Wembley concerts force Community Shield switch to Cardiff

The FA Community Shield will be staged at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in August after Wembley was made unavailable due to ​a series of concerts, the Football Association said on ‌Monday.

Wembley has been booked for multiple shows by Canadian pop star The Weeknd on those dates.

The Premier League season is scheduled to begin over ​the weekend of August 22, with the Community Shield ​to be played on August 16.

The fixture will be played ⁠at the home of Welsh rugby for the first time ​since 2006.

“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the FA Community ​Shield back to Principality Stadium,” said Gavin Marshall, chief financial and operating officer of the Welsh Rugby Union.

“This fixture has a special place in the ​stadium’s history and to be hosting it again for the ​first time in 20 years is a tremendously proud moment for everyone here.”

The ‌venue, ⁠which has a capacity of more than 74,000, previously hosted the Community Shield on six occasions between 2001 and 2006 during the redevelopment of Wembley.

The switch to Cardiff may have commercial implications, ​with Wembley’s 90,000-seat ​capacity and ⁠status as the FA’s national stadium offering greater match-day revenue and hospitality opportunities.

Some supporter groups welcomed ​the decision, citing Cardiff as “one of the best sporting ​venues”, ⁠while others questioned the need to stage the fixture outside England, raising concerns over travel and accommodation costs for fans.

“What’s the point ⁠of having ​it in a different UEFA member ​nation?… They should have had it at different locations around England,” a fan posted ​on X.

-Reuters

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