Opened in June 1999 complete with the first fully retractable roof in the UK, it has hosted some of the world’s most famous sporting events as well as concerts featuring the biggest entertainers in show business, from Take That, One Direction and Oasis to Madonna, Rihanna and Beyoncé.
One of Wales’ most famous icons, the stadium has staged the 1999 Rugby World Cup Final and six showpiece FA Cup Finals. The Welsh national football team plays many of its matches there and it also hosts high octane motorsport events such as the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Some 56,000 tonnes of concrete and steel went into the construction of the venue on the site of the old National Stadium in the heart of Cardiff city centre. Capable of seating 74,500 spectators on seven levels in three tiers, the stadium boasts 15 bars, 23 refreshment outlets, 12 escalators and seven lifts. There are 760 toilet pans, and 200,000 nuts and bolts were used in the construction of the roof, which takes 20 minutes to open.
Tours of the stadium take in the press conference suite and the Welsh dressing room. You can hear the roar of 74,500 fervent Welsh fans as you walk through the players’ tunnel before visiting a VIP hospitality suite and, finally, lifting a trophy in the president’s box.
