The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park

The Story of the Home of Both Welsh Rugby and Welsh Football

Sep 3, 2009 Neil Hughes

The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales is one of the world's great sports stadiums. This iconic venue is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Sport has been played on Cardiff Arms Park since the 19th century. The land, named after the Cardiff Arms Hotel, was acquired by the Bute family and given to the people of Cardiff on the proviso that it was used for, ‘recreational purposes’. The Millennium stadium, Cardiff Arms Park is the latest incarnation of one of the world’s most famous rugby stadiums.

Location of the Millennium Stadium

When Wales were awarded the 1999 Rugby World Cup, it was clear that the existing National Stadium, with its 53,000 capacity and primitive facilities would need to be re-developed. However, given the location of the stadium, right in the heart of the city of Cardiff, the logistics of building a world class stadium on the same site would be extreme.

Serious consideration was given to building the new stadium out of town at a greenfield site near Bridgend, but part of the magic of the old ground was its location and proximity to Cardiff’s bars and restaurants. It was considered that the atmosphere, not simply during the game, but before and after would be lost at an out of town venue.

Finally the decision was made to re-develop the existing site, but, quite literally, with a twist. The new stadium would be turned through 90 degrees. This meant that some of the surrounding buildings would need to be purchased and demolished, including the Empire Pool, built for the Empire Games, (now the Commonwealth Games), which were held in Cardiff in 1958.

The Millennium Stadium’s Retractable Roof

The crowning glory of the Millennium stadium is its retractable roof. The stadium was only the second in Europe to have this facility and was by far the largest. The roof can be opened in 20 minutes at a cost of only £2.54. This feature gives the ability to play sport either outdoors or indoors and also gives the stadium the flexibility to host a variety of events throughout the year.

One feature of the stadium which wasn’t such a success was the way in which the pitch was laid out. Because the roof necessitated a small aperture at the top of the stadium, light at ground level is at a premium for the growth of grass, so the designers came up with a system where the grass was grown on a series of palettes, which could be removed and grown in greenhouses. Unfortunately, this system wasn’t a success with the turf cutting up, especially around the joins between the palettes.

Today, the grass is rolled on top of the earth supported by the palettes.This also avoids an unforeseen problem which occurred when a lorry transporting the palettes took a corner too quickly, shedding its load. There are now a number of lawns in Cardiff which can trace their ancestry to the hallowed ground.

Events at the Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium has become world famous, thanks to global exposure from events such as the Rugby World Cup and Six Nations rugby, the FA Cup Final which was held in Cardiff whilst Wembley was being re-developed, World Championship Boxing bouts and numerous concerts by international superstars such as U2, Madonna and Oasis.

Tickets for events at the stadium such as Six Nations rugby internationals often sell out quickly, but visitors can get a feel of the place by taking a Millennium Stadium tour, which gives access to the changing rooms, the pitch and even the royal box.

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Millennium Stadium Cardiff Arms Park