Community Shield moves to Cardiff as Wembley booked by The Weeknd

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Evening Standard

·23 de marzo de 2026

Community Shield moves to Cardiff as Wembley booked by The Weeknd

Wembley Stadium is not available for the traditional Premier League curtain-raiser

Next season’s Community Shield will be hosted in Cardiff due to Wembley Stadium being booked up.

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The Premier League season curtain-raiser takes place a week before the beginning of a new campaign, featuring the previous season’s champions against the FA Cup winners.

Wembley, the home of English football, is the traditional host for the match, but has already been booked up by The Weeknd across the confirmed date of August 16, 2025.

That means the game will be played at the Welsh national stadium, The Principality Stadium.

A statement from the Football Association confirmed: “Due to alterations to the 2026-27 football calendar, next season’s Premier League will begin over the weekend of Saturday 22 August, and Wembley Stadium connected by EE is unavailable on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August due to pre-planned concerts.”

Canadian pop star The Weeknd has booked five nights at Wembley, between August 14 and 19 for his After Hours Til Dawn Tour.

Wembley Stadium currently has no events booked for the weekend prior, when the Community Shield would normally be held.

But as the start of the next Premier League season has been delayed by one week, due in part to an extended 2026 World Cup, the dates no longer align for Wembley to host the Community Shield.

Arsenal are currently favourites to win both the Premier League and FA Cup, and thus book their ticket to Cardiff.

Should the Gunners win both competitions, then the Premier League runner-up would be their opponents in Wales.