2026 Community Shield moved to Wales due to Wembley scheduling conflict

Published Jul 21, 10:22 AM UTC

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The 2026 Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday, 16 August. This marks the first time since 2006 that the fixture has been played in Wales. The change of venue is due to a scheduling conflict at Wembley Stadium, which is hosting The Weekend's 'After Hours til Dawn' tour on the same day. The Principality Stadium previously hosted the Community Shield, FA Cup final, and EFL Cup final between 2001 and 2007 while Wembley was being rebuilt. This is the third time the Community Shield has been held outside London since Wembley reopened in 2007, with previous instances in 2012 (Villa Park) and 2022 (King Power Stadium). The article is part of BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything series, responding to a question from a reader.

Source report

By Jonty Colman BBC Sport journalist

For the first time since 2006, Wales' Principality Stadium will host the Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City on Saturday, 16 August.

The annual fixture is being held away from London for the third time since Wembley Stadium reopened in 2007, due to The Weeknd's 'After Hours til Dawn' tour taking place at Wembley on the same day.

A History of Venue Changes

The Principality Stadium served as the venue for the Community Shield, FA Cup final and EFL Cup final between 2001 and 2007, while Wembley Stadium was demolished and rebuilt.
Following its reopening, the new Wembley hosted its first FA Cup final in 2007.
In 2012, Villa Park hosted the Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea, because Wembley was used for football at the Olympics.
In 2022, the match was played at Leicester City's King Power Stadium, with Manchester City facing Liverpool, because Wembley hosted the Women's European Championship final.

Other Venues to Have Hosted the Fixture

The Principality Stadium and the two iterations of Wembley are among a long list of venues to have hosted the Community Shield (formerly known as the Charity Shield), including:

Stamford Bridge
Highbury
White Hart Lane
Old Trafford
Maine Road
The Den
Molineux
Filbert Street

This article is from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. This question was sent in by Russell from Lee-on-the-Solent.

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Image caption: The Principality Stadium is the home of Wales' rugby union side

Source

BBC SportWestern

Original headline: Why is the Community Shield being held in Wales?

Original language: EN-GB

Part of this Story

Why the 2026 Community Shield is Being Held in Wales

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