltic League games, and the semi-finals of theAnglo-Welsh Cup in2006 and2007. Since 2013, the Millennium Stadium has hostedJudgement Day, a double-header between the four WelshUnited Rugby Championship teams. The 2016 edition had 68,262 spectators, the highest in the history of the league.[62]
The stadium hosted the first match in the2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand when they drew 25–25 againstArgentina in a warm-up test match.[63]
Welsh Varsity rugby matches
On 30 March 2011, the stadium hosted theWelsh Varsity rugby match for the first time in the history of the match between the senior teams ofCardiff University andSwansea University. The stadium is used alternating years withLiberty Stadium in Swansea. The Welsh Varsity event celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.[64]
Rugby World Cup
The Welsh Rugby Union hosted the1999 Rugby World Cup with the Final being played at the stadium. The stadium also hosted 3 pool matches and 1 quarter-final match (New Zealand 18–20 France) of the2007 Rugby World Cup.[65][66][67][68]
On 15 October 2011, the stadium was open toWelsh Rugby Union fans free of charge, providing that they wear red so that they could watch a live screening of the2011 Rugby World Cup semi-final betweenWales andFrance that was played atEden Park,Auckland, New Zealand. The match was screened on the stadium's existing large screens, on all of their television screens and on a screen that was brought in for the occasion. The same was done for theBronze Final betweenWales andAustralia which saw Wales defeated and take fourth place.
The stadium hosted six pool matches, including two featuring Wales, and two quarter-final matches during the2015 Rugby World Cup.[69]
| 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 |
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The stadium first hostedrugby league football during the2000 World Cup: a double header featuringCook Islands versusLebanon andWales versusNew Zealand that attracted a crowd of 17,612. It was again used as Wales' home ground during the2002 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France when they again hosted the Kiwis this time attracting 8,746 spectators.
The Stadium has hosted threeChallenge Cup Finals, which are usually played at Wembley, from 2003 to 2005. In2003 theBradford Bulls defeated theLeeds Rhinos 22–20 in front of 71,212 fans.St. Helens defeatedWigan 36–16 in2004 in front of 73,734 fans, whileHull F.C. defeated Leeds 25–24 in2005 in front of 74,213 fans, the largest rugby league crowd at the stadium.
Also, in 2007 the stadium hosted the inauguralMillennium Magic weekend. This was a two-day event in May when an entire round ofSuper League matches were played, three games on the Saturday and three games on the Sunday. The event was deemed a success by the sport's governing body, theRFL, and second Millennium Magic event took place in May 2008, although the 2009 and 2010 events were held at Murrayfield Stadium and were renamed Magic Weekend. In 2011, Magic Weekend moved back to Cardiff with the opening round of Super League being played.[70]
On 26 October 2013, the Millennium Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and the first two fixtures of the2013 Rugby League World Cup: a double-header featuring Wales againstItaly andEngland against title favourites and eventual tournament championsAustralia.[71] This double header produced an overall attendance of 45,052, which is an international rugby league record at the stadium.[citation needed]
| 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 | |||
| 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 CupGroup A | Australia | 28–20 | England | 45,052 |
| 2013 Rugby League World Cup inter-group match | Wales | 16–32 |  Italy |
From 2000 to 2009, the stadium was the almost-permanent home of Welsh football. Thenational team played the vast majority of home matches at the Millennium Stadium, with a handful offriendly matches once or twice a year at theRacecourse Ground, Wrexham orLiberty Stadium, Swansea.[72][73][74] The first Welsh football game at the stadium was played against Finland in 2000,[75] and drew a then-record home crowd for Welsh football of over 66,000.[76] This has since been beaten on several occasions. However, since 2010, the majority of home games have been played at the smallerCardiff City Stadium, the home ofCardiff City.[77] Wales have only played at the stadium twice since 2009; in 2011 againstEngland and in 2018 againstSpain.
While the Millennium Stadium was under construction, the originalWembley Stadium had hosted the Welsh rugby team during the building of the new ground. The favour was returned from 2001 while the newWembley Stadium was being built,[78] with the Millennium hosting:
The stadium became notorious for an apparent "away team hoodoo"; the first 11 major cup finals were all won by the teams occupying the home dressing room.[79] Stoke City beat Brentford 2–0 in 2002 to end the "hoodoo", after Paul Darby carried out afeng shui blessing.[79][80][81][82]
Liverpool were the first team to win theFA Cup at the Millennium Stadium in 2001 after beatingArsenal 2–1.[83] They were also the first team to win theLeague Cup at the Stadium, defeatingBirmingham City in apenalty shoot-out earlier that year.[84][85] In 2003, Liverpool won theLeague Cup for the seventh time in their history thanks to a 2–0 win over Manchester United in the final at the stadium. Liverpool also won thelast FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in 2006, beatingWest Ham United 3–1 in a penalty shoot-out that followed a 3–3 draw afterextra time in what was billed as 'the best cup final of the modern era'.[86]
The Football League Third Division play-offs in 2003 sawAFC Bournemouth beatLincoln City 5–2. In this game, Bournemouth set a new record for the most goals scored by one team in a single match at the stadium. This record has since been matched but not beaten.[87] The last domestic cup match played was whenDoncaster Rovers beatBristol Rovers 3–2 after extra time in theFootball League Trophy Final on 1 April 2007.[88]
In 2001, theFootball Association of Wales (FAW) confirmed that they had bid to host the2003 UEFA Champions League Final. The stadium had recently been rated as a five-star stadium byUEFA, making it one of the favorites to host the match,[89] but the final was eventually awarded toOld Trafford, the home ofManchester United.[90]
When London was selected as the host city for the2012 Summer Olympics, the Millennium Stadium was named as one of the six venues for thefootball competition.[91] It had the distinction of hosting the opening event of the Games – a 1–0 win for theGreat Britain women's team againstNew Zealand – as well as four other group games and a quarter-final in the women's tournament, and three group games, a quarter-final and the bronze medal match in the men's.[92]
It was suggested that the stadium would have been one of the venues of a proposedUEFA Euro 2016 championship hosted jointly by Wales andScotland.[93] However, the bid did not reach the formal UEFA selection stage, having been abandoned by the Welsh and Scottish Football Associations for financial reasons.[94] In April 2014, the FAW did submit a formal bid to host three group matches and either a round of 16 match or a quarter-final atEuro 2020, which UEFA planned to host at 13 venues across Europe.[95] When the host venues were voted on in September 2014, the Millennium Stadium lost out by a single vote behind Glasgow'sHampden Park, a decision that FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford put down to UEFA politics.[96] The stadium, however, would be selected forUEFA Euro 2028.
On 30 June 2015, the Millennium Stadium was chosen as the venue for the2017 UEFA Champions League Final.[15] UEFA rules meant it could not be branded as the Principality Stadium during the event, resulting in all titles and logos – as well as those of other non-UEFA sponsors – being covered or removed for the duration.[97] The game was played on 3 June 2017 between Italian clubJuventus and Spanish clubReal Madrid, in a repeat of the1998 final; Real Madrid won the match 4–1.[98]
| UEFA Champions League finals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | ||
| 2016–17 | Real Madrid | 4–1 | Juventus | 65,842 | ||
There have been five nights of boxing at the stadium.[99]On 8 July 2006 whenMatt Skelton beatDanny Williams for the Commonwealth heavyweight title.[100]
On 7 April 2007,Joe Calzaghe beatPeter Manfredo to retain hisWBO super middleweight belt.[101]
On 3 November 2007,Calzaghe beat Mikkel Kessler to retain his WBO super middleweight belt and win theWBA andWBC super middleweight titles.[101]
On 28 October 2017Anthony Joshua successfully retained his WBA (Super),IBF andIBO heavyweight titles againstmandatory challengerCarlos Takam with a 10th round stoppage.[102]
On 31 March 2018, it hosted the World heavyweight unification fight between Anthony Joshua, holder of theWBA and IBF belts, andJoseph Parker, holder of theWBO belt.[103]Joshua beat Parker on points.[104]
In 2001, the stadium staged its first ever motorsport event, hosting theSpeedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, which continued annually, attracting a record crowd of 44,150 in 2010.[105] The temporarymotorcycle speedway track was 278 metres (304 yards) in length and with sections of the stadiums lower seating bowl covered, the capacity of the stadium for the Grand Prix was set at 62,500. The 2025 event was cancelled for commercial reasons.[106]
In September 2005 the stadium was host to the first ever indoor stage of theWorld Rally Championship during theWales Rally Great Britain. The lower tier of the stadium was removed to create a figure-of-eight course.[107] In addition to this, the stadium has also hostedSupercross events.[108] In October 2007, the stadium first hosted the UK leg of theMonster Jam trucks Europe tour, and returned in June 2008, again in 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018 and 2019.[109]
The stadium has been used on numerous occasions as a venue for shooting film and television productions. Scenes from the 2001 Hindi filmKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham were filmed there.[110]
Between 2004 and 2011, the stadium was used several times as a filming location for episodes of theBBCscience fiction television seriesDoctor Who.[111] The 2005 episode "Dalek" was shot primarily on location at the stadium,[112] using its underground areas to represent a bunker inUtah, US, in the year 2012. The location shooting for the episode took place during October and November 2004. The underground areas of the stadium were used again in August 2005 to film Mission Control scenes for theDoctor Who Christmas special, "The Christmas Invasion",[113] and again the following year to film scenes in the underground corridors of Torchwood in "The Runaway Bride" episode, broadcast on Christmas Day 2006.[114] Shots of the Stormcage Facility in whichRiver Song is incarcerated in series 5 and 6 ofDoctor Who are also in the stadium, filmed between October 2010 and January 2011.[111]
The stadium has also been used as a location for the filming of Doctor Who spin-offThe Sarah Jane Adventures. The 2010 story, "Death of the Doctor", included corridor scenes for theUNIT headquarters that were filmed underground at the Millennium Stadium.[115]
TheWembley Stadium scene in the film28 Weeks Later was actually filmed at the Millennium Stadium. Although the outside is footage of Wembley, the inside is all filmed in Cardiff. The visual effects team on the film edited the footage to make it look more like Wembley.[116]
Sébastien Foucan jumped over the gap of the opening of the stadium roof in theparkour documentary "Jump Britain".
The inauguralExpress Eventing International Cup took place at the stadium on 30 November 2008. The three-event competition made up ofdressage,cross-country andshow jumping all took place over the one day. The event was won byOliver Townend.[117]
The stadium has also been used for a variety of musical events, including theManic Street Preachers concert held onMillennium Eve,[118] and, on the following day, a recording of theBBC'sSongs of Praise, which attracted an attendance of 60,000.[119]Tina Turner performed a sold-out concert at the stadium during her highly successfulTwenty Four Seven Tour in 2000.[120] Welsh rockersStereophonics have played two sold-out shows at the stadium: In July 2001 as part of their two-day "A Day at the Races" festival which would later be released to DVD and in 2003, shortly after the departure of the lateStuart Cable.
American rock bandBon Jovi played the venue during theOne Wild Night Tour in 2001.[121] At the end of January 2005, the stadium hosted atsunami relief concert in aid of the victims of the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake andtsunami, withEric Clapton headlining the event.[122] The stadium has also been host toMadonna on two occasions, the first in July 2006 when she opened the UK leg of herConfessions Tour,[123] and most recently in August 2008 when she kicked off herSticky & Sweet Tour at the stadium.[124] Other performers who have played at the stadium includeRobbie Williams as part of hisWeddings, Barmitzvahs & Stadiums Tour,[125]U2 as part of theirVertigo Tour,[126]Red Hot Chili Peppers as part of theirBy the Way tour,[127]The Rolling Stones as part of theirA Bigger Bang Tour,[128]R.E.M. as part of theirMonster tour and again for theirAround the Sun tour.[126]
Paul McCartney also played at the stadium as part of hisUp and Coming Tour,[129] andThe Police performed there as part of theirReunion Tour.[130] In late 2005,Oasis played at the stadium during theirDon't Believe the Truth Tour and again on theirDig Out Your Soul Tour in 2009.[131] In 2008, the stadium hostedNeil Diamond andBruce Springsteen with theE Street Band as part of theirMagic Tour,[132] On22 August 2009, U2 again played at the stadium, as part of their European leg of theirU2 360° Tour,[133] playing to a record-breaking concert attendance of 73,354.[134] On May 17, 2023,Beyoncé performed at the stadium as part of herRenaissance World Tour.[135]Taylor Swift played at the stadium on June 18, 2024 as part ofThe Eras Tour.[136] In 2024, it was announcedOasis would play at the stadium in July 2025 as part of theirLive '25 Tour.[137]Lana Del Rey took the stage on June 23, 2025 as part of herUK and Ireland stadium tour.
The stadium offersconferencing facilities via the foodservice organisationCompass Group.[138] The facilities consist of six individually designed lounges and 124 pitch-facing executive box suites.[citation needed]
In addition to business events, the facilities are also available for dinners, banquets, balls, parties and weddings receptions.[citation needed]
On 28 March 2020 it was announced that the stadium was to be converted at a cost of £8 million into a temporary field hospital to accommodate up to 2000 patients of theCOVID-19 pandemic, at the same time as theExcel Centre, London,NEC, Birmingham, and theManchester Central Convention Complex.[139] By the weekend of 11–12 April 2020, it had a capacity of 330 beds.[140]
On 12 April 2022, Americanprofessional wrestling companyWWE announced that it would hold a major event at Millennium Stadium on 3 September, and opened pre-registration for tickets. The event was announced as being WWE's largest show in the UK sinceSummerSlam at theoriginal Wembley Stadium in 1992.[141] On 29 April 2022, it was announced that the event would be titledClash at the Castle, in reference to nearbyCardiff Castle.[142] The event attracted over 59,000 ticket pre-sale registrations, a company record.[143]
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