Music star’s tour: Why 2026 Community Shield is holding in Cardiff, not Wembley

The 2026 FA Community Shield, a traditional football match between Arsenal and Manchester City, will be played in Cardiff on August 16, 2026, marking the first time in 20 years that the tournament will return to the Welsh capital. The Premier League announced this decision due to music star The Weeknd's "After Hours Til Dawn" tour, which is scheduled to occur at Wembley Stadium on the same day.

This makes it only the third time since the stadium reopened in 2007 that the Community Shield has been held outside of Wembley. The fixture, which has traditionally been hosted at Wembley since 1974, was played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in 2001-2006 and returned to Wembley in 2007. The match was also held at Villa Park in 2012 due to the London Olympics and at King Power Stadium in 2022 due to the Women’s European Championship final.

This return to Cardiff is a significant departure from the recent Wembley tradition, and Arsenal and Manchester City will provide the first Community Shield action at the Principality Stadium since 2006.