Millennium Stadium

The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm) in Cardiff is the national stadium of Wales, used primarily for rugby union and football. It is currently the largest football ground in the United Kingdom with a capacity of 74,500, but will relinquish this distinction when the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium in London is complete. The stadium is owned by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

Uses

As well as international rugby union and football, the Millennium Stadium has hosted a variety of sports, including Rugby League (Including challenge cup finals and Welsh Rugby League internationals) speedway and indoor cricket.

Related Topics:
Rugby League - Speedway - Indoor cricket

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Since 2001, the stadium has hosted the following English football tournaments whilst England's national stadium, Wembley Stadium has been undergoing rebuilding (Wembley had hosted the Welsh rugby team during the building of their new ground):

Related Topics:
2001 - English - Wembley Stadium

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• FA Cup Final
• League Cup Final
• Football League Trophy Final
• Playoff finals for all levels of The Football League
• FA Community Shield

These matches will stop being held in Cardiff after 2006 and efforts have been made to attract Cardiff City F.C. to use the stadium for their own home matches (which would provide much-needed income), but the Bluebirds are apparently determined to build their own stadium.

Related Topics:
2006 - Cardiff City F.C.

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The stadium has also been used for a variety of musical events, possibly the most famous being the Manic Street Preachers concert held on Millennium Eve and a recording of the BBC's Songs of Praise the following day, which attracted an attendance of 65,000. At the end of January 2005 the stadium hosted a charity concert in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Related Topics:
Manic Street Preachers - Millennium - BBC - Songs of Praise - January - 2005 - Charity concert - 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - Tsunami

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Looking to the future, the stadium will stage some matches of the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup. It is planned to stage eight matches of the 2012 Olympic football competition at the stadium.

Related Topics:
2007 Rugby Union World Cup - 2012 Olympic

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The stadium has also on occasion been used as a venue for shooting film and television productions. Dalek, an episode of the 2005 series of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, was shot primarily on location at the stadium, using its underground areas to stand in for an underground base in Utah, United States in the year 2012. The location shooting for the episode took place during October and November 2004. The Hindi film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham was also filmed there.

Related Topics:
Film - Television - Dalek - 2005 - BBC - Science fiction television - Doctor Who - Utah - United States - 2012 - 2004 - Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

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