2026 Community Shield moved from Wembley to Cardiff over concert clash
Next season’s Community Shield has been moved from Wembley to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to accommodate a non-football event for the first time.
The traditional curtain-raiser to the new campaign between the winners of the Premier League and the FA Cup has been scheduled to take place on Sunday 16 August – later than usual due to the impact of this summer’s World Cup.
That means it falls during a run of concerts at Wembley by The Weeknd, who is due to play five nights at the national stadium between 14 and 19 August.
The Community Shield was held at the Principality Stadium between 2001 and 2006 while the new Wembley was built and has only been moved twice since, both because of clashes with other football matches.
In 2012, the game was relocated to Cardiff while Wembley staged matches in the Olympic football competitions and in 2022 it was played at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium to make way for the final of the Women’s European Championship.
Why Principality Stadium is Wembley stand-in
The Principality Stadium is the third biggest football ground in England and Wales, after Wembley and Old Trafford, with a capacity of almost 74,000.
It is newer and in better condition than Old Trafford, as well as better located than Manchester to service fans from London and the south east.
Half of the FA Cup quarter-finalists – Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Southampton – are from the region, which could account for three of the four semi-final spots.
The other teams still in the competition are Manchester City, Liverpool, Leeds United and Port Vale, with the first two facing each other.
Next season is due to start a week later than usual because of the knock-on effects of the biggest World Cup ever, featuring 48 teams, taking place across North America in June and July.