Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, which is now called as Principality Stadium. In 2015, the Welsh Rugby Union announced a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Principality Building Society due to which stadium was renamed as the "Principality Stadium" from early 2016.
It is located on Westgate Street, Cardiff, Wales and is owned and operated by Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). It has a seating capacity of 74,500 people.
It is the second-largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof and was the second stadium in Europe to have this feature.
It was opened on 26 June 1999 and its construction cost was around £121 million. The stadium was designed by a team led by architects Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture.
History
In 1995, the WRU was chosen to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup but the then national stadium which was designed in 1962 and had a seating capacity for only 53,000 people.
The stadium was built by Laing on the site of the National Stadium. By 1999, the Millennium Stadium had replaced the National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park, as the national stadium of Wales for rugby union and association football international matches.
The Millennium Stadium was opened on June 1999 and the first major event was an international rugby union match on 26 June 1999, between Wales and South Africa. The home team won by a lead of 29–19 before a crowd of 29,000.
Major Matches
The Millennium Stadium hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup, which was the main reason for its construction. It also hosted six FA cup finals along with many high-profile football matches.
Millennium Stadium is also used to host many other sports which include Boxing, indoor cricket, and Motorsports. Many other events like Films, concerts, and conferences also take place in this stadium.
Recent Matches
During the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Millennium stadium hosted six pool matches, including two of Wales's, and two quarter-final matches.
On 30 June 2015, the Millennium Stadium was chosen as the venue for the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. The match was played between Italian side Juventus and Spanish side Real Madrid, in a repeat of the 1998 final. Real Madrid won the match by 4–1 to secure their 12th title in this competition.
