Principality Stadium

The brief from the Welsh Rugby Union to the Populous design team was to build the most atmospheric rugby stadium in the world, on an extremely tight site in the centre of Cardiff, in time for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. With the UK’s first closing roof, the resulting stadium has inspired technological innovations in venues throughout the world.

The atmosphere at the Principality Stadium (previously known as the Millennium Stadium) is the result of a combination of unique design features, with the biggest factor being the retractable roof. Specially insulated to maximise its acoustic effect, the roof traps the roar of the crowd so that it reverberates around the seating bowl. The bowl itself resembles a ravine, with steep tiers surrounding the pitch, giving every seat excellent sightlines, and putting spectators right on top of the action.

In 2013 the England rugby team travelled to the Principality Stadium for their final match of the Six Nations Championship, aiming to complete their first tournament Grand Slam in a decade. Instead, they lost 30 – 3, a score line which gave the trophy to Wales on points difference. Many commentators suggested that the young England team were overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere generated beneath the closed roof of the stadium. Even with the roof open for the Six Nations in 2015, the stadium was still recorded as the loudest venue in the tournament, with an average noise level of 92 decibels.

While primarily a venue for rugby, the Millennium Stadium’s roof allows it to serve a number of other functions. The venue has staged concerts by artists including The Rolling Stones, The Police, Neil Young and Madonna, as well as hosting championship boxing, show jumping and even the first ever indoor stage of the World Rally Championship. It is also a UEFA Category 4 football stadium, accommodating 6 FA Cup Finals while Wembley Stadium was under construction, and hosted the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Juventus.