Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 23, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe FA Community Shield, originally set for Wembley on August 16, 2026, has been relocated to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium due to The Weeknd’s five-night concert residency there.
March 23 (Reuters) - 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.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
The Community Shield was moved because Wembley was unavailable due to concerts, including performances by The Weeknd.
The 2024 FA Community Shield will take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Yes, the stadium previously hosted the event between 2001 and 2006 during Wembley’s redevelopment.
Fans expressed concerns about travel and accommodation costs, and questioned staging the match outside England.
Moving to Cardiff may reduce match-day revenue and hospitality opportunities due to a smaller capacity and lack of national stadium status.
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