Top 10 Largest Stadiums in the World

Rungrado 1st of May is a multi-purpose stadium spanning 20.7 hectares (51 acres) on Rungra Island, Pyongyang, North Korea. It opened on May 1, 1989, with its first major event being the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. It is the second-largest stadium in the world by seating capacity (after India's Narendra Modi Stadium), based on estimated seating numbers in 2014, and the largest stadium in the world based on its official seating capacity. The stadium's shell-shaped roof has 16 arches arranged in the shape of a ring, resembling an orchid flower. It hosts events on the main field, covering 22,500 square meters (242,000 sq ft). Its total floor area is over 207,000 square meters (2,230,000 sq ft) across eight floors, and the peaks of its roof arch at a height of over 60 meters (200 ft) above ground. The stadium was originally built with an official capacity of 150,000. After renovations in 2014, including the replacement of some bench seats with individual seats, the new estimated capacity is around 114,000.

The name of the stadium comes from the Rungra Island on the Taedong River and the day it was completed - International Labor Day on May 1. The design of the stadium is unique, with its roof, a shell-shaped structure with a total of 16 arches arranged in the shape of a ring. When viewed from above, it looks like an orchid flower floating on the Taedong River. The stadium's floor area is 207,000 square meters with a height of 60m, comprising 8 floors, 80 emergency exits, and 10 elevators. It features numerous training rooms, entertainment rooms, indoor swimming pools, ultrasonic baths, steam baths, beds, and various modern amenities. It also has multiple dining rooms, radio and television broadcasting rooms. Indoor running tracks extend to hundreds of meters and are located on the sixth floor. Rungrado 1st of May is used for sports events, large performances, and special celebrations. The stadium hosts the world's largest Arirang Mass Games, attracting up to 100,000 participants performing various acts.

Azteca Stadium is a football stadium located in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the home stadium of the football clubs Club América, Cruz Azul, and the Mexico national football team. The stadium is situated at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 feet) above sea level. With an official capacity of 87,523 seats, it is the largest stadium in Mexico. As of 2018, the stadium is also the home ground for Cruz Azul. The National Football League (NFL) hosts a match at Azteca Stadium each season as part of their International Series. Considered one of the most famous and iconic football stadiums in the world, it was the first stadium to host two FIFA World Cup finals. In the 1970 World Cup final, Brazil defeated Italy 4-1, and in the 1986 World Cup final, Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2. The stadium was also the venue for the quarter-final match between Argentina and England, where Diego Maradona scored both famous goals, known as the 'Hand of God' and the 'Goal of the Century.' The stadium also hosted football events at the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1971 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Azteca Stadium was designed by architects Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca and groundbreaking took place in 1961. The inaugural match was between Club América and Torino F.C. on May 29, 1966, with a capacity crowd of 107,494 spectators. The first goal was scored by Brazil's Arlindo Dos Santos and the second goal by Brazil's José Alves, followed by an Italian equalizer, ending in a 2-2 draw. Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz executed the first kick, and FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous was in attendance. The modern lighting system was inaugurated on June 5, 1966, with the first night match held between Spain's Valencia C.F. and Necaxa. The first goal of the match was scored by Honduras' José Cardona for Valencia. Roberto Martínez, also known as Caña Brava, became the first Mexican to score in the stadium after netting a goal for Necaxa. The result was a 3-1 victory for Valencia. In 1978, the stadium hosted the final of the Copa Libertadores between América and Argentina's Boca Juniors, and the final was held again in 1991 between América and Paraguay's Club Olimpia.

Before the operation of Rungrado 1st of May, Salt Lake was the largest stadium in the world. It is the home ground for many famous football clubs in India such as Mohun Bagan AC, Kingfisher East Bengal FC, Prayag United SC, and Mohanmadam SC. Salt Lake is uniquely designed with a distinctive 3-tier structure, a roof made of metal, aluminum, and concrete, 6 gates covering an area of 309,200 m2. The stadium is used for football and athletics matches. Salt Lake has hosted several tournaments and important international matches, including the Indian national team's matches in the FIFA World Cup 1986, Super-Soccers in 1986, 1989, 1991, and 1994, and the Nehru Cup 1995. The stadium was completed in 1984 because the Maidan club's stadiums in the area, each with a capacity of about 20,000 people, were too small for the massive audience that filled the stadium on match days. While Eden Gardens was used for more prominent matches, such as the Kolkata derby, the pressure of hosting both cricket and football matches proved to be overwhelming for the stadium.

Beaver Stadium is the football stadium of Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania. It is the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. The construction of the stadium dates back to 1909. However, the formal construction of this stadium began in 1960. Initially, it was a stadium with a capacity of 46,000 people. However, it underwent several upgrades and renovations. From 1969 to 1991, the stadium was renovated and expanded, increasing its capacity from 46,000 to nearly 94,000 people. However, in 2011, an upgrade was organized, bringing the total capacity of the stadium to what it is today. The stadium had a record attendance of 110,889 people, but the official seating capacity is 106,572 seats.

This stadium is named in honor of James A. Beaver, a lawyer in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and a promoted Lieutenant Colonel in a military brigade. He was a Supreme Court judge, governor of Pennsylvania, and president of the Board of Trustees of the University. He is recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the development of universities at the turn of the century. Initially, the stadium had only 46,284 seats, which were later repaired, expanded, and increased to 107,282. It is the home ground for the Penn State Nittany Lions club. The record capacity is 110,753 people in 2012.

Michigan Stadium, nicknamed 'The Big House,' is an American football stadium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the world, and the 34th largest sports venue. The official capacity of the stadium is 107,601, but it can accommodate up to 115,000 people. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 (equivalent to $14 million in 2019) and had an initial capacity of 72,000. Before the construction of the stadium, the Wolverines played football at Ferry Field. Every home game since November 8, 1975, has drawn over 100,000 spectators, extending over 200 events. On September 7, 2013, the game between Michigan and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attracted 115,109 spectators, a record for a college football game since 1948 and a record attendance in an NCAA game, surpassing the previous record of 114,804 people from the same match two years earlier.

Michigan Stadium was designed with foundations allowing for the expansion of the stadium to over 100,000 people. Fielding Yost desired a stadium with a seating capacity of 150,000. To keep construction costs low at the time, the decision was made to build a smaller stadium than Yost desired but with foundations allowing for future expansion. Michigan Stadium has been used for the main graduation ceremonies of the University of Michigan; President Lyndon B. Johnson outlined his Great Society program at the commencement exercises in 1964 at the stadium. The stadium has also hosted ice hockey games, including the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, a regular-season NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings with an official attendance of 105,491, a record attendance for an ice hockey game. Additionally, a soccer match in the 2014 International Champions Cup between Real Madrid and Manchester United had an attendance of 109,318, a record attendance for a soccer match in the United States.

Kyle Field is a football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, USA. It has been the home of the Texas A&M Aggies football team in its primitive form since 1904 and a permanent concrete stadium since 1927. With a seating capacity of 102,733 in 2021, it is the largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference, the fourth-largest stadium in NCAA, the fourth-largest stadium in the United States, and the sixth-largest non-racing stadium in the world, as well as the largest stadium in Texas. The largest attendance for a game at Kyle Field was 110,633 when Texas A&M lost to Ole Miss Rebels with a score of 35 - 20 on October 11, 2014. It stands as the largest attended football game in the history of Texas and the SEC.

In the fall of 1904, Edwin Jackson Kyle, a 1899 graduate of Texas A&M and a horticulture professor, was appointed president of the General Athletics Association. Kyle wanted to secure and develop an athletic field to promote the school's track and field. Texas A&M was unwilling to provide funds, so Kyle fenced off a portion of the southwest corner of the campus allotted to him for agricultural use. Using his own $650, he purchased a covered grandstand from the Bryan fairgrounds and built a wooden grandstand to increase seating to 500. On November 11, 1904, the Texas A&M Board of Directors designated this area as a permanent athletic field, once home to football and baseball teams. After the grandstand was built, students supported naming the field after its founder and builder. Consequently, in 1906, the Corps of Cadets unofficially named the field 'Kyle Field' to honor Kyle.

Ohio Stadium, also known as the Horseshoe, the Shoe, and Harley's House, is an American football stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. Its primary purpose is as the venue for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team; it also serves as the venue for the university's spring commencement ceremonies in May each year. From 1996 to 1998, Ohio Stadium was the site of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer before the opening of Columbus Crew Stadium in 1999. The stadium was also home to the OSU track and field teams from 1923 to 2001. In addition to athletics, Ohio Stadium hosts concerts, with U2, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Metallica among many acts that have performed at the venue.

Ohio Stadium opened in 1922 to replace Ohio Field and had a seating capacity of 66,210. In 1923, a horseshoe-shaped running track was added, later upgraded to an all-weather track. Seating capacity increased over the years, reaching a total of 91,470 spectators in 1991. Starting in 2000, the stadium underwent renovations and expansions in multiple phases, removing the running track and adding seats, increasing capacity to 101,568 in 2001 and 102,329 in 2007. In 2014, additional seating was added in the south end, officially raising the capacity to 104,944. Another renovation to add more luxury suites began in 2017 and will ultimately result in a reduction of 2,600 seats. It is the largest stadium by capacity in the state of Ohio and the third-largest college football stadium in the United States. Ohio Stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974.

Tiger Stadium, commonly known as Bryant-Denny West, is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the campus of Louisiana State University. It is the home stadium of the LSU Tigers football team. Before 1924, LSU played its home games at State Field, located on LSU's former campus in Downtown Baton Rouge. Tiger Stadium opened with a seating capacity of 12,000 in 1924. Renovations and expansions have brought the current stadium's capacity to 102,321, making it the third-largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the sixth-largest stadium in the NCAA, and the eighth-largest stadium in the world. It is often referred to as the 'Death Valley.' It is the home of the LSU Tigers football team. The original seating capacity was 12,000, and after multiple expansions, it reached a capacity of 102,321, nearly nine times its original size.

In 1936, the capacity more than doubled to 24,000 seats in the north end zone, turning the stadium into a horseshoe. State funds were not allocated for expanding seating, but money was allocated for dormitories. According to local legend, Governor Huey P. Long, who was always supportive of LSU, ordered the construction of dormitories within the stadium, with seating above the student activity area. However, in a 2015 ESPN story, Bud Johnson, then the LSU athletic hall of fame director and former LSU sports information director, said the idea actually came from LSU athletic director T. P. 'Skipper' Heard, while the 'governor helped in other ways.' Until the late 1980s, the West, North, and South dormitories of the stadium were part of the student housing complex at LSU, and the football team even lived there during the 1986 season while the athletic dorms were being renovated. The dormitories later were converted into office space for athletics department staff and faculty and studios for the College of Art & Design's graduating students in Fine Arts, but by 2015, they were no longer in use.