Community Shield 2026: Why is Arsenal v Manchester City in Wales?

For the first since 2006, Wales' Principality Stadium will be the host for the Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City on Saturday, 16 August.

Because of The Weeknd's 'After Hours til Dawn' tour taking place on the same day at Wembley Stadium, the annual Community Shield will take place away from London for the third time since it reopened in 2007.

The Principality Stadium served as the venue for the Community Shield, FA Cup final and EFL Cup final between 2001-2007 while Wembley Stadium was demolished and rebuilt. Following its reopening, the new Wembley hosted its first FA Cup final in 2007.

In 2012, Villa Park hosted the Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea, because Wembley hosted football at the Olympics.

The annual match was also played outside of London in 2022 because Wembley hosted the Women's European Championship final, when Manchester City faced Liverpool at Leicester City's King Power Stadium.

The Principality Stadium and the two iterations of Wembley are among a long list of venues to have hosted the fixture.

Stamford Bridge, Highbury, White Hart Lane, Old Trafford, Maine Road, The Den, Molineux and Filbert Street have also been home to the Community Shield, formerly known as the Charity Shield.

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